UEFA Champions League: The miracle of Istanbul

Milan and Liverpool reacquaint themselves in the UEFA Champions League with the 2024/25 edition set to get underway.

Two mammoth institutions in European football, the pair have been pitted against one another on four previous occasions and each encounter has been breathtakingly epic.

The most famous meeting between Milan and Liverpool is the first of their two UEFA Champions League finals.

Rewind to May 2005, not long after Lionel Messi's maiden senior goal and Greece winning Eurovision for the first time, and the two clashed in Istanbul.

Littered with household names, Milan's team of superstars were under the stewardship of Carlo Ancelotti while in the opposing corner, Rafa Benitez had orchestrated a surprise run to the UEFA Champions League showpiece in his first season in charge at Anfield.

We recall the famous night and arguably the greatest final in UEFA Champions League history.

Milan v Liverpool teams (2005)

Milan XI

Dida; Cafu, Stam, Nesta, Maldini; Pirlo, Gattuso (Costa, 112'), Seedorf (Serginho, 86'), Kaka; Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson, 85')

Liverpool XI

Dudek; Finnan (Hamann, 46'), Carragher, Hyppia, Traore; Alonso, Garcia, Gerrard, Riise, Kewell (Smicer, 23'), Baros (Cisse, 85')

How Milan 3-3p Liverpool unfolded

Milan storm in front

On a clear night in the Turkish capital, Milan justified their favouritism heading into the contest as they broke the deadlock in the opening minute courtesy of captain Paolo Maldini, a perennial winner of the competition having lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy four times previously.

Liverpool responded with vigour, searching for the code to unlock a stubborn Milan rearguard. The Italians soon began to pose more questions for the Liverpool defence and with half-time approaching, Hernan Crespo plunged a dagger deep into Reds hearts by finishing off an exquisite Milan counter-attack.

Minutes later the Argentine struck again, latching onto a sublime pass from Kaka before dinking over the on-rushing Jerzy Dudek.

Liverpool, who were competing in their first final in the competition in 1985, were staring blankly at a three-goal deficit as referee Manuel Mejuto González blew his whistle for half-time.

Off goes Finnan; here comes Hamann

Change was inevitable at the interval and Benitez, seeking a solution to stem the tide, opted to introduce midfielder Dietmar Hamann in place of Steve Finnan and switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Hamann partnered Xabi Alonso in central midfield, enabling Steven Gerrard to push further forward and operate behind Milan Baroš.

The impact of this tactical alteration was almost instantaneous.

Within nine minutes of the restart, Liverpool had reduced the deficit courtesy of Gerrard, with the Liverpool captain connecting with John Arne Riise's cross and guiding a cushioned header into the far corner.

Then all hell broke loose.

Finding an opening 25-yards out, Vladimír Šmicer unleashed a venomous, low shot towards the far corner and Dida's outstretched right hand was powerless to prevent the ball rippling the net.

Five minutes later, Liverpool restored parity. Gerrard's lung-busting run into the penalty area saw him felled by Gennaro Gattuso and Alonso was the man to take the penalty. Despite seeing his spot-kick saved by Dida, the Spaniard made no mistake from the rebound and in just seven incredible minutes, Liverpool had achieved the unthinkable and were back on level terms.

Penalties beckon after sublime Dudek double save

Both sides fashioned opportunities to win the match and yet neither were able to muster a breakthrough. After 90 heart-racing minutes, extra time followed before penalties loomed large as the clock ticked.

It was the 117th minute when a searching cross from Serginho from the left flank found Andriy Shevchenko unmarked centre of goal and the Ukrainian striker directed a header at goal from point-blank range.

Dudek was equal to it but Shevchenko immediately pounced on the rebound, yet Dudek, somewhat unaware, had his right hand positioned perfectly to thwart Shevchenko's follow-up.

If ever there was a sign that it was going to be Liverpool's night, it was that precise moment. Penalties were to follow.

Serginho - who scored Milan's first penalty in their UEFA Champions League triumph of 2003 - stepped up first and with Dudek unnerving him by mimicking Bruce Grobbelaar's famous "spaghetti legs", the Brazilian blazed over the crossbar.

Hamann was the first to go for Liverpool and despite a broken toe, the midfielder converted. Milan could ill-afford another miss but Andrea Pirlo was the next casualty, with Dudek equal to his spot-kick.

Nervous faces in the Liverpool end soon turned to genuine expectation when Djibril Cisse scored and though Jon Dahl Tomasson reduced the deficit after Riise's penalty miss, the Reds' fate was still in their own hands after Smicer dispatched his penalty in response to Kaka.

All eyes were on Shevchenko, who needed to score to keep Milan in the final. Opting to go down the middle, Dudek blocked his tame effort with his left hand before wheeling away in scenes of utter pandemonium.

Liverpool had got their hands on the European Cup for a fifth time in the most extraordinary fashion and the night that is dubbed 'The Miracle of Istanbul' will be revered in UEFA Champions League folklore for many more decades to come.

View more odds for the UEFA Champions League on site.