5 most memorable UEFA Champions League finals of the modern era

#1 Liverpool vs A.C Milan - 2005 (3-3, 3-2 Penalties)

Liverpool's willpower made them do the impossible

'Miracle', is what it truly was for the much underestimated Liverpool side, as AC Milan were much more confident and an obvious choice to win the tournament. With two of the most successful sides in the world colliding in the clear Istanbul weather, the Reds did something that was merely impossible to do. Winning the competition was a dream for most of the Liverpool players on the pitch, but with an extremely unbelievable prowess, they were able to make it a reality.

With a goal in the first 50 seconds, scored by none other than Paolo Maldini, Liverpool fans were shocked all over the world, as their hopes started collapsing; This was again followed by an unbelievable play put forward by Shevchenko, who found Crespo in the middle, only to let him score and make it 2-0.

However, the night was only getting worse for Liverpool, as Crespo made it 3 for the Italian side. But Liverpool wasn't quite ready to give up, as just 10 minutes after the halftime, Steven Gerrard scored from an unexpected header, bringing some hopes to the Reds. With Vladimir Smicer pulling off a stunning shot from almost 30 yards, Liverpool were now 3-2 and just a goal away from equalizing. A challenge on the Liverpool side and Alonso is the penalty taker, Liverpool capitalized immediately and made it 3-3.

With the penalty shootout being the obvious choice for both the sides, Jerzy Dudek was the man up front, who made sure that the likes of Serginho, Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko didn't find their way past him and into the net, doing something that we would call as the 'Istanbul Miracle', as Liverpool won the competition, making it the most memorable night in the history of the sport.