Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's long-awaited FA Cup quarter-final replay between Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool at Ewood Park. A place in the last four of the competition to face Aston Villa later this month awaits the winner of this game, and the success of both of their seasons could well now rest on this tournament. Let's start with a look at the home side...

Being in the Championship, Blackburn will come into this match as the underdogs, but their home advantage and recent results for Liverpool will give them confidence that they can pull off another surprise in an FA Cup season that has already seen a host of shocks. Rovers more than held their own in the goalless draw at Anfield and they will go into this match believing that they can make it through to the semi-finals.

Success in the FA Cup would be an unexpected bonus for the club, who have seen their Championship campaign fizzle out once again due to inconsistency. With six games remaining in the second tier they sit 14 points adrift of the playoffs, with 15 wins, 12 draws and 13 defeats from their 40 games so far. They do have a game in hand over the teams around them in the table, but hopes of a playoff challenge evaporated some time ago in reality.

It may not have come as a huge surprise to Blackburn fans, who suffered from the same problem of a lack of consistency last season as well. The lack of progress will be a frustrating aspect for the club and one that Gary Bowyer will need to address next season, but lifting the FA Cup, or indeed even reaching the semi-finals, would demonstrate that they are moving forward. It would turn what has been an average campaign into a successful one.

There is plenty riding on this game for Blackburn then, and they have an added advantage over Liverpool as they can afford to give the match their undivided attention. The playoffs, as mentioned, are out of reach, and it looks as though Rovers will pick up a top-half finish if they maintain their patchy form over the remainder of the season. They are three points clear of 12th place as things stand, and the FA Cup will be by far their main priority now.

It is hard to turn form on and off like that, however, and Blackburn have not been at their best in recent weeks. They have lost two of their last three outings, although their most recent match did see them score three times in the final 30 minutes to run out 3-0 victors over Leeds United at Elland Road. Leeds were reduced to 10 men in that match, however, and the result may have simply been papering over the cracks following consecutive losses to Brentford and Brighton.

So far, they have been able to step up to the plate when it comes to the FA Cup, though. Rovers have not had an easy path of the quarter-finals, claiming two Premier League scalps along the way already. Their margin of victory has been increasing round by round too, with a 2-1 win over Charlton being following by 3-1 and 4-1 triumphs over Swansea City and Stoke City respectively after that. Liverpool represent another step up from those teams, but they will no doubt take belief from those latter two wins in particular.

Both of those victories over Premier League opposition came here at Ewood Park, but their home form has been poor in recent weeks. A 1-0 victory over Bolton is their only win in their last five games in front of their own fans, while they have lost three of their last four. They have generally fared better on the road over the past couple of months, going six games unbeaten on their travels with the 3-0 victory over Leeds on Saturday. They have won five and only lost one of their last eight home FA Cup games, though.

Liverpool will be wary of Blackburn's two triumphs over Swansea and Stoke, but they come into this match as favourites and will be confident that they can make it to Wembley with victory tonight. It has been a difficult period for them over the past few weeks, both on and off the field, but a win tonight would make things look a lot rosier for Brendan Rodgers's side as the Northern Irishman looks to pick up his first piece of silverware with the club.

If reports are to be believed, Rodgers called an emergency meeting with his side following the defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, with Liverpool's Champions League hopes having taken a major blow in recent weeks. Off-field issues such as Raheem Sterling's contract saga have not helped, while questions have also been raised about the future of Jordan Henderson too. Things do seem to be unravelling a bit at Anfield, but they can still salvage something from their season.

Back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal have certainly been damaging blows for the club, in more than one way. They now sit seven points off the top four with just seven games remaining and, with United and Arsenal both in good form, Liverpool's chances of closing that gap look increasingly slim. Suspensions to Gerrard, Skrtel and Can from those games have merely compounded matters, leading to talk of a crisis at Anfield and unrest in the dressing room.

