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Champions League Final 2005

Liverpool Football Club 3 AC Milan 3

by 2005 Liverpool Football Club had not been in the European Cup/Champions League final for 20 years, and, it was actually a year before that in 1984 when the name 'Liverpool Football Club' was last listed as a winner. So when Liverpool FC reached the 2005 final the expectation and passion of the Liverpool fans was high going into the match in Istanbul. The game got off to the worst possible start for Liverpool FC when Paolo Maldini put AC Milan ahead after less than one minute's play.  Milan continued to dominate the first half and with 40 minutes played Hernan Crespo scored their second and 5 minutes later third goal, Liverpool FC found themselves 3-0 down going into the break.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez changed the Liverpool formation going into the second half, switching to a three man defence, which gave the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard more options to attack. Within 10 minutes the tactical change was paying dividends as Steven Gerrard headed in a cross from John Arne Riise.  Gerrard's celebrations famously included rallying shouts and gestures which seemed to inspire the Liverpool team and fans. Sure enough two minutes later it was Liverpool FC 2 AC Milan 3 thanks to a long range shot by Vladimír Šmicer. 

Incredibly just a few minutes later Steven Gerrard won a penalty kick which Xabi Alonso converted on the rebound to bring Liverpool level and to mark the most amazing comeback in Champions League history. After this remarkable 10 minutes the pace settled down and the game finished 3-3, the score remained this way after extra time too.  Liverpool took the resulting penalty shoot out by the scruff of the neck and scored 3 of their first 4 while AC Milan could only manage 2 of theirs, handing the victory and the title to Liverpool FC.

Liverpool team: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Alonso, Garcia, Gerrard, Arne Riise, Kewell, Baros, Hamann, Cisse, Smicer

Milan team: Dida, Cafu, Stam, Nesta, Maldini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo, Costa, Serginho, Tomasson