One Night in Istanbul!

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txj
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One Night in Istanbul!

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On the May 25, 2005, Rafa Benitez steered Liverpool to the biggest game in world club football, at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.

A real football story, for real football fans...
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
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txj
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Re: One Night in Istanbul!

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It was his first season in charge, and standing in his way was arguably the best team in Europe, AC Milan. The game would become a seismic moment in the history of Liverpool Football Club.

Thousands of Reds supporters descended on the Turkish capital. Just as generations before them had done, they came from all corners of the world, by plane, train and automobile.

They outnumbered the Italians three to one. Back home, Liverpool was a city enthralled. Reds spent anxious hours in the run-up to the match praying and running through pre-match rituals. Some anaesthetised themselves with alcohol. Meanwhile, Evertonians hoped for a Milan win.


Defeat in Turkey would have turned a season of promise into one of ultimate failure. Victory would restore the club to its European throne. The players and the manager would become immortals.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12th 2005: Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard walks off the pitch dejected after losing 2-0 to Birmingham during the Premiership match at St. Andrews (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Steven Gerrard spoke of his desperation to lift ‘old big ears’ as club captain. To do so, as a Scouser, would mirror a feat last achieved by Phil Thompson in 1981.

Jamie Carragher joked of going on an almighty bender if Liverpool won. Reds everywhere stood ready to join him.

However, the first half of the game would leave many in Turkey wishing they followed a different sport. At home, Reds watched that first 45 minutes in horror, through trembling fingers.

AC Milan were simply majestic. It was a masterclass of the beautiful game and Liverpool were mere understudies. Within a minute Paolo Maldini put his team a goal up after Djimi Traore had conceded an early free-kick.

Rafa’s men held on for 38 minutes, but then the floodgates opened.

A one-goal deficit would have felt like a victory, given the Italians’ dominance. However, Liverpool would give themselves an Everest to climb in that second period.

Hernan Crespo was the destroyer, grabbing a further two goals in the last six minutes of the half. Andy Gray, commentating, would declare “game well and truly over!” He added, “I hate saying that.” Yeah, right.

Back home Everton supporters reached for their phones and filled their Red counterparts’ inboxes with cruel text messages. Liverpool supporters agonised over watching what might become a historic scoreline or turning the telly over.

In Turkey, a few Reds left the ground in tears. In the Italian end the Milan fans were jubilant and Carlo Ancelotti struggled to quell his team’s sense of triumphalism. [In Nairobi ur truly was hidden in the toilet, but nothing could save me from my friends jeers] :biggrin:

Meanwhile, in the remaining two-thirds of the stadium someone started singing You’ll Never Walk Alone. At first it was a whisper, but it soon grew into a deafening chorus. Legend says that the players heard it and it lifted them to greatness.

What followed was six minutes that shook the world of football. This time though, it was the Reds dishing out the lessons.

Ancelotti chewing furiously in front of a backdrop of Liverpool supporters in full fury is an enduring image.

His look of disbelief told of a fightback so unexpected, so miraculous that songs will be sung about it for as long as football is played.

Gerrard’s thumping header smashed the first hole in Milan’s defences. Who can forget the commentator’s words “hello, hello,” as the Reds’ skipper waved his arms at the Liverpool supporters, urging them to raise their game to new levels.

Then came Vladimir Smicer’s strike. He picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and supporters yelled “don’t shoot!” He ignored them all and brought the tie to 3-2.

With 34 minutes remaining it was game well and truly back on, eh Andy?

Fingernails were chewed and foreheads rubbed in disbelief, while in the stands Liverpool supporters began to dream. Then, in the 59th minute, Liverpool won a penalty.

Back home family members who had retired to their gardens at half-time were banished from returning, in case they jinxed the comeback. Xabi Alonso first missed, then hammered in the rebound. [Urs truly went beserk] :biggrin:

Across the world pandemonium ensued. The impossible had been achieved and Milan were rocking.

Everything else that followed pales by comparison with that glorious six minutes. Dudek’s miracle save, Carragher’s heroics and Shevchenko’s inexplicable penalty miss all play second fiddle to that astonishing fightback.

Within 360 seconds, Liverpool Football Club and its supporters had dragged themselves from the abyss. They would emerge with their hero holding aloft the greatest prize of all.

Milan’s Kaka would later sum up this miracle perfectly, telling Radio Cope in 2016:

“I still can’t understand how we managed to lose that game. We had the best defenders in the world in that team.

“Our back four was Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini but we still let in three goals in six minutes. Something amazing happened that can’t be explained.”

Oh yes, it can. It happened, because we are Liverpool. [We are not clubs who distribute flags to gin up support; or copy choreographed routines from eastern Europe...]

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2017/07/s ... gn=webpush
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

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