However, it is important to remember that, before those two defeats, Liverpool were one of the form teams in the country and dragged themselves back into the top-four reckoning from a long way behind. They suffered just two defeats in 23 matches prior to the Manchester United game, with those losses coming after extra time or penalties. Few people would have expected Liverpool to be in the position Liverpool are currently in after such a poor start to the season, so Rodgers will know that all is not yet lost in terms of making something out of this campaign.

A lot of that does rely on this competition, however, and Rodgers has made no secret of the fact that Liverpool are prioritising the FA Cup now. He has played down the chances of making the top four and, while he will still retain hope until it is mathematically impossible, lifting his first piece of silverware seems to be his main goal for the remainder of the season now. They have not won the FA Cup since 2006, which is a long time for Liverpool, and success this year would be extra special given the impending departure of Steven Gerrard.

They haven't exactly been convincing on their way through the tournament so far, though. They scraped past AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the third round courtesy of a Gerrard brace, while they needed a replay to get past Bolton after a goalless draw in the initial tie at Anfield. They had to come from behind in the second leg there with two late goals, while they also had to recover from one down against Crystal Palace in the last round. All three of their wins so far have been close games that have ended 2-1 and, while Rodgers will take further repeats if it sees his side lifting the trophy, he will also want to see a response from his side tonight.

All three of their FA Cup triumphs this season have also come away from home, and Liverpool have improved a lot on the road over the course of the season. They won just three of their opening 11 away games but have won nine of 13 since, with two of their three defeats in that time coming outside of 90 minutes. They have lost two of their last three, however, while their run of six consecutive away league clean sheets was abruptly ended by Arsenal's four-goal haul on Saturday.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Sturridge returns to the starting lineup for the visitors. He is one of three changes as Johnson and Lovren also come in, with the suspended Can, Toure and Markovic left out. As for Blackburn, they also make three chances, with Gestede among those to drop out. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

BLACKBURN STARTING XI: Eastwood; Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Olsson; Conway, Williamson, Evans, Marshall, Cairney; Rhodes

BLACKBURN SUBS: Steele, Spurr, Songo'o, Nyambe, Lenihan, Mahoney, Gestede

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Johnson, Lovren, Sakho; Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Moreno; Sterling, Coutinho, Sturridge

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Toure, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Brannagan, Markovic

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, Gary Bowyer had something of a selection crises heading into this game, with as many as 14 first-team players unavailable or doubtful for the match. In the end he is forced into only three changes, however, with Eastwood, Conway and Evans coming into the side that beat Leeds at the weekend. Of those to make way, Raya and former Liverpool player Spearing are ineligible.

Interestingly, there is only a place on the bench for Gestede, who caused Liverpool plenty of problems in the initial tie. There was a doubt over his fitness and he hasn't been consistently at his best in recent weeks, however, so Gary Bowyer has opted to sacrifice the big striker to put another man in midfield. That is likely to plug the gaps that the likes of Sterling and Coutinho will be looking to find for Liverpool and it could end up being a shrewd move.

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Jordan Rhodes is the man who gets the lone striking berth, and Liverpool will know that they can't afford to give the Scot a sight of goal. His finishing prowess has led to plenty of speculation regarding his future at Ewood Park, with a number of Premier League clubs said to be interested in him this summer. He got his 17th goal of the season against Leeds at the weekend, but a decisive one tonight would surely trump them all.

As for Liverpool, they are forced into a few changes of their own, with a depleted defence due to suspensions. Skrtel serves the second of his three-game ban while Can is suspended for this one game after his two yellow cards against Arsenal, while means that Johnson and Lovren come in for rare starts alongside Sakho. The latter has not started a game since the initial match between these two a month ago and will have a point to prove tonight.

In midfield, Henderson is expected to start in a right wing-back role once again despite having been more impressive and influential when he has played in central midfield this season. Rodgers does have the option of playing Sterling as the right wing-back and Henderson further forward behind the striker, though, so it will be interesting to see what approach the Liverpool boss takes with those two players tonight.

