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Last week, We Love Sport took an in-depth look at the UEFA Champions League final in 2005 between AC Milan and Liverpool – widely regarded as one of the greatest finals in the competition’s history. This week it’s a stark contrast as we look back to 2019 and the Champions League Final and Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool – considered one of the worst in history!
It all started so promisingly, the context alone was exciting – only the second ever all-English final in the history of the competition, the same week that two English teams (Chelsea and Arsenal) competed in the UEFA Europa League final. An early penalty for Mohamed Salah after a handball from Moussa Sissoko in the box in the first minute put Liverpool ahead and it suggested the game would be potentially highly entertaining. Unfortunately, a penalty that should really have kickstarted the action, simply remained the only highlight of the next 80 minutes of football.
Tottenham’s star talisman Harry Kane was only able to record 30 touches of the ball in the first half an hour in the game, partly due to a complete lack of flair on the pitch – Liverpool seemingly happy to sit back and maintain their early lead and Spurs simply lacking the ability to break the Reds down.
In the second half, the game did improve slightly, Spurs were successful in forcing a number of key saves from Alisson Becker, the Liverpool Goalkeeper, but nothing really troubling for the Brazilian.
In the 87th minute, Divock Origi scored the second for Liverpool and sealed the game for the Reds as fans thanked the fact that the match will not go beyond the 90 minutes.
For Liverpool, the celebrations began with the club and fans relieved to be lifting their 6th European Cup after coming so close the year before against Real Madrid in Kyiv. Former Red Philippe Coutinho was the butt of many jokes as he had left Liverpool for Barcelona saying he wanted to win the Champions League. Liverpool obviously went on to win the Champions League that same season and in fact, knocked out Barcelona in one of the most memorable semi-finals on record. The success wouldn’t stop for Liverpool in Madrid, with the club winning the Premier League in a truly dominant display the following year along with the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Club Cup.
Spurs, having made their first UEFA Champions League final ever, have so far been unable to live up to this moment. Mauricio Pochettino would be fired by the club a few months later with Jose Mourinho being brought in after departing Manchester United. Mourinho failed to bring any glory to the brand new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Spurs have unfortunately fallen from UEFA Champions League Finalists in 2019 to struggling in the UEFA Europa Conference League Group Stage in 2021.
As Liverpool take the trip to Italy and the San Siro to face-off with AC Milan in the final matchday of the 2021-22 Champions League Group Stage, We Love Sport’s Jay Edwards-Bannon looks back at one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sport as Liverpool defied the odds to defeat Milan on penalties in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final – The Miracle of Istanbul.
The Champions League final in Istanbul has iconic status in the city of Liverpool (well, at least the red side!) and will forever go down in history as one of the all-time greatest football matches in the history of the sport. Was the football itself incredible? Arguably not, but the nature of the game, how it played out and the truly remarkable comeback in the second half paints a story of biblical proportions.
David vs Goliath
This was a Liverpool team at the beginning of an important transition, the first season under the leadership of Rafael Benitez which domestically wasn’t overly impressive. The majority of the team, an average group of footballers yet to reach their potential, a carryover from the Houllier era at Anfield. AC Milan, on the other hand, travelled to Turkey as overwhelming favourites, with superstar players like Paolo Maldini, Hernan Crespo, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko. Liverpool, having finished outside of the UCL places in 5th at home, seemed completely uncomfortable in this spotlight falling to a 3-0 half-time disadvantage with the game looking all but over. We’ve all heard the stories of many Liverpool fans leaving the stadium at half-time – not wanting to see it get worse
.
Second-Half Comeback
Those fans, however, will always regret this decision as Liverpool not only got themselves back into the game but in one of the most incredible comeback stories of all time, scored three times in the space of six very long minutes for Milan. Inspirational and legendary captain Steven Gerrard opened the scoring, which clearly rattled the Milan stars before Vladimir Smicer smashed home. A Xabi Alonso penalty was saved by Dida but he couldn’t keep out the rebound shot. The reds, against all the odds, were on equal terms.
