2005 UEFA Champions League Semi-Final First Leg vs AC Milan
Milan faced Inter Milan in the semi-finals before reaching the 2005 final.
The 2005 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Milan of Italy and Liverpool of England at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on 25 May 2005.
Quick Facts
- Competition
- UEFA Champions League
- Stage
- Semi-Final First Leg
- Venue
- San Siro (Giuseppe Meazza), Milan
- Result
- AC Milan 2 - 0 Inter Milan
- Key incident
- Goals from Jaap Stam and Andriy Shevchenko gave Milan a commanding first-leg lead
Lore & Background
Milan won their group ahead of Barcelona and faced Manchester United, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven before reaching the final.
Reader's Guide
Milan were regarded as favourites before the match and took the lead within the first minute through captain Paolo Maldini. Milan striker Hernán Crespo added two more goals before half-time to make it 3–0. In the second half Liverpool launched a comeback and scored three goals in a dramatic six-minute spell to level the scores at 3–3, with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso. The scores remained the same during extra time, and a penalty shoot-out was required to decide the champions. The score was 3–2 to Liverpool when Andriy Shevchenko's penalty was saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek.
Did You Know?
- Liverpool's comeback gave rise to the final being known as the Miracle of Istanbul.
- This was Liverpool's fifth European Cup, which meant they were awarded the trophy permanently and the right to wear a multiple-winner badge.
- The match was Milan's tenth appearance in the final; they had won on six occasions and lost three times.
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