Throwback: The Miracle of Istanbul

With Liverpool back in a Champions League Final, it seems a good time to revisit one of the craziest games of football that was ever played out.

The year was 2005 and in Liverpool, it was a sunny Spring day – one filled with the promise of the city’s beloved club returning to the top of European football. They were underdogs against a stunning AC Milan side who, with players such as Jaap Stam, Nesta, Maldini, Kaka, Pirlo, Shevchenko and more, you can understand why much of the football media didn’t fancy Liverpool to win in Istanbul.

Skip forward to half-time and Liverpool winning was all but impossible. 3-0 to Milan, the Reds were crushed in a first-half where the Serie A side played football from out of this world – or so the British commentator famously said, anyway. It had been a magical journey to the final for Liverpool, as they edged past rivals Chelsea in the semi-final, swept aside Juventus and qualified for the knockouts in a famous win over Olympiakos.

But it seemed that it was here, at the Atatürk Arena, where the story ended. Yet, one very special round of You’ll Never Walk Alone and a Steven Gerrard header later, and the rest was history…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OQToElxke4