Liverpool are one of the true heavyweights of European football, and they’ve proved that with consistently brilliant performances in the continent’s elite competition.
The Reds were kings of Europe in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the European Cup on a whopping four occasions and, since the tournament has been renamed the UEFA Champions League, they’ve followed up that success with two triumphs in 2004/05 and 2018/19.
To celebrate their incredible history in the competition, we’ve decided to rank Liverpool’s best moments in the UEFA Champions League since its rebrand in the early 90s.
A UEFA Champions League semi-final against Premier League rivals Chelsea at Anfield?
It doesn’t get much better than that.
Chelsea and Liverpool have had many battles down the years, but the 2005 semi-final clash was probably their most memorable and possibly their most controversial too.
The game would be decided by a sole Luis Garcia ‘ghost goal’ – aptly named
as such because William Gallas cleared the ball just before it crossed the line.
With no goal line technology to rely on the goal was given and Anfield erupted.
From one magic night at Anfield, to another.
Heading into their final group stage game of their 2004/05 Champions League campaign Liverpool were in need of a minor miracle to qualify for the knockout rounds – and they got it.
After going behind in the first half, the Reds needed three goals to edge into the round of 16 at Olympiakos expense. The first two would come from Florent Sinama Pongolle and Neil Mellor, before captain fantastic Steven Gerrard latched onto a knock down header to slam home one of the best goals ever seen at Anfield.
Cue Andy Gray screaming ‘WHAT A HIT SON! WHAT A HIT!’ and cue one of the most remarkable Champions League runs in the competition’s storied history.
Anfield has been the venue for an astonishing number of memorable Champions League moments, but this is perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Up against the greatest footballer of all time (Lionel Messi) and three goals down after a thumping defeat at Camp Nou a week prior, it’s fair to say that Liverpool’s chances of reaching the 2018/19 final were slim at best.
And yet, they pulled it off.
An early goal from Divock Origi was followed up by a second half brace from Gini Wijnaldum, before Origi popped up again from a quickly-taken corner to seal a 4-0 win and the Reds’ place in yet another Champions League final.
Liverpool would face off against surprise finalists Tottenham Hotspur at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid after knocking out Barca in the semi-finals.
Any early nerves were calmed in the opening two minutes when Mohamed Salah converted a penalty, and then in the second half the club’s sixth European triumph was sealed by Origi.
Of course Istanbul is number one.
It’s the quintessential UEFA Champions League game.
It’s the most famous win in Liverpool’s long trophy-laden history.
Down 3-0 at half-time to a quite astonishingly good AC Milan team – which included Andrea Pirlo, Kaka and Paolo Maldini to name a few – the Reds looked set to go back to Anfield empty handed.
In the second half, however, Liverpool were able to miraculously turn the game on its head. Three goals in six minutes from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso shellshocked Milan and made it 3-3, before penalty heroics from Jerzy Dudek sealed the win for Liverpool.
Follow the Reds wherever they may go with Expedia® Live and book your travel to the game. Nothing beats being there.
Credit: 90min.com