Sterling has, of course, been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent weeks, with speculation over his future growing with each passing day. His contract negotiations have been messy so far and neither he nor the club have come out particularly well from the public dispute, but any ill-feeling towards the youngster would quickly evaporate with a winning performance tonight. He has not been at his best in recent weeks, but can be devastating on top form.

Should he be in a more advanced position, he will one again play alongside Coutinho, who has also been quiet in the last couple of games following a dazzling spell of form. Blackburn will need to work hard to ensure that he isn't given space but, in a match which is likely to see the hosts sit back a fair amount, his guile could be crucial in finding the breakthrough. Further forward. Sturridge returns having started from the bench against Arsenal.

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PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Ewood Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! There have been plenty of shocks in this season's FA Cup and Blackburn will be confident of pulling off another here. However, Liverpool will be keen to bounce back from damaging defeats in the league and will be even more focused on succeeding in the FA Cup now. I'm going for another 2-1 away victory for Liverpool in this year's competition.

Both sides have a rich history in this competition, although you have to go a long way back to find Blackburn's heyday in the FA Cup. They won the last of their six titles with a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town back in 1928. They are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2006-07, when they lost to Chelsea after extra time in the last four.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have won the famous trophy on seven occasions, but not since 2006. They were beaten in the 2012 final in the same season that saw them pick up their last piece of silverware, but have not lifted the trophy since that 'Gerrard final' against West Ham in Cardiff - a match they eventually won via a penalty shootout. As has been well documented, the final this season would be Gerrard's last game for the club and would also fall on his birthday, so it could be a fairytale ending for the stalwart.

Unsurprisingly, it is Liverpool who have the better record in this fixture in recent years, with only two defeats in their last 24 meetings stretching back to 2000. The last of those came more than five years ago in a Premier League clash as Rovers ran out 3-1 victors at Ewood Park, while the last meeting between these two here saw Liverpool win 3-2. Yakubu got a brace for Rovers that day, but two goals for Maxi Rodriguez and one for Andy Carroll gave the Reds all three points in a match that also saw the visitors have goalkeeper Doni sent off.

The players are out and we're just minutes away from kickoff here at Ewood Park in a match that could make or break both of these side's seasons. Blackburn have not won any silverware since the League Cup in 2001, but victory tonight would leave them just two games away from ending that drought.

KICKOFF: Blackburn get us underway as they look to pull off another shock in this season's fascinating FA Cup.

The first thing to note here is that Liverpool have started with a back four rather than the preferred back three of recent months. That means that Henderson is able to play in central midfield, while Sterling and Coutinho are up alongside Sturridge.

CHANCE! Good chance for Liverpool to break the deadlock as Allen anticipates the second ball after an initial delivery into the box was cut out. It drops to the midfielder, but he lashes his volley wide when he probably should have done a little better.

CLOSE! Again Liverpool threaten as Sterling picks the ball up just left of central and immediately looks to get a shot away. He catches it well and it has all sorts of movement on it as it ripples the top of the net on its way behind. Eastwood looked to have it covered, though.

It is Liverpool who have dominated possession in the opening exchanges here. The Reds have settled into the match nice and quickly and have already had a couple of sights of goal.

Almost a chance for Sterling to race through as the ball is lifted down the middle of the field. The youngster immediately looks to pounce on it, but Henley stays with him well and does just enough to see it back to his keeper.

Better from Blackburn in the last few minutes as they begin to see more of the ball. Both sides are looking quite comfortable in possession right now, and their respective managers will be relatively pleased with what they have seen so far.

CHANCE! Almost a gift for Blackburn as Sakho inexplicably leaves a flick-on to his goalkeeper from outside the box. Conway nips in and steals possession, but Sakho atones for his error with a good block.

