Liverpool's 5 Champions League victories: Looking back at glory

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2005- Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (3-2 on Penalties)

As we all know, this is the last European Cup (Champions League) that Liverpool have won and it’s without a doubt the most dramatic and entertaining final of them all. To say Rafa Benitez’s men were underdogs would be an incredible understatement, something that only adds to the triumph in Istanbul.

As this is the only final of the five that I was actually alive for, I can give a much better account of proceedings. The Reds only managed to finish 5th in the Premier League under new manager Rafa Benitez and as such, anything other than a victory would see them miss out on Champions League football the following season.

Liverpool got past Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Juventus (Italy) and Chelsea (England) on their way to the final. Though none of that would have been possible were it not for some Steven Gerrard heroics against Olympiacos in the final group stage match to send Liverpool through.

It took less than 60 seconds for AC Milan to take the lead through captain Paolo Maldini, condemning Liverpool fans to the longest night of their lives. Things went from bad to worse when Hernan Crespo scored the second, and then third goal of the night…all before half time. Incredibly, things could have been even worse as AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko had a goal disallowed for offside.

During half time I, like most Liverpool fans was in a state of shock and horror. I would love to say that I kept the faith and believed that Liverpool were going to come back and lift the cup, but in reality I was expecting more of the same in the second half.

Like he did so many times during his Liverpool career, captain Steven Gerrard started a come back with a great headed goal. Two minutes later Liverpool hearts were in mouths as Vladimir Smicer smashed one home from outside the box, making it 3-2.

Incredibly, only minutes later Steven Gerrard was taken down in the box by Gennaro Gattuso, up step Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard took a strong penalty but the Brazilian keeper made an incredible save, luck wasn’t on his Dida’s side however as the rebound was smashed in the roof of the net by Alonso.

Amazingly, in the space of six minutes Liverpool had scored three goals and leveled the game. The game went in to extra time, and Liverpool were well and truly up against it. Some heroics by Jamie Carragher and Jerzy Dudek meant that for the second time in their history, Liverpool would decide a European title on penalties.

Unlike the rest of the game, AC Milan weren’t at the races and missed three of their four penalties. Liverpool had won their fifth European Cup and tradition dictated that they could keep the cup in their trophy cabinet as a result.

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Liverpool line up: Substitutes:

GK- Jerzy Dudek GK- Scott Carson

RB- Steve Finnan DF- Josemi

CB- Jamie Carragher MF- Dietmar Hamann

CB- Sami Hyypia (C) MF- Antonio Nunez

LB- Djimi Traore MF- Igor Biscan

RM- Luis Garcia FW- Djibril Cisse

CM- Steven Gerrard (C) FW-Vladimir Smicer

CM- Xabi Alonso

LM- John Arne Riise

CF- Harry Kewell