It is five years on today, from one of the greatest nights ever in the prestigious history of Liverpool Football club. No Liverpool fan present in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, nor the millions listening on radios and watching on giant TV’s across the city, in bars and clubs and in home throughout the country will ever forget the night Rafa Benitez’s Mighty Reds became European Champions in the most unbelievable manner. It is time to reminisce the over-riding joy of such an epic night full of emotions.
It is Wednesday 25th May 2005, and it is a beautiful summer’s day across the country, whilst in Turkey, Liverpool’s date in Istanbul in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, against the mighty Serie A giants, AC Milan.
The 2004/05 domestic season for Liverpool had been a struggle. Crippling injuries and a dire away record left Liverpool finishing the season a disappointing 5th beaten in the final table by our domestic neighbours from Stanley Park, Everton. This meant a season of UEFA Cup football was set to follow at Anfield, toppled with the fact that we finished nearly 40 points behind the new champions, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Our best form had been saved for the Champions League.
Who could forget Steven Gerrard’s stunning strike against Olympiakos in the group stages, which kept us in the competition by the skin of our teeth, the slaying of Italian champions Juventus, then the controversial ‘goal’ that shattered Chelsea’s treble dream and loosened Mourinho’s grip on the European Cup during a nail-biting early May night at Anfield. For the first time in twenty years, Liverpool were heading to a European Cup final, could we pull out one more historic performance and complete the most unlikely of triumphs.
The first half was forgettable, not because we were so bad, more the case of Milan playing football out of this world, that no-one could live with. Milan skipper Paolo Maldini volleyed his side infront inside of 50 seconds, and then Chelsea loanee Hernan Crespo scored a quick fire double to leave Reds fan devastated. With a dejected Harry Kewell limping off before half-time and Steve Finnan forced off at the interval, everything seemed to be going against Liverpool. In six crazy minutes, Liverpool roared back into the final, with quite probably, the greatest ever sporting comeback ever seen.
Ten minutes into the second half, Steven Gerrard headed in a deep John Arne Riise cross and pulled the scoreline back to 3-1. Suddenly, doubts crept into the back of AC Milan minds; manager Carlo Ancelotti was chewing his gum far harder than he had just two minutes earlier. Moments later, substitute Dietmar Hamann found Vladimir Smicer and in his final Reds appearance, the Czech hit an optimistic shot which the unconvincing Dida spilt through his grasp and into the net. Now, the comeback was well and truly on, miracles are well and truly possible! Then, Gerrard links up with the frustrating Milan Baros and is tripped by Gennaro Gattuso. No doubts from the Spanish referee Gonzalez, who points to the spot, Gattuso lucky to stay on the pitch. Step up Xabi Alonso, with a chance to equalise for Liverpool. The penalty was pretty tame and Dida saved it, but Alonso snapped up the rebound and lofted the ball into the top of the net. Mission impossible had been accomplished. Five minutes earlier, Liverpool had been 3-0 down – now they were on level terms.
For the rest of the game, Milan looked shell-shocked, but started to gain a sense of control again. With the match edging closer towards penalty, Brazilian Serginho whips a dangerous ball into the penalty area, which is met by Ukraine goal machine Andrei Shevchenko. Surely, he must score! However, he didn’t as somehow, Jerzy Dudek denied him twice. Even now, Dudek probably doesn’t know how he kept Shevchenko now, and quite probably, neither does Sheva himself.
Into the drama and tension of a penalty shootout, and its Milan who go first. Serginho’s first penalty belonged in the ‘House of Horrors!’ It was a shocking kick, and Andrea Pirlo’s lame effort was stopped heroically by Dudek. Dietmar Hamann banged his kick home, as did super sub Djibril Cisse. Liverpool, 2-0 up, now the dream was looking like a real reality. Jon Dahl Tomasson made no mistake, and nor did Kaka for the Italians, despite Dudek’s best attempts to put the kickers off by copying the ‘wobbly legs’ format that Bruce Grobbelaar had successfully achieved in the 1984 final. In between this, Dida did enough to push Riise’s effort around the post. Still, Liverpool were in control and Smicer made it match point, dispatching his penalty with efficient calm. What it meant now was that Shevchenko, who had scored the winning penalty in the diabolical 2003 final at Old Trafford, had to score. The weight of the world was firmly on his shoulders, and his kick wasn’t the best. Dudek pulled off a terrific stop and the European Cup was returning to England, and to Anfield. LIVERPOOL ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE AGAIN!!
The most extraordinary final, had a most incredible final twist. Liverpool had their hands on the European Cup again, and this time, it was for keeps. Their fifth success meant that this version of ‘Old Big Ears’ was going to have a permanent storage in the Anfield trophy cabinet. Liverpool had won the European Cup back in the most unbelievable manner. It is a night that no-one will ever forget, one of those ‘Where was I’ moments in history.
Five years on, and the fire of this success still burns strongly and deeply with everyone connected with Liverpool Football Club, ‘One Unbelievable Night in Istanbul.’
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