Chelsea too strong for Liverpool
Shape, power and balance. That is what Drogba supplied. That is what was a key difference between the teams, even if the most crucial decision by Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink was to shackle Steven Gerrard with the cloying presence of Michael Essien. Stop Gerrard and you stop Liverpool. That is their weakness.
But, in truth, it almost seems churlish to dwell on a defensive tactic after a match which confirmed the quality and excitement of the Premier League.
They should bottle European nights at Anfield. The giant flags of Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly. The emotional renditions of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. The sheer frenzy of expectation.
It is as theatrical as football gets.
And that goes for the quarter-finals of the Champions League in general. These are ties which historically are tense and tight. Normally they are anything but pretty.
But all four ties this season have been a treat. Full of drama and wonderful goals, such as Emmanuel Adebayor's acrobatic equaliser for Arsenal against Villarreal.
Full of open, attacking football such as Manchester United's end-to-end thriller against Porto.
Full of managers prepared to risk defeat to clinch victory.
The truth is there was nothing between Liverpool and Chelsea. How could there be? It was the fifth time in consecutive seasons they had faced each other.
They were both in splendid form and Liverpool, unsurprisingly, were ambitious, pressing, trying to ride the Anfield roar.
Chelsea were organised and composed, full of belief with Frank Lampard allowed to surge freely to support Drogba.
Liverpool were punished for their naive defending at set-pieces, allowing Branislav Ivanovic to score two headed goals.
But it would be wrong to say Liverpool lost because they were poor. Instead, this was a match won by a supremely talented and confident Chelsea side.
A Chelsea team who look set on a date in Rome at the end of May. And finishing a job they could not quite complete in Moscow.