Superstar Dudek
It could have been all over in extra time as Shevchenko took the shot against Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek. Dudek somehow miraculously pulled off an incredible double save to keep the Reds in the match and into penalties. The shootout itself was just as memorable, Milan – clearly still shocked at being in this position after such an impressive first-half – missed their first two penalties. Liverpool scored both before John Arne Riise had his kick saved by the mighty Dida. Tomasson, Kaka and Smicer all slotted him their kicks before the ‘wobbly-legs- of Dudek saved the penalty of, at that time one of the best strikers in the world, Andriy Shevchenko to hand Liverpool their FIFTH European Cup.
“The best comeback I’ve seen in sport anywhere in the world.”
To many people, even Liverpool fans, there is still completely astonishment that this Liverpool team could lift the Champions League against a side as well equipped as AC Milan. For context the two teams on historic day were:
Alan Hansen, a former Liverpool defender who previously won the European Cup with the Reds noted for the BBC – “It wasn’t just the best comeback in a European Cup final; it wasn’t just the best comeback I’ve seen in football; it was the best comeback I’ve seen in sport anywhere in the world.”
Revenge in Athens
After the Miracle of Istanbul, AC Milan player Andrea Pirlo explained in his autobiography ‘I Think Therefore I Play’: “We sat like a bunch of half-wits in the dressing room… We were bloodthirsty zombies faced with an unseen problem – the blood was ours and they had drunk every last drop. We couldn’t speak, we couldn’t move. They had mentally destroyed us. Insomnia, rage, depression, a sense of nothingness. We’d invented a new disease with multiple symptoms: Istanbul syndrome.”
Milan wouldn’t have long to wait to try and get their revenge on the Liverpool team, as both sides would face-off again just two years later in Athens in the 2007 UEFA Champions Leage final. Liverpool, although a changed side with stronger additions in the squad, were still the underdogs going into the game. Milan, had an aging squad but still contained the vastly impressive icons of the game we all remember.
It was no Miracle in Athens but the game was enjoyable and exciting, at the end of the day, how could anything live up to the standard of 2005? Milan came out as winners, lifting the trophy after a 2-1 victory against the Reds. The last time the two sides faced off until the earlier round of the Group Stage this season, and the last time AC Milan made it to the final of the Champions League.
Liverpool, after a brief spell outside of the competition in the 2010s, made it to the final in Kyiv in 2008, losing out to Real Madrid, before defeating Tottenham for the cup the following year in Madrid.
During the 1990s, Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson had a monopoly over the Premier League title and seemed pretty unstoppable at the top. Along came Arsene Wenger and a period of half a decade where the Gunners were on top – of course, who can forget the Invincible season of 2003/04! The years since, especially since 2010, haven’t been the best for either side, with both clubs again going through transition periods but this fixture never fails to make headlines. This is Manchester United v Arsenal.
MATCH FACTS
Manchester United v Arsenal – Head-to-head
Manchester United could go seven Premier League games without beating Arsenal for the first time in their history.
Arsenal can win consecutive league games at Old Trafford for the first time since February 1979.
The Gunners could set a new club record by keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet in this fixture.
Arsenal’s past six league away wins versus Manchester United were all by a 1-0 scoreline.
Manchester United
Manchester United have won just once in eight Premier League matches (D2, L5).
United’s tally of five points during that period is their fewest over an eight-game spell since recording four between December 1989 and February 1990.
They could lose seven home fixtures in a calendar year for the first time since 1986.
The Red Devils can lose three consecutive top-flight home matches without scoring for the first time since 1963.
United recorded a league-low 17 shots in November, while they have faced an unrivalled 60.
If they go 1-0 down on Thursday, it will mark the first time United have conceded nine successive Premier League goals without reply at Old Trafford.
United have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 14 home fixtures in all competitions, the second-longest run in their history following a sequence of 21 matches between April 1958 and March 1959.
Ralf Rangnick’s most recent managerial role was at RB Leipzig in 2018-19. He guided them to a third-place finish in the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal final, where they lost 3-0 against Bayern Munich.
Arsenal
Arsenal have won seven times in their past 10 league games (D2, L1).
The Gunners are unbeaten in all eight league fixtures in which they’ve scored this season.
Only Norwich City have scored fewer Premier League away goals than Arsenal’s three, while the Gunners have failed to score in a joint-club record four of their six opening six league games on the road.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could become the first Arsenal player to score in three consecutive away appearances against the Red Devils.
