By CLEMENTE LISI

Liverpool and Chelsea played to a 1-1 tie today in the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

Dirk Kuyt scored his seventh goal of the tournament, putting Liverpool ahead shortly before halftime when he took advantage of some poor Chelsea defending to fire the ball under goalkeeper Petr Cech from just seven yards away.

But Chelsea scored the precious away goal deep into stoppage time when Liverpool’s John Arne Riise inadvertantly headed the ball into his own net following a poor clearance attempt. Both Kuyt and Fernando Torres had blown several excellent scoring chances earlier in the match to give the home team the lead.

In the second half, Liverpool and Chelsea created scoring, but both teams failed to find the back of the net.

Torres could have doubled Liverpool’s lead — and put the match away — in stoppage time, but Cech was able to deflect the shot.

It was Chelsea, however, who found the vital away goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time off a lucky bounce that can turn out to be decisive in their attempt to reach the final.

Chelsea, who has never reached the Champions League final, has been eliminated in the semis over the past three seasons.

Before kick-off, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks, who attended his first game at Anfield since December, was subject to boos and jeers. Fans flicked abusive hand signals at the Texan as he appeared to join in the club’s famous anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” while his son, Tom Hicks Jr., held up a Liverpool scarf. Chelsea fans bellowed taunts of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” during the early part of the game.

Barcelona host Manchester United on Wednesday in the other semifinal.