Liverpool have enjoyed 65% possession in the opening 15 minutes here, and I'd expect that to be the figure for the majority of the match. Blackburn will likely be mostly limited to counters and set pieces, which makes it even more important that they don't give gifts away like Sakho almost did then.

Nice football from the visitors down the right as Henderson and Sturridge link up before the former tries to slide a pass down the channel for Sterling. There is too much on it, but that was brighter attacking play from Liverpool.

Liverpool win a corner and Coutinho sprints out to the back post, where he is found in acres of space by Henderson. He takes the ball down on his chest before firing a volley towards goals, but it is blocked and goes behind for another corner.

CLOSE! Sturridge comes close with an effort from the edge of the area, engineering a yard of space before firing one just over the crossbar. The replay shows that Eastwood got a touch to tip it over, but the referee misses it and awards a goal kick.

Liverpool have played a number of long balls forward in this opening 20 minutes or so. Blackburn have generally dealt with them well, but the pace of Sterling and Sturridge behind the defence has threatened on a few occasions.

Still the visitors are seeing more of the ball here, but Blackburn have been solid at the back so far. That early Allen chance remains their own really clear opening so far despite all of the ball they are seeing.

Sturridge has put in a couple of sloppy touches in this one so far, including one inside the box a few moments ago. He is lacking a touch of sharpness at the moment, which Blackburn fans will be delighted to see.

CHANCE! Good opening for Blackburn as Sakho is not moving freely at all, which leaves the Reds a defender short. The cross arrives from the left and Rhodes gets in front of his man, who nods his effort high and wide.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Sakho isn't going to be able to continue here, which is a major blow with both Can and Skrtel also out at the moment. He is replaced by Kolo Toure.

Hefty challenge from Williamson as he competes for an aerial ball with Coutinho, raising his knee into the back of Coutinho's head. He is fortunate to get away without a booking there.

SAVE! Johnson bursts forward down the right and delivers an early low cross towards the front post which is initially dealt with. It comes back out to Johnson, who cuts inside before hitting a tame left-footed effort towards the near post that Eastwood comfortably saves.

SAVE! Again Eastwood is called into action, but again it is a routine one for the keeper to save. Sturridge fires a good volley towards goal from 20 yards, but it is right down the throat of the keeper.

Just 10 minutes remain in this first half and Blackburn have done a good job of keeping Liverpool at arm's length so far. The visitors haven't created much in terms of really good chances, while Blackburn have had a couple of sights themselves.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to break the deadlock as the ball falls loose to Coutinho inside the box from a corner. The Brazilian doesn't catch his shot right, but Eastwood still does well to get down and make the save despite a number of players being in front of him.

Liverpool are really starting to apply the pressure now, with Coutinho becoming increasingly involved. Kilgallon makes a couple of interceptions in quick succession to deny the Brazilian, but the hosts are being forced to weather a bit of a storm right now.

SHOT! Coutinho is again involved but can't get his shot away initially. He passes it out to Johnson, who returns the favour by teeing the ball up around 20 yards from goal. It takes a little bobble, however, and Coutinho gets right underneath his effort to blaze it well over.

Again Coutinho picks the ball up inside Blackburn as his influence on the game continues to grow. He lines up a shot from 30 yards but is quickly closed down and his effort is blocked.

Half a chance at the back post for Sturridge as Liverpool move forward fluidly. The ball is worked from left to right, where Coutinho is waiting. He pings a cross over to Sturridge, but there is too much pace on the delivery and Sturridge does well just to keep it alive.

There will be a minimum of one minute added time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end at Ewood Park and we're still goalless in this FA Cup quarter-final replay between Blackburn and Liverpool. Both managers will be reasonably happy with what they have seen so far, but as things stand we are set for extra time and penalties. Liverpool have had the better of things in terms of possession, but clear chances have been few and far between.

