Crouch (right) walks past Benitez after being sent-off

Crouch was sent off for a lunge at Jon Mikel Obi, which effectively ended the contest, with the Reds 1-0 down.

Benitez believes Crouch was provoked and said: "That decision finished the game. Mikel tried to kick Crouch twice.

"That is the reason Crouch lost his head. If the referee blows his whistle before, you avoid the sending off."

Interview: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez

Crouch's dismissal came just after Frank Lampard had put Chelsea ahead in a win sealed late on by an Andriy Shevchenko goal.

606: DEBATE What did you make of Crouch's red card?

Benitez added: "It could be a sending off but I have seen more dangerous tackles and sometimes they are a yellow card or nothing.

"I am disappointed my team has lost but we played really well with 11 men. We passed the ball well and created good chances but they had a very good goalkeeper."

Chelsea boss Avram Grant had little sympathy with Crouch as the Carling Cup holders secured a semi-final against Everton.

"Maybe Rafa was angry but first it was a bad tackle and second Liverpool made seven or eight fouls on Mikel in the first half," insisted Grant.

"Crouch didn't need to do it. It was in the middle of the pitch. The priority is to protect players from bad tackles because we have already lost John Terry for six weeks."

Blues captain Terry is sidelined after breaking three bones in a foot against Arsenal.