Anfield has staged an array of unforgettable nights of European games with Liverpool synonymous with UEFA action under the lights, so here are seven of the best to date.
The Reds have brought European football home to Merseyside since the 1964/65 campaign. Liverpool made their debut in the European Cup and even made the semi-finals before they fell to eventual champions, Inter Milan. Their first European final then followed in 1965/66.
Continental success, ultimately, escaped Liverpool on their debut in the 65/66 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Borussia Dortmund edged the Reds 2-1 after extra-time in the final. It was not until 1972/73 that a European title featured in Liverpool’s trophy cabinet with the UEFA Cup.
Liverpool won the UEFA Cup during their debut campaign in the tournament now called the Europa League. While the Reds’ first European Cup (now the Champions League) followed in 1976/77 under Liverpool legend Bob Paisley, who led them to a second success in 1977/78.
7 of the best European nights Liverpool have had at Anfield
European nights under the Anfield lights have since delivered some of the best atmospheres that Liverpool have ever yet witnessed. The Reds and UEFA action go hand-in-hand with the expectation for an enthralling ride. Liverpool’s list of dramatic affairs goes on and on and on.
So, with that in mind, Rousing The Kop has taken a look at seven of the best European nights that Liverpool have so far relished with the best atmospheres that Anfield has seen to date…
Real Madrid, March 2009: Champions League, Round of 16
Anfield witnessed Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool at their absolute best when Real Madrid came to town in March 2009 for one of the top European nights the ground has ever seen. The Reds already led the Galacticos 1-0 but put on a show to secure an emphatic 4-0 victory at home.
Yossi Benayoun secured Benitez’s team a slender advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 82nd minute. But a total footballing masterclass awaited Los Blancos at Anfield as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard ran the show. Substitute Andrea Dossena even got in on their act.
Torres tormented Real Madrid’s defence from the first whistle to the last and got the scoring going after 16 minutes. The striker never gave Los Blancos a second to breathe anywhere on the pitch. Gerrard (28’ penalty, 47’) would stretch Liverpool’s advantage with his brace, too.
Club Brugge, April 1976: UEFA Cup, Final first leg
The 1975/76 UEFA Cup final came through Anfield with Liverpool hosting Club Brugge in the first leg. It yielded one of the best European nights that Anfield has ever witnessed, as well. Yet the tie did not get off to the perfect start for those in red as the Blauw-Zwart struck first.
Raoul Lambert dealt Liverpool an early blow inside just five minutes and Club Brugge led 2-0 after a quarter of an hour through Julien Cools. But a frantic five minutes saw the Reds flip the tie on its head as Ray Kennedy (60’), Jimmy Case (62’) and Kevin Keegan (65’) scored.
Keegan (15’) added to his winning penalty in their second leg, too, to counter out Lambert’s 11th-minute spot-kick. It was enough to hand the Reds the UEFA Cup at the Olympiastadion with a 4-3 aggregate win. Liverpool went from early disaster at Anfield to delight in Bruges.
Olympiacos, December 2004: Champions League, Group stage
Liverpool got into the Champions League the hard way in 2004/05 after coming through the third qualifying round. But while the Reds went on to win the tournament that term with an iconic victory over AC Milan in Istanbul, their UEFA dreams nearly ended in the group stage.
Defeats away to Olympiacos and AS Monaco plus a draw at home to Deportivo de La Coruna left Liverpool hanging on for dear life. It was win-or-go-home time for the Anfield team when Olympiacos arrived on Merseyside. But the Reds even had to win the tie by two clear goals.
Rivaldo even enhanced Liverpool’s task when he fired a free-kick past Chris Kirkland in front of the Kop. Yet the introduction of Florent Sinama-Pongolle at half-time worked wonders as the Reds responded on 47 minutes. Rafa Benitez also continued to get his substitutes right.
Benitez turned to Liverpool academy graduate Neil Mellor as the Reds searched for the go-ahead goal and saw the striker flash home in the 81st minute. His cushioned header down then created Steven Gerrard’s iconic piledriver for the decisive goal four minutes from time.
