Soccer/Champions League: Every game is played in the shadows of games gone by, but Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final with Juventus will take place in the midst of football's blackest memories. There will be renewed grief and perhaps suppressed guilt over the 39 deaths at the Heysel Stadium, in view of the blame attributed to some Merseyside fans for the tragedy at the decrepit ground in which the 1985 final was held.

The first reaction was to wince at yesterday's draw, but the real misfortune may be that it has taken 20 years for the clubs to meet again in a competitive fixture.

Though the matches are no help to the bereaved, they should be a measure of the safer conditions that now exist and, even more, of the still fragile process that turns the great occasions into a celebration of sport. Who, for example, dreamed there could be benign scenes even when England were knocked out of Euro 2004 on penalties? Juventus manager Fabio Capello has that sort of transformation of tone in mind in considering next month's tie: "We will have to play that game, remembering what happened 20 years ago, and make sure the spirit of football is not forgotten this time."

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry counts on the efforts made by his predecessor. "There is a warm relationship between the two clubs," he said. "Peter Robinson did an awful lot of work to cement that bond. I really don't think there will be any problems."

In the end, of course, the games themselves will come to the fore. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez knows how protracted a struggle the quarter-final may be.

"They will be difficult opponents for us but we will be difficult opponents for them as well," he said. "We're at home in the first leg and our idea will be to be careful and not to concede any goals if possible."

Liverpool have their limitations but Benitez, who took a conservative Valencia to victory in the Uefa Cup last year, understands perfectly how to prepare for ties like this.

Jose Mourinho will also fully appreciate what lies ahead for Chelsea. The manager wanted to avoid the Italian clubs but facing the 2001 winners, Bayern Munich, may be hardly better. Felix Magath's team expertly prevented Arsenal from getting on to the attack in the previous round.

"I am pleased we must play the away leg first and that should help us to get through to the next round," said a bold Magath. "We have seen how (Chelsea) played against Barcelona. I am sure we can beat them."

Bayern have approached Chelsea with a view to signing the 20-year-old Germany centre-half Robert Huth. There will be capable defenders around even if he has no role in the tie, but the Stamford Bridge attackers could be the decisive factor. Whereas Bayern can find goals elusive, with Claudio Pizarro ineffective away from home, Mourinho will expect Arjen Robben and Damien Duff to be at their best