Inside Liverpool’s stunning comeback win over Milan in 2005 Champions League final

A healthy dose of inner belief, half-time chaos and celebrations that came back to bite. That is a small part of the story of Liverpool‘s miracle comeback to win the 2005 Champions League final against a star-studded AC Milan in Istanbul. Liverpool enjoyed one of their most famous nights nearly three decades agoGetty It’s been exactly 20 years since the Reds came back from a 3-0 deficit in the first half to win via a nail-biting penalty shootout. Few, if any, would have believed Liverpool would pull level against a team that boasted a galaxy of stars. However, in the latest episode of talkSPORT’s The LineUp, Reds cult hero John Arne Riise opened up on why he and his teammates always felt they would produce something special. Yet there was one moment right before kick-off when the Norwegian was notably starstruck. “We knew with (Rafa) Benitez that in a one-off game, we could beat anybody,” Riise said. “We could run all day for each other. “We didn’t have the best one-on-one players, we had Stevie (Gerrard) obviously. “The only time I’ve ever felt shocked. I was standing in the tunnel and I’m looking next to me. I see (Paolo) Maldini, Cafu, Kaka, all these players. “I’m thinking, ‘What the f*** am I doing here?’ I come from small-time Norway.” Despite Liverpool’s rampant self-belief, the first half did not go to plan. talkSPORTThe Norwegian opened up on the rollercoaster ride that was the Champions League final[/caption] Maldini scored in the opening minute with a sweetly-struck volley from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick. Liverpool’s woes were compounded in the 23rd minute when Harry Kewell, who played as a no.10, sustained a groin injury. Hernan Crespo’s double towards the end of the half left Liverpool with a mountain the scale of Everest to climb. The task became even tougher when right-back Steve Finnan revealed during half time that he had picked up an injury. It meant left-back Djimi Traore, who was initially told he’d be coming off, had to dash out of the showers. “He (Benitez) told Djimi Traore to go and shower, so he went to shower,” Riise said. The final looked to be over after just 45 minutes of action in IstanbulGetty “Then Steve Finnan comes up and says he feels something, but could continue. “We couldn’t risk him going off early in the second half and have no subs. So he called Djimi Traore back from the showers to get his kit back on again, because Steve Finnan is changing. “Then he said, ‘Go out and win the second half. Don’t lose the second half. If it’s 3-0 at the end of the game, then fair enough.'” It was a completely different mood among Milan’s players and deservedly so. “When I went down the tunnel at half time, (Gennaro) Gattuso was being Gattuso,” Riise said. “If he was celebrating or whatever, I don’t know. But there was some feeling he knows he’s won now.” Unfortunately for Gattuso and the rest of his Milan teammates, those celebrations proved to be premature. Gerrard kick-started the comeback in the 54th minute to give some ‘energy’ back to Liverpool, as Riise explained. But when Vladimir Smicer, who came on in place of Kewell, scored just two minutes later, the contest flipped on its head. “For me personally, I saw the change when it became 3-2,” Riise said. “Gattuso started shouting. “When we scored to make it 3-3, we had to settle back down because we didn’t want to keep going and then they score to make it 4-3 and it’s game over. “ Dudek was the hero for Liverpool in the penalty shootoutGetty The contest headed to penalties and Milan got off to a horror start as Serginho took the first attempt but blazed his effort over the bar. Pirlo also missed thanks to Reds glovesman Jerzy Dudek, who produced a superb stop. As for Liverpool, they buried their first two attempts via Dietmar Hamann and Djibril Cisse. Liverpool had the chance to go 3-1 up in the shootout, but Riise was denied by Milan goalkeeper Dida. Kaka and Smicer scored, meaning Andriy Shevchenko had to score to keep the contest alive. But Dudek stuck out his left paw to secure Liverpool their fifth Champions League crown and give Reds fans a night to remember.

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Inside Liverpool’s stunning comeback win over Milan in 2005 Champions League final

A healthy dose of inner belief, half-time chaos and celebrations that came back to bite.

That is a small part of the story of Liverpool‘s miracle comeback to win the 2005 Champions League final against a star-studded AC Milan in Istanbul.

Liverpool enjoyed one of their most famous nights nearly three decades ago

It’s been exactly 20 years since the Reds came back from a 3-0 deficit in the first half to win via a nail-biting penalty shootout.

Few, if any, would have believed Liverpool would pull level against a team that boasted a galaxy of stars.

However, in the latest episode of talkSPORT’s The LineUp, Reds cult hero John Arne Riise opened up on why he and his teammates always felt they would produce something special.

Yet there was one moment right before kick-off when the Norwegian was notably starstruck.

“We knew with (Rafa) Benitez that in a one-off game, we could beat anybody,” Riise said.

“We could run all day for each other.

“We didn’t have the best one-on-one players, we had Stevie (Gerrard) obviously.

“The only time I’ve ever felt shocked. I was standing in the tunnel and I’m looking next to me. I see (Paolo) Maldini, Cafu, Kaka, all these players.

“I’m thinking, ‘What the f*** am I doing here?’ I come from small-time Norway.”

Despite Liverpool’s rampant self-belief, the first half did not go to plan.

The Norwegian opened up on the rollercoaster ride that was the Champions League final[/caption]

Maldini scored in the opening minute with a sweetly-struck volley from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick.

Liverpool’s woes were compounded in the 23rd minute when Harry Kewell, who played as a no.10, sustained a groin injury.

Hernan Crespo’s double towards the end of the half left Liverpool with a mountain the scale of Everest to climb.

The task became even tougher when right-back Steve Finnan revealed during half time that he had picked up an injury.

It meant left-back Djimi Traore, who was initially told he’d be coming off, had to dash out of the showers.

“He (Benitez) told Djimi Traore to go and shower, so he went to shower,” Riise said.

The final looked to be over after just 45 minutes of action in Istanbul

“Then Steve Finnan comes up and says he feels something, but could continue.

“We couldn’t risk him going off early in the second half and have no subs. So he called Djimi Traore back from the showers to get his kit back on again, because Steve Finnan is changing.

“Then he said, ‘Go out and win the second half. Don’t lose the second half. If it’s 3-0 at the end of the game, then fair enough.'”

It was a completely different mood among Milan’s players and deservedly so.

“When I went down the tunnel at half time, (Gennaro) Gattuso was being Gattuso,” Riise said.

“If he was celebrating or whatever, I don’t know. But there was some feeling he knows he’s won now.”

Unfortunately for Gattuso and the rest of his Milan teammates, those celebrations proved to be premature.

Gerrard kick-started the comeback in the 54th minute to give some ‘energy’ back to Liverpool, as Riise explained.

But when Vladimir Smicer, who came on in place of Kewell, scored just two minutes later, the contest flipped on its head.

“For me personally, I saw the change when it became 3-2,” Riise said.

“Gattuso started shouting.

“When we scored to make it 3-3, we had to settle back down because we didn’t want to keep going and then they score to make it 4-3 and it’s game over. “

Dudek was the hero for Liverpool in the penalty shootout

The contest headed to penalties and Milan got off to a horror start as Serginho took the first attempt but blazed his effort over the bar.

Pirlo also missed thanks to Reds glovesman Jerzy Dudek, who produced a superb stop.

As for Liverpool, they buried their first two attempts via Dietmar Hamann and Djibril Cisse.

Liverpool had the chance to go 3-1 up in the shootout, but Riise was denied by Milan goalkeeper Dida.

Kaka and Smicer scored, meaning Andriy Shevchenko had to score to keep the contest alive.

But Dudek stuck out his left paw to secure Liverpool their fifth Champions League crown and give Reds fans a night to remember.