Whenever Milan and Liverpool confronted each other, it resulted in a great rivalry. Who would have dared to forget the final of the 2005 Champions League?
Milan vs Liverpool: The Build-Up to the 2005 Champions League Final
Milan, then arguably the strongest team in the world, won the paper and came to play the final in Istanbul with great fan support. And for Liverpool, for the English side, it was a tournament of miracles. With multiple heroic and controversial moments, Steven Gerrard and his boys paved their path to the glory.
Paolo Maldini took only about 1 minute to take his team forward ahead of Liverpool by 1-0. Within a minute after the kickoff, one of the greatest defenders in football history netted the ball with a clinical volley from an accurate delivery by Andre Pirlo. Before the first half, Hernan Crespo made it 3-0 with his back-to-back goals.During the 44th minute of the match, Milan developed an attack from behind—it was a counterattack, with Crespo on top as a lone striker. A through ball by Milan, from their own half, slicing through the Liverpool defense, found the safe boots of the striker. The jersey number 11 of Milan chipped the ball lightly over Jerzy Dudek for his first and the first goal of the night. The second goal came out from a pure team game with precision in passing. Milan ended the first half with a 3-0 scoreline.
Something changed in the second half—a different Liverpool. Out of nowhere, the reds started to thrive at Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium. A cross from the left side found the header of Gerrard, who guided the ball into the net. Milan 3, Liverpool 1. Gerrard’s goal came in 54 minutes, followed by two other goals in 56 and 60 minutes, respectively. The second goal of Liverpool from the foot of Šmicer was an absolute screamer; a strike from well outside of the box beat Dida, the Milan goalkeeper. Then, Xabi Alonso made it 3-3.
The highly thrilling match ended after a 2-3 penalty scoreline, with Liverpool the winner and Milan heartbroken. Jerzy Dudek’s double save from Shevchenko became one of the most highlighted moments of the match.
