Blue Petr awaits Liverpool

By Tom Rollett

Chelsea FC may already have beaten Liverpool FC three times this season, but as the two sides prepare to take each other on in the semi-finals of the Champions League tonight, Petr Cech insists past form will count for nothing. Chelsea overcame Liverpool twice in the league and again in the League Cup final, but Cech is banking on nothing for the latest encounter.

'All over'
"This is the semi-final of the Champions League and they will want to win just as much as we do," Cech told uefa.com. "For us, the League Cup is forgotten and all over, because this is another competition. We have to focus on this competition now.

Same team
"The preparation is the same as before all our games against Liverpool. They have the same team, the same players, and the same manager as before, so we need to make sure we are as prepared as we were in our other games against them. You don't need special motivation if you have reached the semi-final of the Champions League."

English sensation
Largely unknown in England before his move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, Cech has taken the Premiership by storm. Since replacing the outstanding Carlo Cudicini in the Chelsea goal, he has produced a string of performances which have seen him hailed in many quarters as the world's best goalkeeper. But the Czech Republic No1 is modest in the face of such praise.

Juve icon
He said: "It's nice to hear it said, but it is very difficult for one person to be called 'the best', because there are so many great goalkeepers in the game. I don't consider myself as the best goalkeeper in the world. For me, Gianluigi Buffon at Juventus is the guy who leads the way for others at the moment."

Formidable protection
Cech is also quick to praise his Chelsea colleagues, particularly the miserly defenders who have given him such formidable protection this season. John Terry, in particular, has performed to such a high level that his peers voted him the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year on Sunday. "John Terry is one of the world's best central defenders and I'm very happy to have him in front of me," said Cech. "He's got all the qualities you expect from a great defender and he is the leader of the team and the defence."

Familiar face
Cech and his colleague Frank Lampard were also short-listed for the award, as was Liverpool midfield player Steven Gerrard. It is Gerrard that Cech picks out as the player Chelsea must shackle at Stamford Bridge, although, after so many meetings between the sides already this season, Cech admits Chelsea know Gerrard's game well.

Constant vigilance
He said: "Steven Gerrard is a great player with a magnificent shot, but we've already played against Liverpool three times this season and I don't think that we can surprise each other any more. The fact is, you always have to be careful when you are up against such great players like Liverpool have. I always think it is hard to face Milan Baroš, a friend of mine from the Czech national team. He is a top player."

Taking part
Whether Chelsea go on to win the competition or not, Cech was keen to emphasise how much he has enjoyed playing in the Champions League this season. He said: "There are so many great players in this superb competition and they have all been outstanding. It has been a great pleasure to play in these games."