LONDON - Liverpool became the third English team to reach the semifinals of the Champions League on Wednesday and AC Milan claimed the final spot in the last four.
Liverpool's Peter Crouch, left, jumps for the ball with PSV Eindhoven's Carlos Salcido during their team's Champion's League Quarter-Final second leg soccer match at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Wednesday April 11, 2007.[AP]
Liverpool, a five-time European Cup champion, got a goal from Peter Crouch to beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 in the second leg and advance 4-0 on aggregate. Six-time champion Milan downed Bayern 2-0 to progress 4-2 on aggregate.
Three teams from the same country have reached the semifinals of Europe's top club competition twice before.
In 2000, Spanish teams Real Madrid, Valencia and FC Barcelona reached the last four, and Madrid beat Valencia in the final. Three Italian teams matched that in 2003, with Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus all reaching the semifinals. Milan then beat Juventus on penalties in the final.
In the semifinals, Liverpool will face Chelsea on April 25 and May 1 in a rematch of the 2005 semifinals, which Liverpool won before claiming its most recent European Cup title. Milan will take on Manchester United on April 24 and May 2.
Clarence Seedorf scored Milan's first goal in the 27th minute and set up Filippo Inzaghi for the second in the 31st for Milan.
"The day couldn't have gone better," Seedorf said. "We played very well defensively and we were always a threat. ... We allowed a couple of early chances but then we scored and we closed our ranks."
Bayern nearly had taken the lead in the eighth minute. Christian Lell had Milan goalkeeper Dida beaten with a tap off a cross from Mark van Bommel, but defender Massimo Oddo cleared it off the line.
Van Bommel had several chances in the second half, including two shots in the 63rd, as Bayern pressed for goals.
"We got a 2-2 draw in Milan and we had great hope that we would advance. But we always knew that Milan can win away from home," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said.
Crouch, who recently returned from injury and scored in the first leg at PSV, knocked in a centering pass from Robbie Fowler in the 67th after goalkeeper Gomes had made a save. The goal came only three minutes after PSV defender Dirk Marcellis was red-carded for fouling Boudewijn Zenden.
Crouch barely missed adding another with a header in the 81st.
"It was a strange game," Crouch said. "All the lads were up for it and if it had stayed at 0-0 you would have seen more urgency."
PSV has not won in seven matches, or since defender Alex injured his hamstring on March 11 against Excelsior Rotterdam.
On Tuesday, Man United routed AS Roma 7-1 to advance 8-3 on aggregate. Chelsea rallied from a goal down to edge Valencia 2-1 and advance 3-2 on aggregate.
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