'Carra will relish final Blues battle'
Didi Hamann is looking forward to watching Jamie Carragher get stuck into Chelsea's forward line for one final time when the two sides meet at Anfield this afternoon.
Carragher has lined up against today's opponents more than any other side throughout his glittering Anfield career.
Stand-out performances and memorable battles against the likes of Didier Drogba have helped the Bootle Boy cement his reputation amongst Liverpool's finest, according to Hamann.
And the German believes Carra can play a vital part when the two sides meet in the Barclays Premier League today.
"You always knew Carra really seemed to grasp the rivalry between the clubs," Hamann told Liverpoolfc.com.
"He relishes these games against Chelsea. These are the matches where you have to prove to the fans that you can beat the best and Carra has done that consistently.
"His passion in those games have earned him the high standing he enjoys among the Liverpool fans and he will always have that.
"The Chelsea games I remember most are the semi-finals in the Champions League in 2005. We beat them in the FA Cup a year later and were unlucky to lose in the League Cup final.
"In my time at the club, Arsenal and Chelsea were the benchmark.
"Chelsea were a huge success domestically but in cup competitions, we had the edge and Carra was a vital part of that."
Much of the talk prior to today's meeting has centred upon the return of Rafael Benitez to the club where he won the Champions League and FA Cup as manager.
Hamann, who played under Benitez for two seasons, believes the Spaniard will be greeted by a warm welcome before kick- off.
However he is adamant that once the game gets underway, the focus will be solely on three points for Brendan Rodgers' side.
"It's a real one-off game, especially given the circumstances at Chelsea at the moment," explained Hamann.
"I think Rafa has been looking forward to coming back. But I do think the appreciation for his achievements will stop for 90 minutes once the game begins.
"It will be an interesting game, Liverpool will want to get three points to get back into the fight to finish as highly as possible and above Everton."