Memorable moments: How Liverpool turned the Champions League final against AC Milan

In May 2005, the biggest turnaround took place in the Champions League final. Liverpool, with Milan Baroš and Vladimir Šmicer in the line-up, were trailing the star-studded AC Milan 0:3 at half-time. But then they levelled the score in the Istanbul final and snatched victory for themselves in the penalty shootout.

AC Milan and Carlo Ancelotti just missed out on the final. In the semi-final against PSV, they advanced after 2-0 and 1-3 results, only thanks to the away goals rule.

Liverpool had to go through a packed Chelsea squad. In both semi-final matches, only one goal was scored in total, and that came from Luis Garcia.

The two teams’ loaded line-ups

Just to give you an idea of the heavyweights involved in world football at the time. AC Milan’s line-up featured Brazilian Dida in goal, the tireless Cafú manned the right flank in the defensive four, and Jaap Stam and Alessandro Nesta made up the stopping duo. On the left flank, Paolo Maldini reigned supreme.

In midfield, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf rotated in a diamond formation, with Kaká as the sub. The San Siro goal-scoring duo of Hernán Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko were the main scorers.

Under the baton of Rafael Benítez, Jerzy Dudek worked his magic between the three posts, with Steve Finnan at right-back, Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia at the heart of the defence and Djimi Traoré on the left.

Xabi Alonso provided the defensive shield, with the legendary Steven Gerrard in front of him. John Arne Riise worked on the left edge of midfield and Luis Garcia on the right. Harry Kewell and Milan Baros were in charge of the goalscoring potential.

An amazing half for AC, a terrible half for Liverpool

The game itself at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium did not start well for Benítez’s boys and AC, playing in white, greased their bread in the first half. In the first minute, captain Maldini broke through from a standard pass from Pirlo.

It wouldn’t have been such a horror, however, if the Rossoneri hadn’t struck twice more in the last six minutes before the end of the first half. On both occasions, Crespo was among the scorers, and the 3-0 goal in particular was worth it thanks to a breathtaking pass signed by Kaká.

What the half-time break must have been like in the Reds’ cabin, we can only guess. Whatever coach Benítez told his charges, it helped the Reds and a completely different team came out for the second half.

Second act, Liverpool make up the deficit!

The Spanish coach took a risk and made a second substitution at the beginning of the second half, pulling Finnan and replacing him with Hamann (the first substitution was made in the 23rd minute, the injured Kewell had to be replaced by Šmicer – ed.).

In the 54th minute, the Liverpool players converted the increased activity into the first goal. Penalty stopper Stam stayed in the whitewash from captain Gerrard and he unconventionally headed. Just two minutes later, just outside the sixteen, Šmicer reached out to shoot and surprised goalkeeper Dida with a cross.

Suddenly, Gerrard and co. were back in the game and all the fans present in red jerseys were immediately more comfortable in Turkey. Another four minutes passed and thanks to a controversial tackle by Gattuso followed by a penalty, the job was done. Directly from the penalty kick mark, Xabi Alonso failed, but the subsequent finish was headed ungracefully under the lid of the prone Dida.

By the end of regulation time, neither camp had experienced any more goal joy and extra time ensued. Only Shevchenko had a great chance to score after a beautiful centre from the left side.

He ideally rose into the air on a fluffy ball and threatened Dudek’s goal with a hard header. But he heroically stopped both the header attempt and, to the amazement of everyone watching, Shevchenko’s lightning-fast finish, sending the match to penalties.

Penalty kicks capped off an infarct final

In it, Ancelotti’s charges failed fatally, missing three of their five attempts. On the other hand, Liverpool made only one mistake in the penalty lottery and when Shevchenko’s penalty was saved by Dudek, it was all over.

Istanbul erupted in a frenzy of celebrations that had seemed completely surreal just an hour before. AC Milan had to wait until 2007 for their seventh overall triumph, and for Liverpool it was their last Champions League win for another fifteen years.

Source: UEFA