Top 4 Liverpool Champions League Performances
Liverpool are known as “the Merseyside`s” and thei
The History
Liverpool FC is a professional football club from England that origins could be traced 126 year back in the history. It was founded on 3th of June 1892. Anfield is their ground from the day of their foundation. They are not only competing in the top tier of the English Championship Pyramid – The Premier League, but they have the best performance of all on the European Stage – winning 5 titles in the Champions league. They were at the top of their performance in the 1970 and 1980 when Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to eleven titles in the Premier League and seven titles in the European tournaments.
Liverpool are known as “The Merseyside`s” and their anthem – “You'll never walk alone” could be heard on every game, performed by one of the best crowds in the world. Home kits have been dramatically changed several times, but the main color has always been red. The Reds from Liverpool have a glorious past and they are doing their best to preserve their performance and to keep their fans always happy with their wins.
Here in this article we will have a closer look to their Top 4 performances in the European League that made all Liverpool fans thrilled and have kept their breath away for not only 90 minutes but for the years to come.
4. Liverpool - Chelsea (01/05/2007)
Score
1-0 (4-1 penalties)KickOff
01/05/2007 20:45 local timeLocation
Anfield LiverpoolTeams
Liverpool
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant (Alonso 78), Gerrard, Mascherano (Fowler 118), Zenden, Kuyt, Crouch (Bellamy 106).Chelsea
Cech, Ferreira, Essien, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Makelele (Geremi 118), Lampard, Joe Cole (Robben 98), Drogba, Kalou (Wright-Phillips 107).The Game
Back in 2007 Champions league have witnessed a typical English derby. Chelsea face Liverpool first at Stamford bridge. The clash was a typical for a match with such a high bet. Joe Cole succeeded in scoring one goal on home ground and this one was enough for Chelsea to grab the victory there.
The tie came a week after. Anfield did not have a free seat. Everyone was cheering and was supporting the reds. Daneil Agger stroke the ball in unstoppable manner and netted it in the first half. The second leg of this semifinal ended in the same result as the first leg. The extra time was scoreless and the finalist was going to be decided in a penalty shoot-out.
Bolo Zenden, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard succeeded scoring a goal and on the fifth shot Dirk Kuyt sealed the victory for Liverpool and send them to the final. Even if the final did not have a happy ending, this clash was going to be remembered for a long time.
The HighLights
3. Liverpool - Olympiacos (08/12/2004)
Score
3-1KickOff
08/12/2004 20:45 local timeLocation
Anfield LiverpoolTeams
Liverpool
Kirkland, Finnan (Josemi 85), Carragher, Hyypia, Traore (Sinama Pongolle 45), Nunez, Alonso, Gerrard, Riise, Kewell, Baros (Mellor 78).Olympiacos
Nikopolidis, Pantos, Anatolakis, Schurrer, Venetidis (Maric 84), Georgiadis (Rezic 70), Kafes, Stoltidis, Djordjevic, Rivaldo, Giovanni (Okkas 87).The Game
Liverpool have not always succeeded easily to the final stages. In 2004 the club from England desperately needed 3 points to get out of the group. When Olympiacos score one in the first half the mission of Liverpool seemed impossible. The Rafa Benitez boys had to score three un answered goals in order to get the needed 3 points and the needed goal difference to succeed in the next stage of the competition.
Neil Mellor and Florent Sinama-Pongolle were the most unpredicted players to score for Liverpool that day, but fortunately for the fans the duo worked. The captain found the net with a trademark of his a long – distance unstoppable shot. Even in the latest possible moment Liverpool fans received another night to be spoken about for years.
The HighLights
2. Roma - Liverpool (30/05/1984)
Score
1–1 (2-4 penalties)KickOff
30/05/1984 20:15 local timeLocation
Stadio Olimpico RomeTeams
Roma
Franco Tancredi, Michele Nappi, Sebastiano Nela, Ubaldo Righetti, Paulo Roberto Falcão, Dario Bonetti, Bruno Conti, Toninho Cerezo, Roberto Pruzzo, Agostino Di Bartolomei, Francesco GrazianiLiverpool
Bruce Grobbelaar, Phil Neal, Alan Kennedy, Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan, Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish, Sammy Lee, Ian Rush, Craig Johnston, Graeme SounessThe Game
On the third place in chart we would place the performance of Liverpool in 1984. In the eigth season of Champions league. In the beginning of the night no one knew that Liverpool were going to win their 4th European title. They had no advantage in this match, they were going to play versus Roma, on the home stadium of Roma – the Olympic Stadium. Even though they were one of the greatest forces in the European football in the last decade this was one of the biggest challenges they had ever had. Liverpool took the part of the Italian club - they were the one defending they goal, trying to quiet the home crowd. Phil Neal gave Liverpool the lead. Roberto Pruzzo made the score equal with a header from the penalty area. Even though there were some dangerous moment until the end of the score left 1-1.
The match entered the extra time but no goals were scored even there. Liverpool, missed the first penalty, but the other four were perfect. Neal, Souness, Rush, Kennedy gave the victory the club from west England.
The HighLights
1. AC Milan - Liverpool (25/05/2005)
Score
3-3 (2-3 penalties)KickOff
25/05/2005 20:15 local timeLocation
Atatürk Olympic Stadium IstanbulTeams
AC Milan
Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).Liverpool
Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).The Game
The last won final by Liverpool. It took place in Istanbul and their rivals were Milan. After a hard road for both of the teams they landed three days before the final in Istanbul and no one knew what would happen.
Before the match all the odds were with AC Milan. As the commentators said “AC Milan was leading 0-1 before the start signal”. It was not a lie, Milan took the lead in 1 first minute. After Pirlo's set piece (his famous manner) the ball was send to the net by Maldini in the beginning of the match. 0-2 in 38 minute after a penalty appeal from Liverpool as the ball was deflected by Nesta. Hernan Crespo made it after a fast counter – attack. Milan scored a third goal before the end of the first halftime. Jerzy Dudek silenced the Liverpool fans, and gave the fans of AC Milan the taste of the Champions League title.
The analysis in the halftime were only to boost on Milan`s performance. Liverpool were not considered having any chances.
In the 54st minute a fine header from Steven Gerrard made the result 1-3. Vladimir Smicer, made it 2-3 just a few minutes after that after a shot taken outside of the box AC of Milan. Liverpool needed another two unanswered goals and they were going to had their fifth. In the 60th minutes the whole stadium went silent. A penalty was given to Liverpool. Xabi Alonso`s shot was deflected, but the next shot went in and the score was leveled. Dida had to made other saves until the end of the match to keep the result equal. The game went into extra time, nothing unfamiliar for Liverpool. There were not so little in number shots from both teams but the winner was going to be chosen on penalty shoot-out.
Nine penalties were shot that day. 1. Serginho missed for Milan 2. Hamann scored for Liverpool 3. Pirlo missed for Milan 4. Cisse scored for Liverpool 5. Tomasson scored for Milan 6. Riise missed for Liverpool 7. Kaka scored for Milan 8. Smicer scored for Liverpool 9. Shevchenko missed for Milan… And Liverpool won their fifth European Title. A night – classified as the most thrilling night in the history of the Champion League.
