Penalties, Istanbul, Origi & more – Liverpool’s 9 previous European Cup finals

Liverpool face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday night, having made it to the showcase clash on nine previous occasions in their history.

The Reds face another season-defining game this weekend, as they take on Madrid at the Stade de France looking to complete a cup treble.

This will be Liverpool’s 10th European cup final in their incredible history – here’s a look back at what happened in the previous nine.

 

Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham – 2019

MADRID, SPAIN - SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019: Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates scoring the second goal during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at the Estadio Metropolitano. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Three years ago, Jurgen Klopp was still scrutinised by some for not yet winning a trophy as Liverpool manager.

That all changed on a glorious night in Madrid, however, with Liverpool seeing off Tottenham with relative ease.

In truth, the game was dull for the neutral, with Mohamed Salah‘s early penalty allowing the Reds to take the sting out of proceedings.

Barring a few important Alisson saves as the minutes ticked by, Klopp’s men rarely felt like giving up their lead, before Divock Origi did what Divock Origi does!

The Belgian fired home from an angle to seal a sixth European Cup for Liverpool – and the scenes that followed remain legendary to this day.

Because of not being able to properly celebrate the Premier League title win with fans in 2020, this is still the greatest night of Klopp’s tenure.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, Firmino

 

Liverpool 1-3 Real Madrid – 2018

KIEV, UKRAINE - Saturday, May 26, 2018: Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk walks past the trophy dejected with his runners-up medal during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC at the NSC Olimpiyskiy. Real Madrid won 3-1. (Pic by Peter Powell/Propaganda)

A year before victory over Spurs, Liverpool were dealt a crippling blow in Kyiv.

Many felt the Reds were the narrow favourites to beat a star-studded Real Madrid team, with a few of their big names ageing – as is still the case today.

Loris Karius endured what is possibly the most disastrous performance by any Liverpool player in history, however, given the magnitude of the occasion.

After suffering a concussion the goalkeeper gifted Madrid two goals, while Gareth Bale produced a once-in-a-lifetime overhead kick, with Salah’s first-half injury compounding the Reds’ misery.

It was a horrible evening, but how Klopp’s side responded 12 months later was a testament to their mental resilience.

Liverpool XI: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner; Salah, Mane, Firmino

 

Liverpool 1-2 AC Milan – 2007

Athens, Greece - Wednesday, May 23, 2007: AC Milan's Kaka celebrates as Liverpool's Harry Kewell and Steven Gerrard look dejected afte the UEFA Champions League Final at the OACA Spyro Louis Olympic Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

In many ways, this has become something of a forgotten Champions League final for Liverpool.

Two years after Istanbul, AC Milan were out for revenge in Athens – achieving just that.

Liverpool were actually the better team for much of the game, but Filippo Inzaghi’s double proved pivotal before Dirk Kuyt’s customary big-game goal.

It felt like a huge opportunity missed, considering Milan weren’t the force they once were, and Rafa Benitez’s decision to leave out an in-form Peter Crouch was costly.

Liverpool XI: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise; Pennant, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Zenden; Kuyt

 

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (3-2 on pens) – 2005

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - WEDNESDAY, MAY 25th, 2005: Liverpool's Steven Gerrard lifts the European Cup after beating AC Milan on penalties during the UEFA Champions League Final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The greatest night in the history of Liverpool Football Club? Quite possibly.

What happened at the Ataturk Stadium on May 25, 2005, will forever leave fans scratching their heads, as the Reds pulled off a genuine footballing miracle.

To be 3-0 down at half-time, to a team essentially made up of legends of their era, and to end up drawing 3-3 and winning on penalties is still unfathomable to this day.

If the football gods do exist, they couldn’t have been shining brighter on Liverpool that night.

The first-minute setback; Kaka’s pass; Liverpool’s comeback; Jerzy Dudek’s save to deny Andriy Shevchenko in extra-time; the subsequent penalty heroics – it really was a final that had everything.

