Topic: European Performances and Memories

[deFacto please, you bastards]

We're near another big match/es in Europe, and we've had a long history obviously of big matches and performances in Europe. What are your top five performances/results in Europe over the years [not including finals and group-stages]

My list:

1. vs Juventus, @ Anfield, 2005
- I rate this match just slightly higher than the match vs Chelsea, as we had an even weaker side against Juventus, and prior to our match, Juventus only let in two goals in the entire competition. I think it gave us even more confidence and belief

2. vs Chelsea, @ Anfield, 2005

3. vs Real Madrid, @ Anfield, 2008

4. vs Barcelona, @ Nou Camp, 2007

5. vs Chelsea, @ Anfield, 2007

[Hazell]

Performance wise (and scoreline wise), it has to be Real Madrid at Anfield, we completely annihilated them in that first half, they couldn't live with us (oh how I wish that Torres chance when he flicked past Cannavaro had gone in). We did the same thing to Juventus in 2005 and Barcelona at home in 2007 (oh how I wish that Sissoko shot from 40 yards had gone in) but didn't get the goals we should have done and as result made those matches tighter than they should have been.

But all of those matches could be top. I'd say the Arsenal game in 2008 is probably my favourite from that period if only for the sheer topsy turviness of it all. We didn't play well for periods during that match and were down more than once but we kept going, scored two wonder goals and then won it through Ryan Babel (not something we said often enough unfortunately) after Adebayor's sucker punch. It's always nice to win 4-0 and that but sometimes these types of victories feel much sweeter. Saying that, I'd take a 4-0 on Thursday.

[Kashinoda]

The defensive performance in the Chelsea 2005 game was incredible, they were never going to score, we were getting to that final, this is our competition rent boys, out ye go.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The away performance against Juve was always a masterclass in defending.

[RedSince86]

The away performance against Juve was always a masterclass in defending.

Xabi's 1st game back back after 3 months out with a broken ankle and it was like he hadn't been away.

Classic defensive away performance that night from the team.

Rafa was so good tactically.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Xabi's 1st game back back after 3 months out with a broken ankle and it was like he hadn't been away.

Classic defensive away performance that night from the team.

Rafa was so good tactically.

The 0-0 against Chelsea in 05, the game at the Bernabeu as well.

[paulrazor]

The defensive performance in the Chelsea 2005 game was incredible, they were never going to score, we were getting to that final, this is our competition rent boys, out ye go.

you and i and a few million others werent saying that when Gudjohnsen had that chance

I remember i looked at the clock in corner of the screen to see if we had enough time to score again after it

[Rich]

Some cracking games back then under Benitez.  Inter in 08 was also a great night at Anfield

[sinnermichael]

Performance wise (and scoreline wise), it has to be Real Madrid at Anfield, we completely annihilated them in that first half, they couldn't live with us (oh how I wish that Torres chance when he flicked past Cannavaro had gone in). We did the same thing to Juventus in 2005 and Barcelona at home in 2007 (oh how I wish that Sissoko shot from 40 yards had gone in) but didn't get the goals we should have done and as result made those matches tighter than they should have been.

But all of those matches could be top. I'd say the Arsenal game in 2008 is probably my favourite from that period if only for the sheer topsy turviness of it all. We didn't play well for periods during that match and were down more than once but we kept going, scored two wonder goals and then won it through Ryan Babel (not something we said often enough unfortunately) after Adebayor's sucker punch. It's always nice to win 4-0 and that but sometimes these types of victories feel much sweeter. Saying that, I'd take a 4-0 on Thursday.

Aldo's commentary from that Arsenal game is boss! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T4CYBlInMLE

[Crosby Nick]

Going back slightly further the 2-0 win over Roma when Houllier returned from illness was immense. Up against a very good side and we blew them away, brilliant atmosphere. Best 'famous European night' atmosphere I've been to having missed out on the earlier ones and the 2005 season. Better than Brondby anyway!

[Barneylfc∗]

you and i and a few million others werent saying that when Gudjohnsen had that chance

I remember i looked at the clock in corner of the screen to see if we had enough time to score again after it

No matter how many times I see that, I still expect him to score. Surely he can't miss? I remember my heart sinking when the ball dropped to him, and the pure relief when the ball somehow went wide. There were about 4 players it could have ricocheted off, and it somehow missed every one of them.

[jed the red]

Olympiakos in 04 on the way to Istanbul. Lose and we go out. Draw and we go out. Win 1-0 and we go out. Win 2-1 we go out.

1-0 down at half time and there was never any doubt we could do it. When you look at the players who performed in that game, Sinama-Pongolle, Mellor and even Kewell! And then Of course at 2-1 when Stevie smashed it home (after having one already disallowed!) you just knew something could happen that season!

