Reds beat Chelsea in opener

2006-08-13 18:06

Cardiff - Peter Crouch headed in a late winner on Sunday to give Liverpool a 2-1 win over Chelsea in the Community Shield, the traditional curtain raiser to the English Premier League season.

Crouch was unmarked as he jumped to head past Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini in the 80th minute.

Liverpool had scored their first goal in the ninth minute on a counter attack, with John Arne Riise making a solo run down most of the field and shooting past Cudicini. He had collected the ball from a cleared Chelsea corner.

Andriy Shevchenko scored his first goal for Chelsea in the 43rd minute, taking Frank Lampard's cross from the halfway line and chesting it down to sidefoot past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

Ten minutes earlier, Shevchenko had curled a long-range shot that Reina needed to dive to parry with one hand.

Michael Ballack, Chelsea's other big signing, only lasted 26 minutes after appearing to pull a muscle in his leg. He held ice to his left hip before being substituted.

Chelsea and Liverpool have played 10 times in the last two seasons. Though Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has won only twice, they've been in two semi-finals - in the 2005 Champions League, which Liverpool went on to win, and last year's FA Cup, which Liverpool also won.

The game, featuring the league champion against the FA Cup winner, was again be played at Millennium Stadium because of a delay of more than a year in completing Wembley Stadium.

Chelsea is bidding for their third consecutive English Premier League title.

- AP