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Liverpool win Champions League Final

Nigel Tandy and Alex SistoMay 26, 2005

Liverpool pull off spectacular comeback to claim the trophy after penalty shoot-out thriller

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Liverpool FC team captain Steven Gerrard lifts the Champion Club's Cup trophy after defeating AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League finalImage: dpa

Liverpool beat AC Milan 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League after sensationally coming back from three goals down at half-time. They can now keep the European Cup after winning it for the fifth time


The 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul will go down as one of the most dramatic ever. Liverpool, four time winners of the European Cup, found themselves 3-0 down at half-time after goals by Paolo Maldini and two by Hernan Crespo had put a vastly superior Milan side in total control. Maldini`s goal was the fastest ever in a Champions League final. It looked all over for the reds but Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez must have found some magic words to say in the changing room. His team came out and launched as sensational comeback.

Liverpool_elfmeter.jpg
Liverpool's goalkeepr Jerzy Dudek earned Liverpool a penalty shootout victoryImage: ap


Captain Steve Gerrard pulled one back with a magnificent header. Minutes later Vladimir Smicer`s shot evaded Milan keeper Dida to make it 2-3. Liverpool were hardly recognizable now and when Steve Gerrard was brought down by Gennaro Gattuso the Reds were poised to equalize. Xabi Alonso stepped up to take the penalty but Dida saved. Alonso however, reacted quickly and scored from the rebound to make it 3-3.

The massed ranks of Liverpool supporters, who sat in dispair during the interval, were now in ecstasy and were faced with a victory that seemed impossible just 15 minutes earlier. It was almost inevitable that Liverpool would tire, and Traoré had to clear off the line from Shevchenko before Jamie Carragher's last-ditch tackled foiled Kaká.

Milan dominated in extra-time, and they were denied by a miracle double save by Jerzy Dudek from Shevchenko in the final minutes. So the match dramatically went to penalties.
Brazilian Serginho and Andrea Pirlo missed Milan's first two penalties. Didi Hamann and Djibril Cisse were on target for Liverpool.

Subsitute Jon Dahl Tomasson put Milan in contention before John Arne Riise missed for Liverpool. Kaka scored for Milan, and after Smicer scored for Liverpool Andrej Shevchenko's kick was saved by Jerzy Dudek to spark wild scenes of celebration.

Champions League Pokal und UEFA Pokal
Europe's top football trophies -- the Champions League cup, and UEFA cup, (l-r),Image: APTN


Captain Steve Gerrard lifted the European Cup, this the fifth time Liverpool have taken Europe`s most prestigious club prize. The Reds who last won 21 years ago in Rome
are now allowed to keep the European Cup.

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).

Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).


Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.

Att: 65,000.

Ref: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).