Liverpool secures place in semifinals

Liverpool's players, from left, Garcia Luis, John Arne Riise, Sami Hyypia and Igor Biscan, celebrate the victory at the end of their match against Juventus during their second-leg Champions League quarter-final football match at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

Liverpool up a first ever all-English Champions League semifinal by holding Juventus to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, and PSV Eindhoven beat Lyon 4-2 in a penalty shootout and will next face six-time winner AC Milan.

Liverpool, which won the first leg 2-1 and advanced 2-1 on aggregate, will play Chelsea in the semifinals in two weeks. It will mean that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who led FC Porto to a Champions League triumph last season, faces Rafa Benitez, who guided Valencia to a UEFA Cup victory and is now with Liverpool.

The semifinal series will also guarantee an English team makes the final for the first time since Manchester United won the title in 1999.

In Turin, four-time winner Liverpool defended solidly against Fabio Capello's team without its top player, suspended England midfielder Steven Gerrard.

Milan Baros, the top scorer at the 2004 European Championship, squandered a great chance to put Liverpool further ahead early in the second half when he shot wide with just goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to beat after a great through ball by Luis Garcia.

Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero, right, and Igor Biscan of Liverpool struggle for the ball in midair during their match at Turin's Stadio delle Alpi on Wednesday. PHOTO: EPA

Juventus, which fought throughout for a goal which would have put them into the final four, nearly scored in the 78th minute. Fabio Cannavaro, who scored Juve's goal at Liverpool, headed against the post from a free kick by Alessandro Del Piero 13 minutes from the end.

"They are a top team and there were a few scary moments but I think they probably had more chances at Anfield," Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said. "There was the one in the first half with Ibrahimovic and the one in the second half when they hit the post."

Liverpool lost three times to Chelsea this season, twice in the league and 3-2 after extra time in the League Cup final.

"Sometimes it's a little bit strange playing someone from your own country in Europe," Carragher said. "You like to play someone different. But we know each other's games very well. We just hope they will go our way."

Before the kickoff, Juventus and Liverpool fans hurled objects at one another during a pre-game ceremony recalling the Heysel Stadium tragedy.

Liverpool Juventus for the first time since 39 people were crushed to death in riots blamed largely on Liverpool supporters at the 1985 European Cup final in Brussels, Belgium.

As a banner declaring "memoria e amicizia" -- "memory and friendship" -- was brought onto the field, fans began launching objects at one another over the plexiglass fence separating the two clubs' supporters. Police quickly stepped in and brought things under control.

After the match, several firecrackers were thrown into the Liverpool section. The English fans were kept in the stadium after the final whistle while the Juventus supporters were cleared out first.

The Liverpool fans left the stadium shortly before midnight and were escorted by police to Turin's Caselle airport for an immediate return home.

Chelsea it to the semifinals for the second straight season despite losing at Bayern Munich 3-2 on Tuesday. Jose Mourinho's men had won the first leg 4-2.

In the other quarterfinal, PSV Eindhoven and Lyon drew 1-1 for the second straight time to remain equal on aggregate. United States midfielder DaMarcus Beasley missed from the spot in the shootout, but PSV teammates Mark van Bommel, Andre Ooijer, Wilfred Bouma and Robert hit the target.

Juninho Hatem Ben Arfa scored for Lyon in the shootout.

During regulation, Silvain Wiltord gave Lyon a 10th-minute lead, but Brazilian defender Alex leveled for PSV five minutes into the second half.

"We were in control throughout the game, and even if we hadn't been, it's about advancing and we have," said PSV captain Mark van Bommel, whose side hasn't advanced past the third round since the competition was renamed Champions League in 1993.

Milan reached the last four on Tuesday after its match against city rival Inter Milan was stopped at the San Siro because of crowd trouble.

Carlo Ancelotti's men were leading 1-0 and 3-0 on aggregate when Inter fans, furious that an equalizer was ruled out, threw flares and bottles onto the field and referee Markus Merk eventually abandoned the game 17 minutes early.

UEFA meet on Friday to decide the official result of the game and what punishment to hand Inter.