Liverpool XI: Dudek; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore; Garcia, Alonso, Gerrard, Riise; Kewell; Baros

 

Liverpool 0-1 Juventus – 1985

Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish walks off the pitch after his team's 1-0 defeat

This was a night that would hopefully see Liverpool lift their fifth European Cup, but instead, it ended in tragedy.

Juventus’ 1-0 win at the Heysel Stadium, settled by a Michel Platini penalty, proved meaningless in the grand scheme of things, as 39 Juve fans lost their lives after crowd trouble involving Reds supporters.

They remain in our thoughts today.

Liverpool XI: Grobbelaar Neal, Lawrenson, Hansen, Beglin, Nicol, Wark, Whelan, Dalglish, Walsh, Rush

 

Liverpool 1-1 Roma (4-2 on pens) – 1984

(Picture by: Peter Robinson / EMPICS Sport)

Liverpool have become renowned for their penalty-shootout prowess in recent decades, but this was the first time they prevailed in one in the European Cup.

A tense clash with Roma played out back in 1984, and the fact that the Italian giants were at home made life extremely tough for Joe Fagan‘s side.

They dug deep and took the lead through Phil Neal, but Roberto Pruzzo’s goal before half-time levelled matters and penalties were required to decide the victor.

Bruce Grobbelaar produced some wobbly-legged genius to distract Roma’s players in the shootout, leading to them missing twice and allowing Alan Kennedy to stroke home the winning spot-kick.

It meant Liverpool had secured a European Cup, First Division and League Cup treble, with an FA Cup fourth-round exit depriving them of a quadruple.

Liverpool XI: Grobbelaar, Neal, Lawrenson, Hansen, Kennedy, Johnston, Lee, Souness, Whelan, Dalglish, Rush

 

Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid (1981)

Liverpool's winning goalscorer Alan Kennedy celebrates with the European Cup

Real Madrid, in Paris, in a European Cup final – sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

As Liverpool prepare to face Los Blancos on Saturday, we are reminded that it is 41 years since the same final played out in France’s capital, albeit at the Parc des Princes.

The game itself wasn’t necessarily a classic, but it was a timely reminder that unlikely heroes can often decide the biggest of games.

Very few would have predicted Kennedy to be the match-winner that evening, but the left-back fired home late in the day to etch his name into Liverpool folklore.

Andy Robertson, you know what to do…

Liverpool XI: Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Hansen, Kennedy, Lee, McDermott, Souness, Kennedy, Dalglish, Johnson

 

Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge (1978)

Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish (centre) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal

When Kevin Keegan left Liverpool in 1977, the Reds were losing their star man and one of the best players in Europe.

A special replacement was required to fill the void and a certain Sir Kenny Daglish traded Celtic for Anfield in that same summer.

The following May, the legendary Scot had more than plugged the gap, scoring the only goal in the 1978 final against Club Brugge at Wembley – his 31st of a memorable first season at Anfield.

The deftness of the finish was classic, subtle Dalglish, while Graeme Souness’ threaded pass is also hugely underrated.

Dalglish’s celebration, skipping over the advertising hoardings to bask in his moment of glory with the fans, remains iconic.

Liverpool XI: Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Hansen, Hughes, Case, McDermott, Souness, Kennedy, Dalglish, Fairclough

 

Liverpool 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach (1977)

(L-R) Liverpool's Jimmy Case and Phil Neal, who scored the final goal, kiss the European Cup

Eighty-five years after Liverpool were founded, they found themselves in their first European Cup final.

A tricky Gladbach stood between the Reds and glory, but there was always a feeling that this was Bob Paisley‘s side’s moment of destiny.

Terry McDermott finished impressively to give Liverpool a first-half lead, and while Allan Simonsen equalised, Tommy Smith’s rare goal put the Reds back in front.

It was a glorious moment for one of the all-time Anfield greats and Phil Neal’s late penalty put the icing on the cake in Rome.

That was the first of six European Cup triumphs for Liverpool – please let Saturday be the seventh…

Liverpool XI: Clemence, Neal, Smith, Hughes, Jones, Callaghan, Case, McDermott, Kennedy, Heighway, Keegan