BUFFON, Cannavaro, Thuram, Nedved, Del Piero, Ibrahimovic and co against Carson, Traore, Biscan, Riise, Le Tallec, Baros and co. Didn’t seem fair, did it?
I’m not sure what the odds where when Liverpool lined up against Juventus at Anfield for the Champions League quarter final 10 years ago today, but it’s a fair bet that a Juventus side featuring those players were favourites to progress across the two legs against a team featuring ours. If the game had been played ‘on paper’ the Reds wouldn’t have stood a chance and Liverpool were billed as little more than “willing triers” by the national press.
Thankfully, the game wasn’t played on paper and a fired up Liverpool stunned their opponents and made a nonsense of their fifth position in the Premier League and their previous home performance against Bolton, when the Reds had laboured to a 1-0 win.
Fabio Capello’s superstars were first rocked by Sami Hyypia’s volleyed goal after just 10 minutes.
Then Luis Garcia set off on a thumb-sucking dash of joy after burying an absolute belter of a volley that left Buffon — the world’s most expensive goalkeeper — sat on his backside and Anfield going wild with 25 minutes on the clock.
That was a goal teed up by Anthony Le Tallec — making his first senior start for Liverpool in 14 months.
Juventus predictably had moments of their own — Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the post, while Alessandro Del Piero had a goal ruled out for offside.
liverpool v juve 2005 by dahom303
Scott Carson denied Del Piero with a smart save but the rookie keeper was at fault when Cannavaro headed in Zambrotta’s cross in the second half.
The away goal took the edge of a memorable performance in front of 41,216 at Anfield but the worries of many proved unfounded as Rafa Benitez’s side completed the job eight days later in the Stadio Dell’Alpi with a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
And the odds? The bookies halved them on Liverpool winning a fifth European Cup after this match. Wise.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
Will never forget this game for as long as I live, it was the moment when I thought we could actually win this thing, we were a different beast in Europe
Ah, just at the beginning of something wonderful.
We had a tactical genius in charge then. Which meant regardless of how poor some of our players were, regardless of how good the opposition were, and regardless of which stadium we had to go and visit, you always felt we were never out of it. You always felt a draw at least was more than possible.
Unlike this year home and away to Madrid. Put Rafa in charge in October 2014 & even if we got beat twice the point remains thus; we’d have BELIEVED a result was possible.
Its just not so under Rodgers. We have failed to win every big game under him bar one. Whether its because he’s not good enough in his preparation or not good enough tactically in-game is irrelevant. He’s not good enough full stop.
Really got the nostalgia going, can’t stop thinking about this two legged tie
The away tie was what got me the most, I think Xabi starts straight away coming back from a broken leg that the cunt Lampard gave him. He was fucking imperious defensively.
We were so damn tight at the back that Juve was hoofing it up to Ibrahimovic
Then after that masterclass two legged display got us through, Rafa spends the whole post match and the trip back on the plane telling Carra what he has to do better, lol, he was a manager in the peak of his powers then
Outside of the final this is the two matches I was most excited about for the whole run in, fuck the semis against Chelsea with Mourinho going off about a legit goal being given despite all the injustices we had to endure loads of times against Chelsea the same season (That fucking Tiago hand of god)