Reina's saves from Arjen Robben and Geremi were enough to give Dirk Kuyt the chance to send Liverpool to Athens after Bolo Zenden, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard had placed their side's first three spot-kicks past Petr Cech.

Daniel Agger's well-taken goal, mid-way through the first half, had given Liverpool a 1-0 victory on the night and levelled the aggregate scores at 1-1.

As in the first leg, settled by Joe Cole's goal, it was the home side that enjoyed the better of the chances here, but as a contest it was always tight enough to make a penalty climax highly likely.

Jose Mourinho, who saw his side beaten by Liverpool at the same stage two years ago, had been accurate in his pre-match prediction that, with Ricardo Carvalho missing from Chelsea's defence, Peter Crouch would start in a Liverpool side aiming to repeat the aerial assault that yielded a 2-0 victory in the Premiership earlier this year.

More surprising was the decision of Rafael Benitez to dispense with the services of Xabi Alonso in a midfield reshuffle that saw Steven Gerrard restored to a central role and Jermaine Pennant asked to patrol the right flank.

With Salomon Kalou operating in a five-man Chelsea midfield, Mourinho appeared to have decided that cutting off the supply to Crouch at source represented his side's best chance of preserving their first-leg advantage.

The stifling tactics worked efficiently enough at the outset. But a rethink was enforced when an uncharacteristic lapse in Chelsea's defensive discipline gifted the home side the opportunity to level the aggregate scores after Gerrard was chopped down on the left of the box.

Cole was fortunate to be spared a booking that would have ruled him out of the final but his team were not to escape punishment for his ill-timed challenge.

Preoccupied by the threat posed by Crouch and Dirk Kuyt hanging around the far post, nobody in a blue shirt appeared to have noticed Agger making his way to the edge of the area.

Gerrard did and his square pass was met with the sweetest of left-foot shots from the Danish defender, the low, first-time strike denying Petr Cech the time to get back across his goal before the ball had nestled in the back of the net.

The delirious jubilation that followed, remarkable even by Anfield's exceptional standards, spoke volumes about the intensity of the rivalry that now exists between these two clubs.

The celebrations might have been cut short ten minutes later when a stray pass from Javier Mascherano allowed Kalou to play Didier Drogba into the box.

From 15 yards, Africa's player of the year opted for power when placement might have served him better and Jose Reina was able to make a block that was important, but straightfoward for a goalkeeper of his quality.

Liverpool had another let-off five minutes before the interval, when Michael Essien was unable to find the target from beyond the back post after Drogba had headed on Frank Lampard's corner.

With the added stimulus of attacking the Kop end, the home side began to generate openings from open play at the start of the second half.

Pennant's cross allowed Crouch to produce his first effort on target, a back-post header that Cech needed two attempts to gather, shortly before Kuyt sent John Arne Riise's delivery clattering against the bar.

Increasingly effective before being forced off injured, Pennant was also unfortunate to see his 71st-minute shot deflected over the bar by Essien's outstretched leg.

The best of the second-half chances fell to Chelsea however, Drogba contriving to lift Ashley Cole's cut-back over the bar from close range with a quarter of an hour left.

Liverpool were denied again in the first period of extra-time when Cech's speed off his line allowed him to thwart Kuyt, sent clear by the inexhaustible Mascherano.

The Czech goalkeeper then had to dive to his right to keep out substitute Alonso's fierce drive and although Kuyt turned in the rebound, he had strayed into an offside position.