Liverpool host AS Roma on Tuesday night in their Champions League semifinal first leg. It might be their first appearance in the last four of Europe's top competition since 2008, but it's certainly not their first overall. Tony Evans looks at how they fared in previous appearances.
1965 European Cup semifinal
Liverpool 3-1 Internazionale, Inter 3-0 Liverpool
Anfield's first involvement in the continent's most prestigious competition was one of the most disappointing. They were drawn against Inter, the reigning champions, but confidence was high on Merseyside. Liverpool had won the FA Cup for the first time three days earlier, and Bill Shankly, the team's inspirational manager, waited until Inter took to the pitch before sending Gerry Byrne and Gordon Milne, who were not involved, to parade the trophy. The Kop went wild. "Dear God," Shankly said, "what an eruption there was when our supporters caught sight of the cup. The noise was unbelievable. The people were hysterical."
Inter were cowed. Roger Hunt gave the home side the lead after three minutes, but Helenio Herrera's team were no pushovers. Sandro Mazzola equalized after 10 minutes. Although Ian Callaghan and Ian St. John gave Liverpool a two-goal cushion, they still faced a daunting task in the San Siro.
In Milan, Shankly's team were on the receiving end of an intimidating atmosphere. "There were all sort of fireworks flying down, nearly hitting us," captain Ron Yeates said. "I think some of us capitulated."
The home side were level on aggregate within 10 minutes. Liverpool claimed that Mario Corso's opening goal was scored from an indirect free kick, and Joaquin Peiro kicked the ball out of goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence's hands for the second. From there, Liverpool lost their discipline, and the game was gone. Giacinto Facchetti added a third goal in the second half, and Shankly's team subjected referee Jose de Mendibil to some rough treatment, pushing and shoving the official in anger.
"I had a go at the referee at the end," Yeates said. "When I saw him taking a bow, I couldn't help myself." Liverpool were certain the referee had been bribed. Resentment still lingers at Anfield.
1977 European Cup
Zurich 1-3 Liverpool, Liverpool 3-0 Zurich
There was plenty of drama around Anfield during this campaign, but not much of it regarding this semifinal. Kevin Keegan, the team's talisman, had announced that he was leaving the club, making the future uncertain even though the present was very exciting. Bob Paisley's team was chasing a treble of league, FA Cup and European Cup trophies. This last-four meeting turned out to be a chance to draw breath in the frantic final weeks of the season.
There was a minor scare after six minutes in the Letzigrund as Tommy Smith conceded a penalty and Liverpool fell behind. The Swiss side were not in the same class, however, and Phil Neal (with two goals) and Steve Heighway effectively settled the tie.
A routine 3-0 victory at Anfield sent them through to the final in Rome, where they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1. They fell short of the treble, though, wrapping up the league but losing the FA Cup to Manchester United. Bringing the European Cup home to Merseyside for the first time more than made up for that disappointment.
Liverpool's European Cup glory in 1977 over Borussia Monchengladbach was followed by a tricky semifinal against the same team in 1978. Liverpool won 4-2 on aggregate. Liverpool FC via Getty Images
1978 European Cup
Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 Liverpool, Liverpool 3-0 Borussia
This rematch of the previous year's final appeared to be a tricky tie for Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish had replaced Keegan, who moved to SV Hamburg, but the team's march to the last four indicated that their continental dominance had not been affected. In the two previous rounds, Paisley's men had scored 12 goals but worryingly had conceded five.
Borussia took a first-half lead in the Rhein Stadion, but the game was close. It was hardly a surprise when David Johnston equalised with two minutes to go; what was shocking is that the German side went up the other end a minute later for Ranier Bonhof to restore their lead.
What looked to be a difficult second leg turned into a stroll in front of the Kop. Ray Kennedy opened the scoring after six minutes, Dalglish made it two before the half, and Jimmy Case sealed the victory in the second period.
The final, against Bruges at Wembley, kept the European Cup on Merseyside. A Dalglish goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 victory. By then, he was Anfield's new hero and Keegan a distant memory.
1981 European Cup
Liverpool 0-0 Bayern Munich, Bayern 1-1 Liverpool
After the first leg at Anfield, few people thought Paisley's side could advance to the final. Bayern's players were confident, as they'd had the best of the goalless draw. "They said some disparaging things about us on television after the first leg," Alan Hansen said. "That we had no class, no touch, no technique."
