AC Milan gave the best performance for most part of 2005 Champions League final, says former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher

It has been 15 years since Liverpool scripted one of the greatest comebacks in football by winning the Champions League trophy. On 25 May, 2005, The Reds snatched away the title from their Italian opponents AC Milan at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul in the UEFA Champions League final.

Recalling the miraculous win, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher mentioned that Milan actually had the upper hand in the game. He said that the Italian club had given their “best performance” for 114 minutes and had showed tremendous talent, except for six minutes.

Often hailed as one of the most memorable evenings in the history of football, Liverpool, who were trailing, scored three goals in a short span of six minutes in the second-half of the final. This had nullified the 3-0 lead that Milan had maintained. The match then went to a penalty shootout and Carragher’s side emerged victorious.

Looking back at the night, the 42-year-old former defender told Liverpool Echo how significant the Istanbul match is still for him. “Even when I go on holiday during the summer, whenever I go to a hotel, a bar or a restaurant somewhere in Europe, if somebody spots me or finds out who I am, the first thing that comes up in conversation is Istanbul”.

He said the manner of the win is what makes that night so special. “It affected Liverpool fans more than anybody, but it’s a game that will be remembered around the world. It means something to people. You just don’t get finals like that,” he added

Liverpool had managed to reach the final after 20 long years, while Milan had one of the top squads in the world, having won the title just two years back.

Although Carragher and his teammates knew their opponents’ strength, they did not lose hope. “When you’re 3-0 down at half-time to a team that is far better, it makes it difficult to say ‘right, we’re going to do this and this and this to get back into the game,” he added.

But equalizing to make it 3-3 from such a point and ultimately winning the game makes football “the greatest sport”, remarked Carragher, who is now a well-known football pundit.

Earlier, AC Milan goalkeeper Dida had told  CNN how devastating ‘The Miracle of Istanbul’ was for their team. “It’s truly difficult to imagine after that first half, which we performed practically to perfection, that we would lose three goals,” he had said.