[jed the red]

No matter how many times I see that, I still expect him to score. Surely he can't miss? I remember my heart sinking when the ball dropped to him, and the pure relief when the ball somehow went wide. There were about 4 players it could have ricocheted off, and it somehow missed every one of them.

My heart still misses a beat mate and my blood runs cold! I was pacing up and down in my mates house at that point watching it and remember collapsing when it went wide! Still don't know where the ref got six minutes from like!!!!!

[Barneylfc∗]

Going back slightly further the 2-0 win over Roma when Houllier returned from illness was immense. Up against a very good side and we blew them away, brilliant atmosphere. Best 'famous European night' atmosphere I've been to having missed out on the earlier ones and the 2005 season. Better than Brondby anyway!

That was class. We used to go to a bar in Belfast called The Bot for all the Liverpool matches back then. The atmosphere in the ground was replicated in the bar that night. The only downer was they had a few massive screens. The main one, picture was about 2/3 seconds behind the picture on the other screens, and the commentary matched the other screens. So we were hearing cheers and shouts before anything happened on the screen. We had no doubt Litmanen woud slot the penalty away, and we were cheering before he even took it on our screen  I like Tyldsley's commentary for Heskey's header too. "In towards Heskeeeee. Liverpool 2 Roma 0. That's the scoreline they need. Emile Heskey, towering header, has put Liverpool within touching distance of the quarter finals."
Pity we fucked it up in the quarter finals though. Bringing Didi off in the second leg at Leverkusen was criminal. I think we conceded within a few minutes didn't we?

[Barneylfc∗]

Olympiakos in 04 on the way to Istanbul. Lose and we go out. Draw and we go out. Win 1-0 and we go out. Win 2-1 we go out.

1-0 down at half time and there was never any doubt we could do it. When you look at the players who performed in that game, Sinama-Pongolle, Mellor and even Kewell! And then Of course at 2-1 when Stevie smashed it home (after having one already disallowed!) you just knew something could happen that season!

I think a 1-0 win would have seen us through actually? It was either that or win by 2 clear goals

Another commentary memory for the disallowed goal "I don't think Nikopolidis knew that" "Hee didn't. Heeeee didn't" 

[paulrazor]

No matter how many times I see that, I still expect him to score. Surely he can't miss? I remember my heart sinking when the ball dropped to him, and the pure relief when the ball somehow went wide. There were about 4 players it could have ricocheted off, and it somehow missed every one of them.

was ridiculous

My heart still misses a beat mate and my blood runs cold! I was pacing up and down in my mates house at that point watching it and remember collapsing when it went wide! Still don't know where the ref got six minutes from like!!!!!

the 6 minutes even more ridiculous. i remember thinking "3 minutes maybe 4"

when i saw 6 i thought "this is a joke, someone needs their head examined"

only stoppage was when two people ran on the pitch, one threw a scarf at mourinho, the other jumped into the goal in the anfield road end. it held the game up for one minute tops. didnt warrant 6! i can laugh now but one thing i remember was when the board was held up for 6 minutes there is some fella down the tunnel in a home jersey

he sees the board and just explodes "OH FCUK OFF"

[child-in-time]

The 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge despite we got knocked out that time. I refused to give up every time they had scored and believed until the end we could make it - and we nearly did. The away game vs Marseille the same season is among my favourites as well, no particular reason other than that Gerrard beauty.

[Jookie]

I can only really remember European games post the end of the ban. One game that I feel is massively under rated by fans is the semi final win against Barcelona in 2001.

Here is Barcelona's team from that night:

Reina,
Reiziger
de Boer
Puyol
Petit
Luis Enrique
Cocu
Guardiola
Overmars
Rivaldo
Kluivert

Subs: Dutruel, De la Pena, Xavi, Gabri, Dani, Simao, Zenden.

It's not the class of the current Barcelona team but it is absolutely stacked with quality players. Atmosphere was brilliant that night. Feels like it was overshadowed pretty quickly by the CL run a couple of seasons later.

Another game where the atmosphere was electric was the PSG Cup Winners Cup semi final in 1997. We battered them that night and remember Bruno N'Gotty having a stormer for them. When Mark Wright got the 2nd goal on 80 minutes the crowd went off big time. Unfortunately the 2-0 win was a hollow victory since it followed a 3-0 reverse in the away leg. This is probably the reason it isn't remembered that fondly.

