Chelsea vs Liverpool: The One Where Nil-Nils Are Fun

How Diego Costa celebrates a goal

Familiarity breeds contempt. A sentiment that never seems to ring truer than when Liverpool face Chelsea again and again and again. With the first leg remaining fairly tempered it was bound to bubble over last night — and definitely did. A lot.

After a fairly turgid display from both sides in the bigger and better cup FA Cup this weekend, it was good to see there was some fighting spirit in the players. Quite literally. But it wasn’t all Diego Costa’s crimes* against nature and the never-ending farewell tour of Saint Steven. Some actual football snuck in here and there.

Most surprisingly was the performance of, unrecognised by his own manager, Simon Mignolet. Some people *cough* presumed if you shot anywhere in and around his area that the goals would come flooding in. They. Did. Not. Mignolet produced some fine saves in the absence of injured Brad Jones and could just see out the season in his smashing purple garb.

Galatasaray vs Chelsea: Welcome to H-E-1-1

One. There's one striker.

With all the buildup focusing on Mourinho's comments about Eto'o's age Chelsea facing Champions League hero Didier Drogba, in well, the Champions League -- everyone forgot that formerly special, formerly happy little horse might have a trick up his sleeve. Despite his super secret conversation in a packed press room regarding his lack of strikers, Mourinho only went and found himself one.

Samuel Eto'o was widely expected to start with his preferred non-injured status, however, it was Fernando Torres who got his name on the finely printed teamsheet and lineup against the man he replaced. The same Fernando Torres who began 2014 with a couple of cheeky away goals and an injury which had him sidelined more or less until his re-emergence in 'hell' -- like a freckled phoenix. It took just 9 minutes to assure Mourinho that he does in fact have a striker on his hands after all. It was Torres' 6th goal in his last 5 CL starts -- and has taken his goal tally in the CL beyond what he ever managed for Liverpool. This, of course, will give them more reasons to burn any remaining shirts they have lying around.