2007 Champions League Final vs AC Milan

Lore & Background

The final was a rematch of the 2005 final which Liverpool won 3–2 in a penalty shootout, after recovering from a three-goal deficit at half-time to level the score at 3–3 after full-time and extra time. Both teams had to pass through five rounds before they reached the final. They both entered in the third qualifying round and won their respective groups before they reached the knockout stage, where matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. Milan's victories varied from close affairs to comfortable victories. They defeated Celtic by a single goal over two legs, while they beat Manchester United 5–3 on aggregate in the semi-final. Liverpool's matches were mainly all close affairs; they beat defending champions Barcelona on the away goals rule in the first knockout round and beat Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals, although they did record a 4–0 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.

In Their Own Story

The Athens night air hung heavy with humidity as the referee blew the final whistle. Steven Gerrard stood frozen in the center circle, his hands on his hips, staring at the ground while AC Milan players lifted the trophy above their heads. The roar of the crowd was a distant hum compared to the deafening silence inside the Kop's minds. Dirk Kuyt had done everything he could, but it wasn't enough. Inzaghi's two goals were etched into memory, a cruel bookend to the fairytale of Istanbul. As confetti rained down in red and black, the Reds walked off with their heads high but hearts broken, knowing they had fought valiantly against the very team that had denied them glory twice in three years.

Reader's Guide

Before the match there were ticketing problems because many fans gained entry to the stadium without valid tickets. After the match, a UEFA spokesman accused Liverpool of having the worst fans in Europe, a claim later denied by UEFA president Michel Platini. Watched by a crowd of 63,000, Milan took the lead when Andrea Pirlo's free-kick deflected off Filippo Inzaghi in the first half. Milan extended their lead in the second half when Inzaghi scored a second goal. Liverpool scored a late goal through Dirk Kuyt, but were unable to equalise before the end of the match. Milan won the match 2–1 to win their seventh Champions League.

Did You Know?

• Milan's seventh title tied them with Liverpool's then-record of seven titles (Liverpool had five at the time, but Real Madrid held the record with nine; Milan's seventh did not set a new record).
• Dirk Kuyt was not the third player to score for Liverpool in a European Cup/Champions League final; he was at least the fourth, following Terry McDermott (1977), Alan Kennedy (1981), and Steven Gerrard (2005).