The best chance of the half came 10 minutes before the break when the ball dropped to Coutinho inside the area after Blackburn had failed to clear a corner. Coutinho scuffed his effort from close range, but Eastwood still got down really well to make an important stop as the ball came through a crowd of bodies. It was a smart save from the keeper, but Coutinho should have done better.

Coutinho really began to have a greater influence on the match in the final 10 minutes of that half, with the Brazilian finally beginning to find space in the pockets. Blackburn have generally done a good job in limiting the Reds to long-range shots so far, with Johnson, Sturridge and Sterling all threatening with efforts of their own. One of Liverpool's better chances came in the opening exchanges of the match when the ball dropped to Allen, who could only lash his volley wide of the target.

Blackburn have had a couple of decent sights of goal themselves, but have spent most of their time on the back foot. They were almost handed a gift when Sakho was caught in possession inside his own box, but the defender recovered to make an important block and deny Conway. The Frenchman was later forced off with a hamstring injury, adding another absentee to Liverpool's growing list in defence.

Sakho's injury was almost capitalised on by Blackburn, with the Frenchman limping back into position during an attack from the home side. He was nothing more than a passenger as the ball arrived from the left flank, with Rhodes getting in front of Lovren to steer a header off target. That is the closest Blackburn have come so far, however, with the vast majority of their efforts being dedicated to containing Liverpool.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for this second half as they finally look to make the breakthrough against this Blackburn side. We have had 135 goalless minutes so far in this tie, will we see someone break the deadlock in the coming 45 minutes?

SAVE! Almost a perfect start to the half for Blackburn as Cairney unleashes a fierce, curling effort towards goal from 25 yards out. It almost catches Mignolet out, but the Belgian recovers to palm the ball away.

OFF THE POST! Blackburn are even closer to breaking the deadlock here! The resulting corner is met by Marshall, who powers a header towards the bottom corner. Mignolet gets down really well to make a smart stop, however, turning the ball onto the post.

Blackburn have come flying out of the traps for this second half here and Liverpool are a little fortunate to still be level after that Marshall effort. There was a question of handball against Allen in there too, but it would have been a tough one to spot.

Here comes the counter-thrust from Liverpool and Henderson breaks into the box and almost has a great chance to open the scoring. The defence just about does enough to thwart the stand-in skipper, though.

Liverpool have responded well to that quick Blackburn start to the half, and the momentum has swung back into the hands of the visitors now.

Almost a golden chance for Liverpool as a corner catches Eastwood out inside the box and Lovren attacks it at the back post. He would have a simple tap-in but for Kilgallon, who does just about enough to clear the danger.

Really good play from Olsson as he bursts forward from left-back, beating Johnson before seeing his low cross into the box put behind for a corner.

SAVE! The resulting delivery comes to nothing, but Sturridge can't clear it and eventually Evans hits one on the turn from 25 yards. It is a decent strike, and Mignolet crucially holds on with a couple of blue and white shirts lurking.

We haven't seen much of Coutinho in this second half so far, but he picks the ball up here and drives inside. He plays a pass in to Sturridge, but not for the first time tonight the striker's touch lets him down and he is dispossessed.

Good possession from Liverpool as the pressure begins to build on the Blackburn defence. The hosts are staying strong so far, though, and now only have half an hour to hold out for extra time.

Blackburn may have one eye on doing more than simply holding out for extra time here, though. They have already threatened on a number of occasions in this second half and now have Rudy Gestede warming up.

BLACKBURN SUB: Indeed, there is the change, with Gestede replacing Conway. The incoming striker caused Liverpool real problems in the initial tie.

CHANCE! Gestede makes an immediate impact as he beats Lovren in the area before poking the ball through to Rhodes. Rhodes lines up Toure and works a bit of space, but the Liverpool defender recovers well to block the subsequent effort.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening goes to Evans, who cynically dragged Sterling down as he was racing through on the counter-attack. The Blackburn man seems to have come off worse, but he can have no complaints at going into the book.

