Football is the most popular sport around the world and has billions of fans who follow its every move. Liverpool is undoubtedly one of the top clubs in world football and certainly a side that has plenty of passionate fans to roar them on. For many, the English Premier League remains a major focus and something that they are keen to see the Liverpool team win again soon.
Liverpool’s status as one of the most successful sides in English football also means that their domestic games attract lots of attention from sports bettors. This might be in the form of premiership betting in Ireland from supporters based there, betting on Liverpool’s EPL games for fans in the UK or people betting on their Premier League clashes from further afield. By wagering on the club’s matches, supporters are not only able to add more fun to the games but also more interest.
Of course, such an illustrious side in the world of football also competes in the best competitions across Europe. In the eve of the Champions final, where Man City and Inter will fight over the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, for million punters it is the last chance to bet on UEFA. Liverpool has also played in and won this competition and is one of the few clubs to own a version of the official trophy. The club enjoyed some fantastic UEFA Champions League Final moments over the years. But which have been 10 of the best?
1. Dudek’s double save against Milan – 2005
It goes without saying that the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ will feature fairly heavily in any list of top Liverpool UEFA Champions League final moments. This is not only due to the unbelievable way the side won the trophy against a strong AC Milan team but also how many moments of brilliance it contained from Liverpool players.
Although picking the best example is hard, the stunning double save goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek made against Andry Shevchenko late in normal time is a good call. After parrying his initial long-range effort, Dudek leapt up to save again with Shevchenko only a few yards from goal. This kept Liverpool in the match and set up their eventual win.
2. Three goals in six minutes – 2005
While Dudek’s double save in the Champions League final of 2005 was key, many fans look fondly back on the way Liverpool rose from 3-0 down to level the score in a blistering six-minute period after half-time.
We suspect that some strong words were said in the dressing room during the break by manager Benitez and his decision to switch formation also helped. This tactical tweak released Steven Gerrard further forward to drag his team back into the contest. His header made it 3-1 before a Smicer shot and Alonso penalty made it 3-3.
3. Penalty shoot-out drama – 2005
The last memorable moment for Liverpool from the 2005 final is surely the dramatic way they won it. After dragging themselves back to 3-3 against all odds and surviving extra-time thanks to Dudek’s double save, the side headed into the dreaded penalty shootout.
These are always nerve-shredding occasions and only feel good if your side wins! Luckily, keeper Dudek channelled the spirit of Bruce Grobbelaar from 1984 and adopted his infamous spaghetti leg dance to put Milan’s players off. This seemed to work, and he saved shots from Serginho, Pirlo and Shevchenko to hand Liverpool the cup.
4. European Cup win against AS Roma – 1984
Although we might know it as the Champions League now, this competition was called the European Cup until 1992. When the tournament was known by this name, Liverpool had an outstanding record in it and many fine moments to look back on.
One of the very best was their 1984 final win against AS Roma. This was the side’s third Champions League trophy and almost as dramatic as the 2005 win. An early Phi Neal goal had given the side a 1-0 advantage, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw eventually. This ushered in Grobbelaar’s iconic spaghetti leg routine in the penalty shootout as described earlier and saw the Reds take a thrilling victory.
5. Tommy Smith header – 1977
Everyone knows that Liverpool has a close link with the European Cup/Champions League and 1977 was where it all started. This was the side’s first ever European Cup title and had them taking on Borussia Monchengladbach from Germany.
One particular moment which stands out from the 1977 final is Tommy Smith’s near-post header to give Liverpool a 2-1 lead, after they had been pegged back earlier to 1-1. This not only set the side up to win the cup 3-1 eventually but also saw the legend Tommy Smith score on his 600th game for Liverpool.
6. Dalglish chip against Brugge – 1978
One of the most impressive achievements Liverpool has in this tournament is claiming back-to-back wins in consecutive years. This happened when they took on Club Brugge in the 1978 European Cup final and defeated them.
Although this feat in itself is a memorable moment, it was the winning goal by Kenny Dalglish which stands out especially. Set up by a perfectly weighted pass into the penalty area from Graeme Souness, Dalglish kept his cool and placed an exquisite chipped shot over the diving Brugge keeper to score.
7. Late show from Kennedy – 1981
While their two final wins in the late 1970s were impressive enough, Liverpool continued their European Cup dominance into the 1980s. This saw manager Bob Paisley steer the team to a third victory in 1981 against a tough Real Madrid side.
The winning goal was a thing of beauty and had Alan Kennedy making a late run into the Madrid box to collect a throw-in from Ray Kennedy. Controlling the ball on his chest, he then waltzed past Real defender Cortes before smashing his shot into the net. As this goal was scored in the 82nd minute, it left Real little time to respond and allowed Liverpool to emerge triumphant.
8. Klopp’s first trophy – 2019
The 2018/19 Champions League final was an all-English affair between Liverpool and Tottenham. It produced an exciting match which the Reds won 2-0. This was manager Jurgen Klopp’s first-ever trophy for the side and set them up for Premier League title glory in 2019/20.
Most Liverpool fans watching this game will remember a dream start which included the team being awarded a penalty for a Sissoko handball inside the first few minutes. Mo Salah slotted it home to give the side a 1-0 lead and it stayed that way until a late Divok Origi strike in the final few minutes.
9. Mane equaliser – 2018
Although the 2017/18 Champions League final ultimately resulted in a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid, it did contain a top moment that fans will remember to this day. The side had stayed in the game after going 1-0 down early in the second half and managed to grab a corner just a few minutes later.
This saw a James Milner cross headed on by Dejan Lovren before Sadio Mane tapped it into the net. As an equalising goal, this moment gave fans renewed hope and brought the team back into the game for a while.
10. Kuyt strike sparks fresh hope – 2007
The 2007 final had Liverpool taking on AC Milan in a rerun of the famous 2005 battle. Unfortunately, this did not pan out the same for Reds fans and the side lost 2-1 eventually. When Dirk Kuyt scored in the 88th minute to make it 2-1 though, fans suddenly started to think back to 2005 and began to believe it could happen again. Although this did not come to pass, Kuyt’s header was a thing of beauty and gave Liverpool something to take away from the contest.
Top UEFA Champions League final moments in Liverpool history
An iconic club such as Liverpool has had many fabulous moments to reflect on in its history across multiple competitions. The UEFA Champions League, formerly known as the European Cup, is a great example and the above are some key Champions League final moments to look back on for supporters.
