Champions League: Déja vu as Liverpool and Milan meet again

Ozren Podnar

Milan have received a fairly quick chance to avenge their most famous loss in history, the defeat to Liverpool in the 2005 Champions' League finals. The forthcoming finals in Athens had better not be resolved on penalties, because Liverpool did it again against Chelsea: the third consecutive year that the Reds defeat a rival from spot kicks after Milan in Istambul and West Ham in last year's FA Cup finals.

The first hint of déja vu was the pairing of Liverpool with Chelsea in the semifinals, the stage on which they met two years ago producing similar results: 0-0 and 1-0 to Liverpool on the previous occasion, 0-1 and 1-0 to the Merseyside team this time around.

Reina outdid Dudek

José Reina deservedly achieved hero status by saving two penalties and saving them fair and square, without breaking the rules by moving forward before the ball was kicked as Jerzy Dudek did two years ago.

In the other, more spectacular tie, Milan overcame Manchester United thanks to majestic performances by Kaká, without doubt the best player in the semifinals. The away game at Old Trafford must have been the jewell of the semifinals, with two goals apiece from Kaká and Wayne Rooney, while the return at San Siro was a one-way street, reminiscent of the game which saw United demolish Roma 7-1 three weeks earlier.

Milan's seventh or Liverpool's sixth?

The decider in Athens will bring Milan their seventh Champions' League/Cup or put Liverpool level with Milan on six trophies. Both teams have their trophy rooms packed since the Italians also own two Cup Winners' Cups and three Intercontinental Cups, while Liverpool boast three UEFA Cups.

This won't be the first repeat of a final between teams that already met at the same stage. Milan defeated Benfica twice in the Champions' Cup finals, in 1963 (2-1) and in 1990 (1-0), while Liverpool beat two rivals on two occasions. Their first double-victim were Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1973 UEFA Cup finals (3-2 on aggregate) and in the 1977 Champions' Cup finals (3-1), the second being Club Brugge in the 1976 UEFA Cup finals (4-3 on aggregate) and in the 1978 Champions' Cup finals (1-0).

Semifinal results

Manchester Utd. – Milan 3-2 0-3
Chelsea – Liverpool 1-0 0-1, 1-4 (pens)

Milan

Founded: 1899.
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), 81,000
President: Silvio Berlusconi
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Path to finals
Preliminary round - 1st 2nd
Red Star 1-0 2-1
Group stage
AEK Athens 3-0 0-1
Lille 0-0 0-2
Anderlecht 1-0 4-1
Round of 16
Celtic 0-0 1-0
Quarterfinals
Bayern 2-2 2-0
Semifinals
Manchester Utd. 2-3 3-0

All Milan's European finals
1958. (C1) Real Madrid 2-3
1963. (C1) Benfica 2-1
1968. (C2) Hamburger SV 2-0
1969. (C1) Ajax 4-1
1973. (C2) Leeds 1-0
1974. (C2) Magdeburg 0-2
1989. (C1) Steaua 4-0
1990. (C1) Benfica 1-0
1993. (C1) Marseille 0-1
1994. (C1) Barcelona 4-0
1995. (C1) Ajax 0-1
2003. (C1) Juventus 0-0, 3-2 pen
2005. (C1) Liverpool 3-3, 2-3 pen
2007. (C1) Liverpool ?

Liverpool

Founded: 1892.
Stadium: Anfield Road (45.400)
President: David Moores
Coach: Rafael Benitez

Path to finals
Group stage- 1st 2nd
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 2-0
Bordeaux 3-0 1-0
Galatasaray 3-2 2-3
Round of 16
Barcelona 2-1 0-1
Quarterfinals
PSV Eindhoven 3-0 1-0
Semifinals
Chelsea 0-1 1-0, 4-1 pen

All Liverpool's European finals
1966. (C2) Borussia Dortmund 1-2
1973. (C3) Borussia M'gladbach 3-0, 0-2
1976. (C3) Club Brugge 3-2, 1-1
1977. (C1) Borussia M'gladbach 3-1
1978. (C1) Club Brugge 1-0
1981. (C1) Real Madrid 1-0
1984. (C1) Roma 1-1, 4-2 pen
1985. (C1) Juventus 0-1
2001. (C3) Alaves 5-4
2005. (C1) Milan 3-3, 3-2 pen
2007. (C1) Milan ?

C1 – Champions' Cup/League
C2 – Cup Winners' Cup
C3 – UEFA Cup

Ozren Podnar

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