Liverpool’s victory in the 2005 Champions League final is widely regarded as one of the most thrilling and dramatic moments in football history. Facing the dominant AC Milan side, Liverpool found themselves 3-0 down at half-time and seemingly out of the game. However, what followed was a remarkable comeback, that was priced at 100-1, that saw Liverpool score three goals in the space of six minutes to level the score, before ultimately winning the match on penalties. The victory sent shockwaves through the football world and cemented Liverpool’s place in the annals of sporting history.
There are many reasons that make the story behind Liverpool’s triumph against Milan.
The comeback with 3 goals in the second half of the Final it was not the only time that did that in that year. In the final game of the Group stages Liverpool was facing Olympiacos and they needed to win by 2 goal or more to qualify. Still the kick-off of the second half found them losing by one goal, making a necessity to score 3 and concede no goal in the second half, which they did.
But even if they managed to pull this against a Team like Olympiacos, to repeat this against AC Milan that were one of the best teams in Europe at the time, boasting a star-studded line-up that included players like Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, and Andriy Shevchenko, was on a different level. Many people expected Milan to win the final, so Liverpool’s victory was seen as a major upset, even more after coming back from a 3 goals deficit.
The upset of Liverpool winning the Champions League goes even before the group Stages comeback. It starts from the fact that Liverpool had to play in the Qualifying round to enter the Group Stage, since there was no other Team winning the Champions League after having to play in the Qualifying Round before the Group Stages.
Another memorable fact is the hero of the night, that after a 3 goal comeback would be expected to be a Striker, but in this case it was none other than Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Jerzy Dudek, that with his famous “Spaghetti Legs”, that disoriented opponents and lead to the victory.
While there were so many reasons that make this victory so remarkable, there were some pointers that could have suggested what was in the line.
1. Liverpool’s Form: Liverpool had an impressive run to the final, beating teams like Juventus, Chelsea, and Olympiacos along the way. They had also finished fifth in the Premier League that season, meaning they had to win the Champions League to qualify for the following season’s tournament. This suggested that they were a team in good form and with a strong mentality.
2. AC Milan’s Complacency: Milan were widely regarded as the favorites for the final, having beaten Liverpool 3-0 in the group stage earlier in the tournament. It’s possible that Milan may have become complacent after taking a 3-0 lead in the final, which could have allowed Liverpool to mount a comeback.
3. Liverpool’s Manager: Liverpool were managed by Rafael Benitez, a tactical mastermind who had won the UEFA Cup with Valencia in 2004. Benitez made some key tactical changes at half-time, which helped Liverpool to regain control of the game and launch their comeback.
4. Liverpool’s Comeback VS Olympiacos: As mentioned above it was not the first Time that Liverpool pulled a 3 goal comeback in the second half as it was done in the final game of the group stage. Even if it was vs a Team not as strong as Milan, this was a warning shot.
All in all Liverpool’s historic comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final cemented their place in football folklore and remains one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.