The 2005 Carling Cup Final was played between Liverpool and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday, 27 February 2005. Chelsea won the match 3–2 after extra time. Managers Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benetiz were both in their debut seasons with their respective clubs (however had they remained at their former clubs they would have contested the UEFA Super Cup earlier in the season).

Liverpool opened the game spectacularly, with John Arne Riise scoring inside the first minute, a League Cup final record. Chelsea gained the upper hand on possession and eventually equalised after 80 minutes when Steven Gerrard headed a Paulo Ferreira free-kick into his own net. Such was José Mourinho's pleasure at Chelsea's equaliser, that he was sent from the Chelsea dugout for his over-exuberant celebration of the goal — he taunted Liverpool fans by placing his finger to his lips. Despite this, Chelsea continued their dominance into extra time and two goals from Didier Drogba and Mateja Kežman gave them a commanding lead. A scrappy headed goal a minute later from Antonio Núñez — his only ever goal in his one-season spell at Liverpool — didn't prevent Chelsea's win.

[edit] Match details

27 February 2005 15:00	Liverpool	2 – 3 (a.e.t.)	Chelsea	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 78,000 Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
	Riise  1' Núñez  113'	Report	Gerrard  79' (o.g.) Drogba  107' Kežman  112'

Liverpool

Chelsea

LIVERPOOL: GK 1 Jerzy Dudek RB 3 Steve Finnan CB 23 Jamie Carragher 117' CB 4 Sami Hyypiä 13' LB 26 Djimi Traoré 35' 67' RM 10 Luis García CM 8 Steven Gerrard (c) CM 16 Dietmar Hamann 79' LM 6 John Arne Riise SS 7 Harry Kewell 56' CF 19 Fernando Morientes 74' Substitutes: GK 20 Scott Carson DF 12 Mauricio Pellegrino DF 25 Igor Bišćan 67' MF 18 Antonio Núñez 56' FW 5 Milan Baroš 74' Manager: Rafael Benítez

CHELSEA: GK 1 Petr Čech RB 20 Paulo Ferreira CB 6 Ricardo Carvalho CB 26 John Terry (c) LB 13 William Gallas 74' DM 4 Claude Makélélé CM 27 Jiří Jarošík 45' CM 8 Frank Lampard 27' RW 10 Joe Cole 81' LW 11 Damien Duff 114' CF 15 Didier Drogba 108' Substitutes: GK 40 Lenny Pidgeley DF 2 Glen Johnson 81' MF 30 Tiago FW 22 Eiður Guðjohnsen 45' FW 9 Mateja Kežman 81' 74' Manager: José Mourinho [1]

[edit] Road to Cardiff

[edit] Chelsea