#1 2005: Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (3-2 pen.)
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What else could be no.1? Simply put the greatest match and the greatest comeback in Champions League history. The 2005 final saw Liverpool take on AC Milan in what was set to be a cracker of a contest. The Rossoneri were favorites from the get go, having won the competition just a couple of years back and possessing world class players like Kaka, Clarence Seedorf and Paolo Maldini in the side.
The match started and before Liverpool could blink, the scoreline read 0-1 as Maldini volleyed home a free-kick by Andrea Pirlo. More heartbreak followed as a quick counter-attack resulted in a second goal in the 39th time, this time by Hernan Crespo. Last minute of the first-half and Kaka picked out the Argentine again with a perfect through-ball, leading him to chip the ball over Jerzy Dudek.
3-0 down at half-time. Dejected and desolated Liverpool went into the tunnel. Not even in their wildest dreams could they imagine what would happen next.
Dietmar Hamann came in for Steve Finnan at the break and slotted in next to Steven Gerrard in midfield to provide some semblance of solidity after the midfield was run over in the first-half. 54 minutes were up when John Arne Riise ran down the left side and sent a cross hoping somebody would get on the end of it. Who else but captain fantastic Steven Gerrard, rose highest and headed the ball in, trying to get the team’s morale back up by gesturing with raised hands to say ‘come on’. The scoreline, however, still read 1-3.
Just a couple of minutes later it was 2-3 as Vladimir Smicer somehow directed a long-range strike past a hapless Dida. Milan were in disarray. They looked shaky and nervous and totally confused as to what was going on.
Soon in the 60th minute, Gerrard came inside the box, about to unload when Gattuso fouled him, leaving Xabi Alonso with a chance to equalize from the penalty spot. Dida saved the kick, but couldn’t prevent the Spaniard from scoring the rebound as 6 manic minutes saw 0-3 become 3-3.
Extra time ensued and not much happened throughout the period except at the end as Dudek produced one of the most spectacular saves ever, denying Shevchenko first and then not allowing him to score from the rebound as well, leaving the Ukrainian shell shocked.
It was penalty shootout time and Milan never looked like winning it, as Liverpool’s recovery looked to have taken the wind out of their sails. Serginho and Pirlo missed as Jerzy Dudek channeled his inner Bruce Grobbelaar with the ‘spaghetti legs’. Hamann and Djibril Cisse scored leaving Jon-Dahl Tomasson with a crucial spot kick. He scored to get Milan off the mark and Riise missed for Liverpool as the match looked to see-saw again.
Kaka was next and he calmly slotted it as the pressure was back on Liverpool. Smicer though was not to spoil the party, scoring to leave Shevchenko with a do or die penalty. The striker had scored the winning spot-kick against Juventus 2 years ago, but saw his shot saved acrobatically by Dudek this time as Liverpool pulled off a comeback impossible to even comprehend.
As Gerrard lifted the Reds first Champions League title (fifth overall), Kopites all over the world rejoiced. The victory was aptly named the ‘Miracle in Istanbul.’