Paul Breitner, in particular, was scathing about the Merseyside club. The criticism stung. "I didn't have to motivate the lads," Paisley said. "Breitner did it for me."
Liverpool had injuries for the second leg in Munich. Richard Money and Colin Irwin, perennial reserves, were drafted into the defence while Kenny Dalglish was doubtful. It all added to the growing bullishness in Bavaria. "When we got to the stadium, there were leaflets telling the fans the best way to get to the final in Paris," Graeme Souness said. "Bob Paisley stuck one up on the dressing room wall and said, 'Have a look at that before you go out.'"
Breitner had dominated proceedings at Anfield, operating as a playmaker, but Liverpool had a plan for him in Munich. Sammy Lee, the diminutive midfielder, was deputized to man-mark the player who made Bayern tick.
Within 10 minutes, things were going wrong for the Merseyside club. Dalglish started the game but soon limped off, replaced by Howard Gayle. The 22-year-old, Liverpool's first black player, ran Bayern's defence ragged, working so hard that he was substituted with 20 minutes still to go.
Lee frustrated Breitner. Money and Irwin were solid, and having soaked up the pressure, Liverpool applied the sucker punch. Ray Kennedy found space and clipped in a characteristically classy shot with seven minutes left to give his team a crucial away goal. Even though Karl-Heinz Rummenigge equalized in the final minute, the home team never looked like they would win.
When the match ended, it was Liverpool's turn to gloat. "A few of us ended up in their dressing room," Souness said. "We were giving it: 'See you in Paris, chaps.'"
"We were all battering on the Bayern door," Hansen said. "It was one of the greatest nights in Liverpool's history." Paisley's team went on to beat Real Madrid 1-0 in Paris to emulate Bayern by winning their third European Cup.
1984 European Cup
Liverpool 1-0 Dinamo Bucharest, Dinamo 1-2 Liverpool
This tie showed Graeme Souness at his best and nastiest. In the first leg at Anfield, the classy Romanians showed plenty of ability. Sammy Lee put the home side on top in the first half, but Dinamo threatened throughout the match. Their captain, Lica Movila, was a major influence on the game until Souness broke the midfielder's jaw with a single blow. Movila had been very physical. "Whatever he got, he deserved," Souness told teammates.
Joe Fagan's team took a slender lead to the Romanian capital, where the home fans and players targeted Souness for revenge. The Scot, whose nickname was "Champagne Charlie," got little sympathy from his teammates. "We noticed in the warm-up that every time Charlie touched the ball, the crowd would erupt," Steve Nicol said. "So everyone was passing to him. Six or seven balls were coming his way. The crowd were booing and whistling, and he'd dummy the ball and step over it."
Souness could evade the abuse from the terraces, but he could not avoid the Dinamo players. One of the Bucharest team made his intentions clear. "He was aggressive during the coin toss and then dropped deep to play in midfield," Souness said. "He pointed to himself and then to me, as if to say: 'It's between us now.' I gave him the thumbs up."
In the preliminaries, the Liverpool captain had avoided the ball. Now he demanded it. After 11 minutes, he took possession on the edge of the area and, as angry defenders closed in, slid a precise pass to Ian Rush, who doubled the lead with a vital away goal. Costel Oraca equalized before half-time, but Rush killed the game with a second with three minutes left. Liverpool were never in danger even if Souness was.
Souness was jostled by the crowd, opposition players and police as he left the pitch and returned to the dressing room with his socks in shreds. Souness survived the ordeal and led the side to Rome, where Liverpool claimed their fourth European Cup by beating Roma on penalties in the Italian side's own stadium.
1985 European Cup
Liverpool 4-0 Panathinaikos 0, Panathinaikos 0-1 Liverpool
Semifinals do not come more straightforward. The Greek champions played with a sweeper and man-marked Liverpool's forwards at Anfield, but after John Wark broke the deadlock before half-time, the floodgates opened. The second leg was equally comfortable. Mark Lawrenson scored the only goal in Athens, and Joe Fagan's team were looking forward to defending their European Cup against Juventus in Brussels.
The final, at the Heysel Stadium, was one of the club's lowest moments. Aggressive behaviour by Liverpool fans was part of a chain of events that led to the deaths of 39 mainly Italian supporters. Juventus won 1-0, but the result was immaterial. In the aftermath, English clubs were banned from Europe. They returned to continental competition five years later, with Liverpool serving an extra season in exile. Anfield would not witness another European Cup/Champions League semifinal for 20 years.
