Big Match Stats from the
BBC.
Liverpool V Chelsea
Overall head-to-heads
Liverpool and Chelsea have had 150 major competitive meetings; Liverpool lead by 58 wins to 44, with 28 draws.
They have met 18 times since the start of the 2004-05 season, when Rafael Benitez took over as Liverpool manager. The Reds have won five, drawn five and lost eight.
This season, they drew 1-1 in the Premier League at Anfield; Fernando Torres gave the Merseysiders a half-time lead, but Frank Lampard equalised from the penalty spot.
Then, under Avram Grant, the Blues won the Carling Cup quarter-final 2-0 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko. The league fixture on 19 February in West London was a goalless draw.
European head-to-heads
This is the fourth successive season in which Liverpool and Chelsea have met in the Champions League. There have been only three goals in the six previous fixtures, with Liverpool winning 1-0 on two occasions and Chelsea by the same score once.
This is also the third Champions League semi-final between the two teams. Liverpool have progressed to the final from each of the previous two.
Liverpool have played an English club at Anfield on seven previous occasions, losing just once (to Leeds in the 1970-71 Fairs Cup semi-final); Chelsea have won two of their five European away matches against English opposition - both defeats came at Anfield. Liverpool is the only English club to have knocked Chelsea out of Europe, and they have done it twice.
European history
Liverpool have won the Champions Cup/Champions League five times (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and 2005) and the
Uefa Cup three times (1973, 1976 and 2001). The Reds were Champions League runners-up last season, after losing the final 2-1 against AC Milan. They also lost 1-0 to Juventus in the 1985 European Cup final, in tragic circumstances at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
This match is Liverpool's 15th European semi-final and they have progressed to the final on 11 of the previous 14 occasions. It is the ninth time they've made the last four of the Champions Cup/Champions League. They have progressed from seven of the previous eight, losing only the first one, to Inter Milan, in 1964-65.
Chelsea's biggest successes in European competition are their two Cup Winners' Cup victories. They won the trophy in 1971 and 1998. They also won the European Super Cup in 1998.
In the Champions League, the Londoners have now reached the semi-finals four times, in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. They've been eliminated at that stage on all three previous occasions, and from six of their eight European semis.
Current European form
Liverpool are undefeated in seven matches in the Champions League, since a 2-1 reverse to Besiktas in Turkey on 24 October 2007. The Reds have won their last four Champions League home matches, and have not been defeated at Anfield in this competition since 3 October 2007, when Olympique Marseille won 0-1.
Chelsea's only defeat in 10 Champions League outings since their loss to Liverpool in last season's semi-finals, was 2-1 in the opening leg of the quarter-final, away to Fenerbahce on 2 April.
Player and disciplinary info
Chelsea's Michael Essien is suspended for this match; Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fabio Aurelio will be suspended for the second leg if shown a yellow card.
Fernando Torres has scored in each of Liverpool's last seven home matches in all competitions.
Jose Reina and Carragher have started and completed all of Liverpool's CL matches this season. Gerrard and Sami Hyypia have also played in all 10 of Liverpool's CL matches this season.
Claude Makelele has reached a Champions League semi-final for the eighth time in his career. He was already in possession of the record for the competition and is the only player to reach more than six Champions League semis.
Joe Cole, Makelele and Essien have played in all 10 of Chelsea's CL matches this season.
If selected, John Obi Mikel will be playing on his 21st birthday, and Nicolas Anelka will be facing one of his former clubs.
Other miscellaneous facts
These clubs are separated by two places and nine points in the Premier League table after victories in their last matches.
Liverpool won 0-2 at Fulham on Saturday, and are now eight points ahead of Everton with three to play, and virtually assured of a fourth placed finish and a guaranteed place in the qualifiers for next season's Champions League.
Chelsea won 0-1 at Everton on Thursday night, and are on 78 points, three points behind leaders Manchester United.
Liverpool have lost one of their last 14 in all competitions, and have won the last three; Chelsea are undefeated in four (three wins, one draw), and have lost one of their last 10 league and cup outings.
Barcelona v Man U
Head-to-heads
FC Barcelona and Manchester United have met seven times in a European club competition. Both clubs have won twice and three matches were drawn. The goal difference is 15-13 in favour of the Spaniards.
One of these encounters was the final of the 1991 Cup Winners Cup, played in Rotterdam and won by United (2-1).
The last two meetings were in the 1998-99 season, when both matches in the Champions League ended in spectacular 3-3 draws. Four players from the current Manchester United squad featured in those matches: Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Wes Brown; Barcelona's only survivor is Xavi.
European history
Barcelona have won the Champions Cup/ Champions League twice, in 1992 and 2006. They have also amassed four Cup Winners' Cups, three Fairs Cups and two European Super Cups.
This is the 23rd season in which Barcelona has reached the semi-finals of a European club competition. They progressed 14 times and were knocked out eight times. It is the ninth time they have reached the last four in the Champions Cup/Champions League, not including the semi-final group stage in 1991-92. They went on to reach the final four times and were eliminated four times.
Manchester United have won three European trophies - the 1967-68 Champions Cup, 1990-91 Cup Winners' Cup and 1998-99 Champions League. The final for the most recent of those was staged in Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadum, when Bayern Munich were defeated 2-1.
This is the 13th time that United have reached the semi-finals of a European club competition. They were knocked out nine times, but went on to win the trophy all three times they progressed. It is also the 10th time the Red Devils have qualified for the last four of the Champions Cup/Champions League. They went on to reach the final twice and were eliminated on the other seven occasions.
Last season, Barcelona reached the last 16 of the CL and were eliminated by Liverpool; United got to this semi-finals and were knocked out by eventually winners AC Milan.
Current European form
Barcelona and Manchester United are both unbeaten this Champions League season.
Barce have won five on the spin in this competition, and are unbeaten in 11 since the 1-2 home defeat by Liverpool on 21 February 2007. They have also won their last five home matches in the Champions League, and kept clean sheets in each of the last three at the Camp Nou.
United are undefeated in 10 CL matches, since losing 3-0 at AC Milan in last May's semi-final second leg. They have won their last three home and away, and have not conceded a single goal in those games.
Player and disciplinary info
Carles Puyol (Barcelona) is suspended for this match. Lionel Messi, Yaya Toure, Rafael Marquez and Gabriel Milito are all one yellow card away from suspension. Manchester United's Nani and Patrice Evra will also be suspended upon receiving a yellow card.
Puyol and Xavi have played 74 Champions League matches for Barcelona, a club record.
If selected, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes will both make their 100th appearances in the Champions League; Neville made his CL debut in a 3-1 defeat at IFK Gothenburg on 23 November 1994, Scholes' first taste of CL action was in the home 2-2 draw with Barcelona on 19 October 1994.
Cristiano Ronaldo is this season's CL top scorer with seven goals.
Other miscellaneous facts
Mark Hughes, Laurent Blanc, Jordi Cruijff and Henrik Larsson have represented both clubs.
On Saturday, Barcelona's derby clash with RCD Espanyol ended in a goalless draw. The defending Spanish champions are third in the Primera Division trailing league leaders Real Madrid by 11 points.
The Premier League's reigning champions, Manchester United, drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday, and hold a three point lead over Chelsea at the top of the table, as they vye for a 17th English league championship.