Borussia Dortmund, April 2016: Europa League, Quarter-final
Borussia Dortmund flew to Liverpool in April 2016 for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final affair. Mats Hummels secured BVB a 1-1 draw in the first leg after Divock Origi broke the deadlock. It then seemed like the Reds’ run was over within 10 minutes at Anfield.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan broke the deadlock for the aggregate lead after just five minutes and it was Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Liverpool four minutes later as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit home. Yet, this time, it was Origi who gave his side a lifeline as he responded on 48 minutes.
But Marco Reus put his Bundesliga team back on track against their former manager, Jurgen Klopp, nine minutes later. Then came Liverpool as Philippe Coutinho scored his superb finish and Mamadou Sakho brought an already special fixture level on aggregate after 78 minutes.
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Time remained for a Liverpool player to emerge as their hero with away goals now sending Borussia Dortmund through. And, despite the Reds running on empty, James Milner swung a cross in for Dejan Lovren. The centre-half rose to head home the winner in stoppage time.
Chelsea, May 2005: Champions League, Semi-final
Chelsea won their first Premier League title in 2004/05 and ultimately finished the campaign with 37 more points than Liverpool. Yet the Reds relished one of Anfield’s greatest European nights to date to beat the Blues 1-0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool had held Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea to a 0-0 draw in their first leg at Stamford Bridge. But spirits were high around Anfield long before kick-off. And Luis Garcia repaid their fans’ special atmosphere with the only goal of the game after only four minutes.
Garcia ran off in celebration while Chelsea bemoaned a slightly controversial goal as referee Lubos Michel fielded furious pleas that the ball did not cross the line. The Reds, themselves, had felt irked by Michel, too, after Petr Cech avoided a second-minute penalty and red card.
Chelsea used their anger to fuel desperate efforts to equalise which nearly delivered deep in stoppage time. Eidur Gudjohnsen had a chance in the final seconds to win Chelsea the tie on away goals. But as Anfield fell to brief silence, his shot dragged just wide in front of the Kop.
The win also took Liverpool to their first European Cup final in 20 years and, ultimately, their first title as the Champions League. Istanbul holds a very special place in Liverpool’s history. But their penalty shoot-out with AC Milan would not have happened without Garcia’s strike.
Inter Milan, May 1965: European Cup, Semi-final
Liverpool made their debut in the European Cup during the 1964/65 season and it returned one of the best nights Anfield has witnessed as Inter Milan came to Merseyside in the semi-finals. The Nerazzurri paid a visit for the first leg but were a goal behind within four minutes.
Bill Shankly’s squad carried the momentum created by winning the FA Cup to show the San Siro side their strength. Roger Hunt forced a way through the Italian giants as Liverpool put pressure on Inter Milan straight away. Yet Alessandro Mazzola equalised in the 10th minute.
Inter Milan were the reigning European Cup and Serie A champions but faced an unyielding wall of noise at Anfield. The Kop intimidated the Italian giants and carried Liverpool to a 3-1 win, as Ian Callaghan and Ian St John capped a special night of European football at Anfield.
But a controversial 3-0 defeat at San Siro saw Liverpool slip out of the European Cup as the Nerazzurri retained their crown. A near-capacity 76,600 crowed ensured Liverpool also met a cauldron of noise at San Siro as Mario Corso and Joaquin Peiro led Inter Milan’s response.
Barcelona, May 2019: Champions League, Semi-final
Liverpool relished the best night of European football that Anfield has yet seen in May 2019 when FC Barcelona visited in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. The Reds hosted the Catalan club needing a miracle after losing the first leg 3-0 and they got just that.
The task facing manager Jurgen Klopp got even harder before the Blaugrana arrived, as well, with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah ruled out due to injury. But Divock Origi stepped up and gifted the Reds a vital lifeline when the Belgian fired home after only seven minutes.
Lionel Messi ensured the Anfield faithful continued to hold their breaths with the Argentine carving out several dangerous openings. But the stands erupted when Georginio Wijnaldum flashed in another goal on 54 minutes before netting a quick-fire double within 120 seconds.
The tie teetered on the edge with Liverpool back level on aggregate but their miracle against Barcelona was not over. Origi still had the time in his pocket to produce their winner after 79 minutes as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner taken quickly critically caught the Blaugrana out.
Liverpool fans even voted Origi’s goal as their greatest strike across their first 130 years in an official LiverpoolFC.com poll in June 2022. The striker created pandemonium and sealed the Reds’ place in the 2018/19 Champions League final, in which they beat Tottenham Hotspur.