2005 Champions League
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool 0, Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea
Garcia's controversial goal was the decider as Liverpool edged past Chelsea and went on to win the 2005 Champions League. Phil Noble - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images
Rafa Benitez's first season as manager featured the most unlikely cup run in the club's history, and against all expectations, Liverpool reached the last four of the Champions League. There they met Chelsea led by another manager fresh to English football, Jose Mourinho. The Special One stormed the Premier League. His team finished as champions, 37 points ahead of Benitez's side, though their semifinal was much closer.
The first leg at Stamford Bridge was a tense 0-0 affair as two of the game's best managerial tacticians neutralised each other. So, to Anfield, with the tie in the balance, the mood on the Kop was electric. The sound of the crowd reached levels unheard for almost three decades. "The supporters took the atmosphere to a new level that night," Steven Gerrard said.
Chelsea thought they could deal with the rowdy crowd. "We knew what was coming, and personally, I felt prepared to face the noise," Frank Lampard said. "But it's the effect their fans have on the Liverpool team. They do get an extra bounce, more adrenaline. You have to match it, and we didn't do that."
The home side were energised. Less than four minutes had gone when Gerrard flicked the ball into the Chelsea area and Milan Baros knocked it over the advancing Petr Cech. Luis Garcia nudged the ball goal-ward, and William Gallas desperately tried to keep the effort out of the net. The Kop went wild, the referee signalled a goal, and Chelsea protested angrily that the ball had not crossed the line. Television replays were inconclusive, but it was immaterial. Liverpool led 1-0.
Chelsea turned up the pressure and charged forward as the minutes ticked down. Anfield held its collective breath and, with a minute of stoppage time remaining, the ball fell to Eidur Gudjohnsen in the Kop goalmouth. Time seemed to stop as the Icelandic forward fired a shot across goal. Then, the ground erupted as the ball drifted wide of the far post. Mourinho was enraged, but Garcia's "ghost goal" proved decisive.
Liverpool advanced to the final in Istanbul and an even more dramatic match against AC Milan. Trailing 3-0 at half-time, Benitez's team fought back to level the scores and win on penalties. Twenty years after their last final, Liverpool won their fifth European Cup.
2007 Champions League
Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool, Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Liverpool win on penalties)
The rivalry between Benitez and Mourinho was growing more intense, and two years after their first final-four meeting in Europe, their teams once again faced off for a place in the final.
The first leg was at the Bridge, and again, it was tight. Joe Cole gave the London club a one-goal advantage. At Anfield, the atmosphere was slightly less frantic, but Liverpool responded to the urging of their fans. Daniel Agger gave the home team parity in the first half, but it was the only goal of a scrappy match.
Encounters between these sides invariably produced drama. The game went to penalties. Benitez sat watching cross-legged on the turf, seemingly emotionally spent, though his team retained their composure. Pepe Reina saved spot-kicks from Arjen Robben and Geremi, and all Liverpool's penalty takers found the net. Liverpool were on their way to Athens for another final against Milan, but there would be no miracle this time. The Italian side exacted revenge for Istanbul, winning 2-1.
2008 Champions League
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool
Predictably, these two rivals came out of the hat again 10 years ago. This time the first leg was at Anfield, and it was another tie of tight margins. Liverpool appeared to be in a good position to take a lead to the Bridge. Dirk Kuyt had put them ahead as half-time loomed, and although the home team had their chances to increase their lead, it was still 1-0 in stoppage time.
Then, just as the game seemed won, Salomon Kalou sent a cross into the Kop area. It should have been a routine clearance for John Arne Riise, but the left-back was reluctant to use his weaker right foot. Instead, Riise tried to head clear from knee height but could only send the ball spinning into the net.
The second leg at Stamford Bridge was characteristically tight. Didier Drogba gave the home side the lead in the first half, but Fernando Torres levelled in the second period. Chelsea broke the game open in extra-time. Sami Hyypia brought down Michael Ballack in the area, and Frank Lampard, playing his first match since the death of his mother, calmly scored the penalty before pointing skyward in tribute to his parent. Drogba added another, and the tie looked over.
Liverpool still had some fight in them. Ryan Babel scored unexpectedly from 35 yards in the second period of extra time, but although Benitez's men made life uncomfortable for Chelsea, they came up short. There would be a decade-long wait for Liverpool's next Champions League semifinal appearance.
Source: espn.co.uk