After Liverpool’s demolition of Brighton in the FA Cup at Anfield on Sunday, all eyes are now firmly fixed on Wembley Stadium and the Carling Cup Final against Cardiff City next weekend.
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Both teams will feel they have a realistic chance of claiming the Trophy having done it the hard way in the qualifying rounds.
Malky McKay’s side beat Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Burnley, Steve Kean’s Blackburn Rovers and Crystal Palace on penalties to get to the Final.
They currently lie fourth in the N-Power Championship, very much in the race for promotion to the Premiership.
Peter Wittingham is the Bluebirds top-scorer this season with ten goals from the midfielder.
Liverpool have overcome some pretty tough sides themselves en- route to their first final since the Champion’s League defeat to AC Milan in 2007.
The Reds had to beat Exeter City, Brighton (again) at The Amex Stadium before a 2-1 defeat of Stoke brought them up against Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge, goals by Maxi Rodriguez and young Martin Kelly were enough to see off Torres’s new team.
Liverpool were then paired with Manchester City in the League Cup semi-final.
Liverpool won the first leg at the Etihad Stadium 1-0 thanks to a Stephen Gerrard penalty.
The second-leg at Anfield ended in a 2-2 draw with another Gerrard penalty and after City went ahead through a Dzeko strike, Craig Bellamy sealed a win for Liverpool 3-2 on aggregate and a passage to Liverpool’s first final under Kenny Dalglish’s second reign at the club.
The big question this week is who will make the starting eleven for the final at Wembley.
Will Bellamy and Agger recover from injuries, will Kenny Dalglish stick with Carroll and Suarez upfront, will Bellamy replace Downing who had two goal-assists against Brighton on Sunday.
Whoever starts, its great to be in a Cup Final at Wembley again.