Reina wants slice of glory

Pepe Reina has an extra incentive for wanting semi-finalists Liverpool FC to get past Chelsea FC and go all the way in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Milan memories
Along with the likes of centre-back Daniel Agger and the attack-minded Jermaine Pennant, Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy, Reina was not at Liverpool when they lifted the trophy in 2005. Acquired soon afterwards, the Spain goalkeeper has had to listen ever since to team-mates reminiscing about that heady night against AC Milan in Istanbul. He is desperate for some memories of his own, telling uefa.com: "If we can keep going in this way, at the end of the season all of us will be so happy."

Chelsea repeat
As well as a potential final repeat against the Rossoneri, should Milan see off Manchester United FC in the other semi-final, Liverpool also find themselves facing the same last-four foes as two seasons ago in Chelsea. Reina, who was at Villarreal CF at the time, has heard plenty of tales about that encounter as well, when Liverpool earned a plucky 0-0 draw in London before winning 1-0 at home on one of Anfield's most memorable nights in years.

Home help
"I have heard all the stories," Reina continued. "Someone told me that the atmosphere against [FC] Barcelona [in this season's first knockout round] was not even half of what it was against Chelsea." As it was last time, Liverpool are away in the first leg, which Reina believes will be a big help. "We have to get a good result down there and then we will have more chance at home. It is going to be difficult but we know with our fans behind us in the second leg, anything can happen.

'On fire'
"It is a big one," he added. "Every single player wants to play these kinds of games between two great European teams. We are excited and can't wait." Reina believed the evidence of the quarter-final 1-0 home win against PSV Eindhoven for a 4-0 aggregate success underlined his team's strength, even without the rested Steven Gerrard, reserving particular praise for the "quality" of Pennant's play and goalscorer Crouch, who "is on fire".

Good form
No one is in more form than Reina, however. The PSV return was his fourth UEFA Champions League clean sheet this season against the Dutch club and his sixth overall in nine outings. The one match he has missed was the Group C finale in Istanbul when section winners Liverpool lost 3-2 against Galatasaray SK. Jerzy Dudek, the goalkeeping hero of the 2005 final, was granted a special return to the scene of Liverpool's triumph at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium. Since then, it has been Reina who has reigned.