From Shankly v Revie to the ‘ghost goal’: all-English European semi-finals

Liverpool v Tottenham (agg 2-2, Liverpool win on away goals), Uefa Cup 1972-73

It was the battle of the Bills as Liverpool’s Shankly took on Tottenham’s Nicholson. Liverpool struck through Alec Lindsay in the first leg after some pinball in the box, and many thought that would lead to a dominant victory but they left Anfield a mere goal to the good. White Hart Lane was packed and Martin Peters ramped up the decibels early in the second half with a close-range volley to level the tie, but five minutes later Liverpool were all square on the night. Kevin Keegan picked out Steve Heighway with a precise outside-of-the-boot pass and Pat Jennings could do nothing about the finish. Peters was not done, popping up to crash home a second but Shankly’s side held on, progressing on away goals. “Before the goal they gave a tremendous exhibition,” Shankly said of his team. “Then it blew up into flames and it was all hell’s fire at the end.”

Chelsea v Liverpool (agg 0-1), Champions League 2004-05

“I started thinking: ‘Oh my goodness, maybe it wasn’t,’ but I turned round and saw the referee and the linesman running back into position and just started screaming,” Luis García said of his “ghost goal”. It is still debated as to whether it crossed the line before William Gallas cleared, and there is little to back up the assistant referee’s conclusion that the Spaniard’s prod did enough to legitimately be awarded. That was less than four minutes into the second leg after a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. Anfield was all noise, heightened by the early lead, and it was a difficult night for Chelsea. “I felt the power of Anfield – it was magnificent,” José Mourinho said. “I felt it didn’t interfere with my players but maybe it interfered with other people and maybe it interfered with the result.” He was in charge of a star-studded side thanks to Roman Abramovich’s heavy investment over the previous two years but it was not enough against Rafa Benítez’s team. If anyone thought this was dramatic, there was still the final in Istanbul to come.

Chelsea v Liverpool (agg 1-1, pen 1-4), Champions League 2006-07

There was a repeat two years later and Chelsea travelled to Anfield with a one-goal advantage, courtesy of Joe Cole. Mourinho had done his best to rile Liverpool by calling them a cup team in the buildup. Again it went down to a nerve-jangling night under the Anfield lights. A clever free-kick levelled the tie, with the unlikely figure of the centre-back Daniel Agger sweeping Steven Gerrard’s pass into the bottom corner. Dirk Kuyt came close to settling the match in normal time but his header bounced back off the bar, and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba missed a fine chance from close range. It came down to penalties: Pepe Reina saved from Arjen Robben and Geremi as Liverpool scored all four.

Dirk Kuyt (centre) celebrates his decisive penalty in the semi-final against Chelsea in May 2007. Photograph: Back Page Images/Shutterstock

Liverpool v Chelsea (agg 3-4, aet), Champions League 2007-08

Not another one! This was the final instalment of the trilogy and the Blues finally got one over their rivals from Merseyside. In the first leg at Anfield a 95th-minute John Arne Riise own goal cancelled out Dirk Kuyt’s opener to boost Chelsea’s chances and Benítez then helped to fire up Drogba by calling him a diver. “Benítez was a manager I respected a lot,” Drogba said. “Until now, I found him not only very competent but also classy. But he has really disappointed me here. His words demonstrate a weakness.” The Ivorian would have the last laugh. He and Fernando Torres exchanged goals to send the match to extra time. Pepe Reina could not play the hero this time, Frank Lampard slamming home a penalty after Sami Hyypiä tripped Michael Ballack before Drogba added another. Everyone thought the job was done but Ryan Babel made the final moments tense for Chelsea, who lost the final to Manchester United.

Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano and Chelsea’s Michael Ballack (right) tussle for the ball at Stamford Bridge in April 2008. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Manchester United v Arsenal (agg 4-1), Champions League 2008-09

John O’Shea may have never struck a cleaner shot than the one that won the first leg 1-0 at Old Trafford, powering the ball in from close range. United should have been out of sight after 90 minutes: Cristiano Ronaldo rattled the crossbar but United were wasteful, giving Arsène Wenger hope of a turnaround. That was quickly extinguished by a rampaging United at the Emirates Stadium. Kieran Gibbs slipped in his own box and Park Ji-sung sneaked in to finish after eight minutes. Ronaldo then confirmed his status as one of the world’s best, thrashing a free-kick from 40 yards out past Manuel Almunia, who was slow to react. Ronaldo completed the job by finishing off one of the great counters, latching on to a Wayne Rooney pass. Barcelona were far too good for United in the final.