On 25 May 2005, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Liverpool and Milan played what may be the most unbelievable final in the competition's history. On 25 May 2027 it will be 22 years since that night. At half-time the Italians led 3-0, and yet the trophy went to Liverpool.

Two very different roads

Rafael Benítez's Liverpool, in his first season, started in the qualifiers against Austria's GAK. They nearly went out in the group stage, and there is a Greek touch here: in December 2004 at Anfield they needed to beat Olympiacos by two goals.

Rivaldo put the Greeks ahead with a free kick, but Sinama-Pongolle and Mellor turned the game around. Shortly before the end Steven Gerrard scored with a thunderous strike to make it 3-1 and send Liverpool through.

Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea followed, with Luis García's disputed goal in the semi-final. Carlo Ancelotti's Milan got past Manchester United and Inter, and in the semi-final they edged PSV Eindhoven only on away goals.

A nightmare first half

It was the first European final ever held in Turkey, in front of 69,000 spectators, with Spain's Manuel Mejuto González as referee. Milan had six titles and were playing their tenth final. Liverpool had four and were back in a final for the first time since 1985.

Benítez left Hamann on the bench and preferred Kewell in the starting line-up. That choice lasted less than half an hour.

Milan were the big favourites and showed it straight away. Inside the first minute captain Paolo Maldini made it 1-0 with a volley from a Pirlo free kick, becoming the oldest scorer in a final.

Harry Kewell was injured and came off in the 23rd minute, replaced by Vladimír Šmicer. Hernán Crespo scored twice, in the 39th and 44th minutes, both times from a Kaká pass. At half-time Liverpool looked finished.

Six minutes of madness

For the second half Benítez sent on Dietmar Hamann for Steve Finnan and changed the shape. In the 54th minute Gerrard pulled one back with a header from Riise's cross, and two minutes later Šmicer made it 3-2 with a shot from outside the box.

In the 60th minute Gattuso brought Gerrard down in the box. Xabi Alonso saw Dida save his penalty, but he reached the rebound first and equalised. Ancelotti later spoke of "six minutes of madness".

Dudek and the penalties

In extra time Liverpool held on by their fingernails. In the 117th minute Jerzy Dudek denied Andriy Shevchenko twice from point-blank range, a save that people still talk about.

In the shoot-out the Polish goalkeeper danced on his line, a nod to Bruce Grobbelaar in 1984. Serginho shot over and Dudek saved from Pirlo. On the fifth kick he stopped Shevchenko and Liverpool won 3-2.

Hamann, Cissé and Šmicer scored for the Reds, while Dida saved from Riise. For Šmicer it was his last game in a Liverpool shirt, as his contract was not renewed.

Red against white

Liverpool wore their all-red home kit, made by Reebok with Carlsberg as sponsor. Milan chose their white strip, which they traditionally wore in European finals.

The red shirt of 2005 became one of the best-loved in the club's history. One of them is displayed today in the club museum, next to a winner's medal from the final.

Why it went down in history

It was Liverpool's fifth European Cup, so they kept the trophy for good. The team had finished fifth in England, and UEFA allowed them to defend their title starting from the first qualifying round.

Gerrard, named man of the match, signed a new contract that summer. Milan took their revenge two years later, in Athens.

By some estimates around a million people greeted the team's open-top bus in the streets of Liverpool. That summer the Super Cup followed too, with a 3-1 extra-time win over CSKA Moscow.

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Photo: The Atatürk Olympic Stadium from above – Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.