LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND- WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8th 2004: Liverpool's Neil Mellor celebrates scoring the second goal against Olympiakos during the UEFA Champions League Group A match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Proparganda)

5 Anfield European nights when Liverpool rallied to victory

Liverpool host Villarreal in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

The atmosphere at Anfield is expected to be off the scale again and here, Press Association Sport looks at some of the best nights witnessed at the famous old ground.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 (Champions League semi-final second leg, May 2005)

After a goalless first leg the stakes were high on Merseyside but fans delivered one of the most memorable atmospheres in living memory with a wall of sound which shook the ground – and its visitors – to the core.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND. TUESDAY, MAY 3rd, 2005: Liverpool's Luis Garcia scores the opening goal against Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Passion and vitriol stoked the fires as Jose Mourinho and his side were jeered throughout, with Luis Garcia’s now-famous ‘ghost goal’ (as Mourinho described it) setting up a final appearance in Istanbul.

And everyone knows what happened there.

Liverpool 3 St Etienne 1 (European Cup quarter-final second leg, March 1977)

The previous generation’s comeback tale. Trailing 1-0 from the trip to France, the build-up to kick-off began around Anfield early afternoon and by the time the team arrived the streets were lined with fans.

When Kevin Keegan scored early on many fans were still not inside the ground and the noise level was such Phil Neal admitted it was “difficult to focus solely on the football”.

Dominique Bathenay’s 50th-minute goal left Liverpool needing two but Ray Kennedy got one of those soon after, setting the stage for ‘super sub’ David Fairclough to clinch a famous win with six minutes remaining.

Liverpool 3 Olympiakos 1 (Champions League group stage, December 2004)

Another in the modern-day classic category. Liverpool’s head-to-head record with the Greeks meant when Rivaldo scored an away goal they needed three goals in 64 minutes to avoid elimination from the competition.

European Football - UEFA Champions League - Group A Matchday 6 - Liverpool FC v Olympiakos

The unheralded duo of Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, who grabbed the second nine minutes from time, gave the hosts a chance but it could be none other than inspirational captain Steven Gerrard who provided another highlight for his extensive showreel with a superb strike in front of the Kop with just four minutes to go.

At the time no one could even begin to assess the significance of that goal. Only at the Ataturk Stadium five months later would it become clear.

Liverpool 3 Club Brugge 2 (UEFA Cup final first leg, April 1976)

Going 2-0 down after 12 minutes of the home leg of a European final was disastrous for Liverpool but having got to half-time without further drama manager Bob Paisley made the surprising decision to take off striker John Toshack in place of midfielder Jimmy Case.

The turnaround was almost immediate as Liverpool scored three in six minutes from the 59th minute through Ray Kennedy, Case and Kevin Keegan to give them a lead heading into the second leg which they duly held on to with a 1-1 draw.

Liverpool 4 Borussia Dortmund 3 (Europa League quarter-final second leg, April 2016)

It may only have been a couple of weeks ago but this game truly deserves to be alongside some of the more storied Anfield comebacks.

Even the German club’s manager Thomas Tuchel admitted he could not explain it. Fans lined the streets armed with flags and flares to welcome the team but on the pitch Dortmund, the competition favourites, quickly cancelled out Liverpool’s away goal in the first leg 1-1 draw with two strikes in the opening nine minutes.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Thursday, April 14, 2016: Liverpool's Dejan Lovren celebrates scoring the dramatic fourth goal against Borussia Dortmund in injury time to seal a 4-3 (5-4 aggregate) victory during the UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Divock Origi gave the hosts a glimmer of hope just after the break only for Marco Reus to leave Liverpool requiring an unlikely three goals in 33 minutes.

Philippe Coutinho rifled one in to make Anfield begin to believe and when Mamadou Sakho headed home it was almost expected the winner would come and Dejan Lovren, in stoppage time, duly delivered to lift the roof off Anfield.

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