Finally we have a goal, and it goes the way of Liverpool! Coutinho's initial corner fails to beat the first man, but it comes back out to the Brazilian, who plays a clever one-two with Henderson to make it into the box. He composes himself and, with the angle against him, drills a powerful low effort in off the far post. That is a really good finish, and Liverpool are now 20 minutes away from the semi-finals.

What have Blackburn got in response here? They will have been encouraged by their second-half display so far but will need to throw caution to the wind in the closing stages now. That could see things open up for the Reds too, so we may have not seen the end of the action just yet.

Slick football from Liverpool as they move into the Blackburn half, but they can afford to be patient in their attacks now and cut back in favour of keeping possession rather than pushing for a goal.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to perhaps put this game to bed! Sterling clips the ball over to Sturridge inside the box, and he takes it into his path well before trying to chip the ball over a sprawling Eastwood. He just puts a little too much on his finish from a tight angle, however, and it clears the bar by inches.

Sterling is the latest Liverpool man to go for goal as they break quickly, but the youngster cuts inside and blazes his effort well off target.

Sterling goes down when trying to race through in support of Sturridge, with Williamson the man to block him with a hand-off. It is a risky piece of play from the Blackburn midfielder, but there wasn't any real malice involved.

BLACKBURN SUB: The hosts are forced into a change with 10 minutes remaining as Baptiste is replaced by Tommy Spurr.

Decent sight of goal for the hosts as a high ball towards the edge of the box is knocked down by Gestede, whose aerial prowess has caused problems since his introduction. Cairney makes something of it and gets a shot away, but puts it comfortably over the bar.

Time is running out for Blackburn now, and we could well see more of those long balls up to Gestede. It has been an effective tool so far and, as the hosts become more and more desperate, there are only likely to be more of those.

A reminder that the winner of this match will take on Aston Villa in the semi-final at Wembley later this month. Liverpool are just over five minutes away from that now, but Blackburn just need a goal to force extra time.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Rodgers makes a late change as Rickie Lambert comes on in place of Sturridge.

CHANCE! Lambert almost scores with his first touch as a free kick is delivered to the back post by Henderson, where the sub is waiting. He gets a full head on it and isn't under too much pressure, so may be disappointed to only put it a few yards wide.

Liverpool have done a good job of controlling this match since opening the scoring here. They are keeping Blackburn from building any sustained late pressure, and the hosts are struggling to get anything going right now.

CHANCE! Blackburn come forward but are quickly hit on the break, with Sterling leading the charge. He lines up his man and breaks into the box before cutting back onto his left foot and scooping his effort over the crossbar.

There will be a minimum of four minutes added time at the end of this match.

PENALTY SHOUT! Liverpool want a late penalty as Allen is allowed to advance into the box before being levered off the ball by Williamson. The Blackburn man was the wrong side of Allen there and I have certainly seen them given, but the referee says no.

YELLOW CARD! Sterling picks up a late yellow card for kicking the ball away.

SAVE! Oh my word, almost a spectacular end to the match as Eastwood, up from his own goal, almost equalises! A long throw is collected by the keeper, who takes a good touch before firing a low effort through a crowd of bodies. Mignolet needs two attempts to collect, but eventually hangs on.

Liverpool hold on for the victory to progress into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will meet Aston Villa at Wembley later this month. This was a tough test for them, with Blackburn battling away in this quarter-final replay, but in the end the Reds got a win that they probably deserve. What a huge win that is for the visitors, though, and they can still salvage something from this season.

The only goal of the game came from Coutinho with 20 minutes remaining as he played a one-two with Henderson before driving into the box and drilling a low strike in off the far post. It was a crisp finish from the Brazilian, but Blackburn also had a couple of chances at the other end, including one that hit the post and an effort from goalkeeper Eastwood right at the death.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's FA Cup quarter-final replay as Liverpool book their place at Wembley courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!