Sporting Classics: Champions League Final 2005

steemsports (80)in #steemsports • 7 years ago (edited)

AC Milan v Liverpool 3-3
Liverpool won 3-2 on Penalties

SteemSports Presenter: @mojorisin

SteemSports Editors: @ldauch / @velimir

The Champions League final of 2005 will go down in living memory as an absolute classic. The highlight of the club calendar, it is the showpiece match of club football throughout the world. The 2005 final was played between English giants Liverpool and AC Milan of Italy. Ataturk Satdium, Istanbul was the host of what turned out to be arguably the best final ever.

Liverpool

Until the 1990s, a European final was a common occurrence for Liverpool, but a staggering fall from grace since the heady heights of the 1980s had seen them win only 2 FA Cups and £ League Cups. Not good enough for a club who were arguably the best team in the world from the late 70s until their final league triumph in 1990.

Four times European champions, Liverpool were playing in their first final since 1985. Having dominated European football during the 1990s, however, AC Milan were appearing in their tenth final and were heavy favourites.

AC Milan

Liverpool had only finished second in their qualifying group while Milan had finished top of a group that hosted Barcelona. In the knock out stages, Liverpool had some notable wins against Juventus and Chelsea. Not to be outdone, Milan beat Manchester United and their city rivals Internazionale on route to the final.

It really was a game of two halves. The Italians took an early advantage with club captain Paolo Maldini netting in the very first minute. An Andrea Pirlo free kick volleyed in by the Italian legend from about 12 yards out gave the Italians the advantage and left Liverpool shellshocked.

Maldini puts Milan one up in the first minute

The excitement didn’t stop there. Both teams came close to scoring next on a few occasions. Liverpool almost scored twice in the opening 10 minutes, and it took a fine save from Dida to deny a Sami Hypia header. Then Milan picked it up with slick movements from Shevchenko, and Brazilian Kaka. Milan were denied a seemingly good goal when Kaka put Shevchenko through with an inch perfect through ball, and the Ukranian legend duly beat the Liverpool keeper, but the linesman had his flag up and it so it remained 1-0.

Kaka and Shevchenko were the architects of Milan’s 2nd goal, however. Again, Kaka played a delicate ball through to Shevchenko. The forward ran into the area before squaring the ball across goal for Hernan Crespo to tap in and double the Italian’s lead.

Crespo scored the next 2 goals to put Milan in the driving seat

Milan started feeling more comfortable and began to show their class. And Kaka, who had been involved in everything got the ball deep in his own half and turned to create space. He then tore the Liverpool defence apart with a sublime chip towards Crespo. The Argentine picked the ball up from about 35 yards out and with only the advancing Jerzy Dudek to beat, he fainted a right foot chip over the Liverpool keeper to make it 3-0 to the Italians.

The 2nd half started as sprightly as the first half. Xavi Alonso came close for Liverpool with a 40 yard low shot which was inches wide. Then Shevchenko was denied a 25 yard free kick by a brilliant save from Dudek.

Shevchenko, Kaka and Crespo gave Liverpool a first-half masterclass

But at 3-0 down, surely the game was over. Nobody gave Liverpool a chance of coming back.

Stephen Gerrard, who had been the point of much speculation of a move away from his under-performing native Liverpool, had other things in mind, and he started the comeback with a fantastic glancing header from 12 yards out to give Liverpool slender hope. If he wasn’t fired up before then, he really was from that moment. Buoyed by the goal, Gerrard then ran amongst his team mates to embolden them. This shot in the arm really worked. Within 6 minutes it was 3-3.

Gerrard scored to inspire Liverpool into an amazing comeback

First Vladimir Smicer picked up the ball 35 yards out and hit a perfect low drive into the right corner to leave Dida picking the ball out of the net. Then Gerrard was pacing through on goal only to be brought down in the penalty area and Liverpool were awarded the penalty. Xavi Alonso stepped up, but was denied from the spot by the Brazilian keeper, but the Spaniard put the rebound into the roof of the net to complete the comeback. It was now 3-3 and that’s how the game ended at 90 minutes.

Alonso was swamped by teamates as he completed the comeback

With all 22 men looking exhausted, extra-time wasn’t as hectic. Both sides came close on few occasions, but how Jerzy Dudek managed to keep the scores at 3-3 with an amazing double save from Shevchenko, I really don’t know. First the Ukranian thundered a sweet low header to Dudek’s right. The keeper made a great save but the ball bounced straight to Shevchenko from 5 yards out who then shot straight at goal, but somehow Dudek got an arm to it to put it over.

Dudek denies Shevchenko with one of many heroic saves on the night

And so after extra-time the final score was Milan 3 Liverpool 3. Penalties.

It seemed like the gods were starting to favour Liverpool, which seemed to anger Serginho. He skied Milan’s first penalty, which was so far over the bar it is still probably on its way to Mount Olympus. Dider Hamman scored Liverpool’s first penalty to give the English giants an early advantage.

Pirlo then stepped up but was denied by a brilliant low save from Dudek. Cisse then struck for Liverpool to put them 2-0 up and firmly in the driving seat. Tomasson then gave the Italians some belief when he pulled one back. This belief was bolstered when Risse was denied by an excellent save from Dida. 2-1 to Liverpool.

Dudek saves Shevchenko's penalty to win the Champions League

Kaka and Smicer then put both of their penalties away to make it 3-2 to Liverpool. Then upstepped Shevchenko to take Milan’s 5th penalty. He had to score to keep the match alive. The Ukranian, who had been the lynchpin of much of Milan’s creativity throughout the night, put a deft little chip down the centre of the goal. And even though Dudek was diving to his right, he somehow managed to get a hand to it to keep it out and hand Liverpool their first European Cup for over twenty years and start the celebrations throughout the cities of Istanbul, Liverpool and beyond.

Gerrard lifts the famous trophy aloft for champions Liverpool

I’m not a Liverpool supporter, but I watched the game with a good friend who is (they get everywhere). I wanted them to win, but after going 3-0 down we both thought it was game over. Those incredible 6 minutes in the 2nd half gave not only my mate delight, but me also. It was incredible to witness a miracle, even from the luxury of my living room. Then to see them go on and lift it, it really was a special night and we had a few more beers to celebrate. My mate didn’t go to work the next day. I don’t think the red half of Liverpool went to work again that week, haha.

Gerrard and Rafael Benitez parade the cup around the Ataturk Stadium

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