[Crosby Nick]

Yeah that Barca team looks quality and of course they got  a measure of revenge about 6 months later in the Champions League group stages. I was away travelling in 2001 so have never seen this game. Was told it would be shown in some bar in Airlie Beach in Australia so hauled myself out of bed at about 4am, wandered down the deserted high street and not surprisingly everywhere was closed. Had to go back to bed and then a couple of hours later had an agonising wait in an Internet cafe waiting for BBC sport to load up at a pathetically slow speed.

[C]

I loved the beating we gave Inter Milan over two legs, Zlatan must hate playing against us (juve et inter).. is that why he has never joined a premier league side?

[jed the red]

I think a 1-0 win would have seen us through actually? It was either that or win by 2 clear goals

Another commentary memory for the disallowed goal "I don't think Nikopolidis knew that" "Hee didn't. Heeeee didn't" 

Yeah you may be right I thought it was two goals regardless as they had beaten us 1-0 at their place?

[Barneylfc∗]

Yeah you may be right I thought it was two goals regardless as they had beaten us 1-0 at their place?

I just remember one of the commentators saying "the complexities of the regulations, a 1-0 win"

[Crosby Nick]

Yeah you may be right I thought it was two goals regardless as they had beaten us 1-0 at their place?

I think 1-0 meant it would go to goal Difference and ours must have been better (it was a whopping +1 going into the game I think).

[riismeister]

Performance wise (and scoreline wise), it has to be Real Madrid at Anfield, we completely annihilated them in that first half, they couldn't live with us (oh how I wish that Torres chance when he flicked past Cannavaro had gone in).

Agree with all of that. We could and maybe even should have been up by 4 after 30 minutes.

v Real Madrid @ Anfield 2008
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqn9y4_liverpool-v-real-madrid-4-0-all-goals-highlights_sport

Couple of others for good measure;

v Juventus @ Anfield 2005
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ealcf_champions-league-classics-liverpool-v-juventus-quarter-finals-2005_sport

v Chelsea @ Anfield 2005
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ealdl_champions-league-classics-liverpool-v-chelsea-semi-finals-2005_sport

[Barneylfc∗]

I think 1-0 meant it would go to goal Difference and ours must have been better (it was a whopping +1 going into the game I think).

We'd have finished with identical records. Same w/d/l, same gf/ga/gd. SO I think it went down to records against Monaco and Deprotivo. Although looking at the results, fuck knows how. Maybe our 2-0 win against Monaco meant we had a better record against them than Olympiakos

Actually, just checked Wiki. If we won 1-0, it looks like we'd have went through due to having a higher UEFA co-efficient 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_UEFA_Champions_League

Tiebreakers, if necessary, are applied in the following order:

    Points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
    Total goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
    Away goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams.
    Cumulative goal difference in all group matches.
    Total goals scored in all group matches.
    Higher UEFA coefficient going into the competition.

[Zeppelin]

I'm surprised we've had no mention of St Etienne in 1977 or Inter Milan in 1965 yet. Perhaps I'm just too old!

[Crosby Nick]

I'm surprised we've had no mention of St Etienne in 1977 or Inter Milan in 1965 yet. Perhaps I'm just too old!

Yeah 1997 is the earliest shout so far until then! One of my first memories is watching the 84 European Cup Final (or being aware of my Dad and brother watching it anyway) so apart from results I couldn't tell you how good the performances were. Winning away at Barca in 76 (?) must rank up there though.

[paulrazor]

Auxerre 1991 was actually pretty cool

we had never come from 2-0 down from the first leg to go through

17000 in Anfield and when Mark Walters gets the winner you would think there was triple that there, Jan Molby was brilliant that night

[B0151?]

The defensive performance in the Chelsea 2005 game was incredible, they were never going to score, we were getting to that final, this is our competition rent boys, out ye go.

It didn't feel like that as Gudjohnsen chested that ball down

It certainly did after he put it wide 

[Alf Garnett!]

Xabi's 1st game back back after 3 months out with a broken ankle and it was like he hadn't been away.

Classic defensive away performance that night from the team.

Rafa was so good tactically.

Add the absence of Gerrard and inclusion of Biscan to that.

[RedSince86]

Add the absence of Gerrard and inclusion of Biscan to that.

Yeah so true,Biscan really save his best performances for the club on that cup run,was brilliant away at Deportivo as well.

That Juventus team was stacked with with as much star quality as the AC Milan side.

I read or heard on the radio not sure which but after the game the Juventus directors who were at the game at Anfield said we have to leave the Stadio Delli Alpi and we have to make a stadium smaller and close to the pitch like Anfield.

[sambhi92]

Always thought Chelsea 07 was one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen in a football game, probably still is to this day.

