Champions of EUROPE  

What a night of amazing european champions league action! The build up to the final at Istanbul was already building up prior to the match with the Class of Milan taking on the heart and grit of Liverpool. Both had plenty to play for the victory, milan needed the victory badly to appease the fans who had to endure the heartbreak of losing the Serie A title marginally to recent rivals Juventus, whilst Liverpool had to win the Champions League to keep their hopes of europe alive by a thread..If i were to compare last years champions league with this, i would probably say that this champions league would be the better one, in fact, it is one of the better champions league i have witnessed for some time...starting from teams like Barcelona, Real, Milan, Liverpool, Chelsea, PSV...all had great tactical awareness, attacking flair, fans entirely behind them, and a defense which was playing like every match was its last.In the end, it was shocker after shocker, with the greater teams falling prey to the smaller ones....Milan which was expected to go all the way with a splendid starting 11 did so however, whilst Liverpool surpassed all expectation by going all the way sticking deep into the resources owing to injuries and certain players ineligibility to participate.

The Starting Eleven included For Milan included:

Dida
Jaap Stam
Cafu
Alessandro Nesta
Paolo Maldini
Andreas Pirlo
Gennario Gattuso
Kaka
Hernan Crespo (replaced for Jon Dahl Tomasson)
Andrey Shevchenko
Clarence Seedorf (replaced for Serginho)


The starting eleven for Liverpool included:

Jerzy Dudek
Steve Finnan (replaced for Hamann)
Sami Hyppia
Jamie Carragher
Djimi Traore
John Arne Riise
Steven Gerrard
Xabi Alonso
Harry Kewell (replaced for Vladmir Smicer)
Luis Garcia
Milan Baros (replaced for Cisse)

Milan started out really strongly in the first half and it took them less than 54 seconds to score the first goal...via a goal by Captain Paolo Maldini (who better to score than the captain himself?)..it came off a free kick (conceded by Traore) and the resulting freekick was a half volley which skidded off the surface which Dudek apparently saw very very late , blocked by the mass number of players in the box. It was then all Milan, with Shevchenko being denied a goal after being a foot offside....after a through pass by Kaka. The instrumental Kaka was splendid in the first half and Crespo was always threatening by trying to spring the offside trap once and time again...however liverpool conceded another goal ...crespo scoring..simple task of putting it in the empty net after Carragher was caught on the wrong side ...and liverpool managed to concede another goal close to half time (what a way to end off...one scored at the start, and one before the end of halftime)...and what a splendid through ball played by KAKA...his vision spotted Crespo who shrugged aside his marker and delivered a perfect striker's flick over Dudek...3-0 halftime..Liverpool DEAD AND BURIED? apparently so....that is..if you went to sleep after that...

At halftime, many Liverpool fans still believed that they were still in with a shout...after all, Milan were capable of falling asleep after having a comfortable margin as they had done in PSV. Milan could not handle waves of attacks once a goal had been scored...Milan likes to sit back and defend after one good half (ITS TRUE! GO TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR HISTORY)...deportivo had done the same kinda thing to milan before..although in 2 legs..3-0 down, and came back in 2nd leg to win 4-0)..however worrying was Baros's form who had been anonymous in the first half and garcia was not doing enough to help his cause...was Cisse going to be introduced soon?

So the 2nd half begun, and what a different side it was that turned up on the pitch after Hamann's introduction from Finnan who was being pushed back alot....Hamann provided the crunch which meant that Gerrard had more room to roam upfront with xabi sitting behind as cover and spreading passes. The signs of improvement were evident when xabi had a grounder whistling a few feet away from the post. But soon after that, Liverpool scored their first amidst some controversy. Baros was flagged offside initially but the referee decided to ignore the linesman's insistent flagging and allowed play to continue...then riise delivered a super cross from the left for Gerrard to rise to a majestic header into the corner for a great goal....Captain scoring again..first goal for the club again?..heh..similarities aplenty..
But it was Jaap Stam's fault in my opinion..he HAD to mark Gerrard..which he failed and allowed him the free header...surely ancelotti was thinking.."No way, this is just a slight struggle..they'll soon accept fate"..but Gerrard beckoned to the crowd to urge them forward..and so they did...and it came rewards..liverpool's second goal coming minutes later...SCORER?! VLADIMIR SMICER..what a surprise...for someone who has been playing irregular substitute football..sometimes coming on for 2-3 minutes before fulltime, he had his due rewards for his FINAL match for Liverpool before leaving the club...and delighted he was because he said he was leaving the club on good will and no ill feelings...and guess what minutes later again?! Gerrard charged into the box after a good flick by Garcia (i think) ..and was pushed down by Gattuso! PENALTY!

Up stepped the cool xabi alonso, and dida so splendid on penalties..stopped it with a superb save on the right hand low corner, however xabi who had taken the penalty with his right foot, pounced on the loose ball by dida and hammered it into the top corner of the same side with his left foot...3-3!! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING, the fans couldn't believe it, the commentators were laughing..sheer madness in a cup final..leaving the best for last...

Liverpool had plenty of moments later which had their fans in the their mouths, dudek making a double miraculous save off shevchenko at the end of the 2nd extra time, and tomasson missing a high quick ball in the box which he stretched to no avail...oh and did i mention that liverpool had to clear the ball off the line 2 times in the game?..not to mention they had to struggle with players having cramps near the end of the game..Smicer and Carragher playing through the pain barrier..AND THEN...on came penalties...

MILAN TAKERS

Serginho (MISSED)
Pirlo (Saved)
Tomasson (Scored)
Kaka (Scored)
Shevchenko (Saved)

Liverpool Takers

Hamann (Scored)
Cisse (Scored)
Riise (Saved)
Smicer (Scored)
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AND THAT WAS IT...LIVERPOOL WON 3-2 on PENALTIES...WOOT!...Ok for now..going to douse in celebrations..adios!