| Though only two years ago, the "Wonder of Istanbul"
has already entered football folklore. Liverpool's astonishing turnaround
from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and then triumph in the penalty shoot-out
ranks as the greatest comeback in the history of the game.
Liverpool had gone into the match as underdogs, and Milan romped
to a three-goal lead at half-time. Paolo Maldini put them into the
lead after just 57 seconds, with Hernan Crespo adding two poacher's
goals.
Reportedly, the Liverpool players could hear the Milan players whooping
in celebration in their dressing room at half-time. But captain
Steven Gerrard led the fightback, heading the first goal shortly
after the restart.
Manager Rafa Benitez had made a crucial change at half-time, bringing
on midfielder Didi Hamann to shackle Milan playmaker Kaka, thus
cutting off the supply to the strikers. The decline of the Brazilian's
influence, and that of fellow midfielder Andrea Pirlo, also allowed
Gerrard and Xabi Alonso more licence to roam forward. Benitez was
hailed afterwards as a tactical genius for his half-time changes.
Yet if, as many had expected, Hamann had started the game, Liverpool
may not have given away three goals in the first place.
Whether by accident or design, Liverpool's changes worked, in what
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti called "six minutes of madness
which I can't explain". A minute after Gerrard scored, Vladimir
Smicer thundered a low shot through Dida's hands. Five minutes later,
quite remarkably, Liverpool were level. Xabi Alonso converted the
rebound after Dida had stopped his penalty following Gennaro Gattuso's
trip on Gerrard.
In contrast to Benitez, Ancelotti did not make a change until late
on, instead leaving his team alone, flagging on ageing legs. But
Gerrard admitted afterwards that Liverpool were also "running
on empty" and
playing for penalties during extra-time. They needed goalkeeper
Jerzy Dudek to pull off a remarkable double save from Andriy Shevchenko
in the 117th minute.
Dudek was to prove the hero again in the shoot-out, saving from
Pirlo and Shevchenko to complete Liverpool's astonishing turnaround.
The following morning, as bleary-eyed Liverpool fans made their
way home from Istanbul by plane, train and boat, it slowly dawned
on them that they had witnessed the most extraordinary final in
the history of the European Cup.
Line-ups
Liverpool: Dudek - Finnan (Hamann 46), Hyypia,
Carragher, Traore - Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Riise - Kewell
(Smicer 22), Baros (Cisse 83).
Goals: Gerrard 53, Smicer 54, Xabi Alonso 59.
Milan: Dida - Cafu, Stam, Nesta, Maldini - Seedorf
(Serginho 83), Gattuso (Rui Costa 111), Pirlo, Kaka - Crespo (Tomasson
83), Shevchenko.
Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 38, 43.
Penalty shoot-out: Serginho (miss), Hamann; Pirlo (miss), Cisse;
Tomasson, Riise (miss); Kaka, Smicer; Shevchenko (miss).
Referee: Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).
Att: 69,000. |