But as a match i think for me, it has to be Arsenal in 08, i was in school at that time and have loads of Arsenal mates who were giving it the large, just the sheer end to end football that was being played, swinging one way then another, and for Babel to score right at the end, i don't think many victories have felt sweeter than that for me.

[driftinwest]

1981 European cup semi final Bayern Munich 1 Liverpool 1.  We went into the game understrength through injuries then Kenny was crippled and had to go off, and on came Howard Gayle to play a blinder, Howie ran Paul Breitner ragged and eventually got booked for retaliation as he got kicked from pillow to post. He was subbed before he got himself sent off in the end. We held our own and eventually scored through Ray Kennedy after an Injured Davy Johnson knocked the ball down to him, Johnno had to stay on as we had no subs left, Bayern equalised in injury time but to late to save the game and we went on to Paris to claim number 3 with the famous Barney Rubble goal.

[tubby]

This was the first big one for me.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/rMJK7uHvqYs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/rMJK7uHvqYs</a>

[paulrazor]

Yeah so true,Biscan really save his best performances for the club on that cup run,was brilliant away at Deportivo as well.

That Juventus team was stacked with with as much star quality as the AC Milan side.

I read or heard on the radio not sure which but after the game the Juventus directors who were at the game at Anfield said we have to leave the Stadio Delli Alpi and we have to make a stadium smaller and close to the pitch like Anfield.

unlucky then the one game he missed in the knock outs was the final as he was as you say superb all tournament

[TravisBickle]

 I remember in 2007 when Inter finished top of their group before drawing us, one of their players came out and asked what the point of finishing top of your group was if you were just going to get Liverpool in the next round. That summed up just how good we were in Europe in that period, we were absolutely incredible. There wasn't a single team I'd look at with even a slither of dread, we could and did beat them all. Out of the European elite, I think it was only Bayern and the Mancs who WE didn't knock out under Rafa, though I'm sure we would have done had we drawn them.

 Beating Real Madrid 4-0 was incredibly special. They had a poor season that year but it's worth remembering that they'd been in a fantastic bit of form coming into that tie. They'd just appointed Juande Ramos and Robben was on fire for them. Their old sporting director came out and said they go through 4-1 on aggregate if I recall correctly... So much for that. See you later, you arrogant twats.

 Beating Inter at the San Siro was also a highlight. Fernando Torres at that time was the best striker I had ever seen in a Liverpool shirt (probably still is in the pure number nine sense) and we just crushed them.

 We'll see things they'll never see.

[Crosby Nick]

This was the first big one for me.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/rMJK7uHvqYs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/rMJK7uHvqYs</a>

Mike Marsh played at right back that night didn't he? Remember him playing really well.

[TheFlyingScouseman]

What a week that was when we beat Madrid 4-0, beating the Mancs 4-1 at their place a few days later remains one of my favourite league results. And even though we were chasing it I really felt we could win the league and European Cup that year.

Always heartbreaking thinking back on these seasons where we played wonderful football but just couldn't win any trophies.

[S]

Juventus, Chelsea, AC Milan
I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. A time I'll never forget.

Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid
2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. What's notable is the different reactions these games provoked to the ones on the way to Istanbul. A different kind of ecstasy that came not through being the underdogs, but by being genuinely one of the most feared teams in the competition.

Roma 2002
I'll include this simply because I was 12 and watched it on Teletext, which is undoubtedly the best way to experience football.

Arsenal 2008
Complete rollercoaster of emotions. The lowest of lows when Walcott ran the entire length of Anfield, to the highest of highs when Babel put it beyond all doubt.

Chelsea 2009
Ok, so we got knocked out. But when Alonso slotted away the penalty to make it 2-0, part of me thought we'd pull of the mother of all comebacks.

Man United 2016
Whatever happens this season it was great to win a landmark fixture in such convincing style.

[Guz-kop]

Going back slightly further the 2-0 win over Roma when Houllier returned from illness was immense. Up against a very good side and we blew them away, brilliant atmosphere. Best 'famous European night' atmosphere I've been to having missed out on the earlier ones and the 2005 season. Better than Brondby anyway!

Chelsea 05 and this Roma 02 are neck and neck for me. Although I know the OP stipulated no group matches and this was the end of the second group stage.

There was something about the Roma game. The city had an edge leading up to the game, especially day of the game when rumours came out Houllier would be making his return. I think people forget the esteem he was held in at that time, it was probably higher than any manager since we last won the league except Kenny's second spell. To a lot of my generation (never seen us win the league) he was like some kind of messiah. Roma team were quality then too, off the top of my head they had Panucci, Samuel, Tommasi, Emerson, Totti, Batistuta and Delvecchio