Liverpool’s victory over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final will be regaled for generations.
To this day, it remains a mystery how a mix-match Reds team came back from three goals down to defeat one of the most impressive XI’s in European football history. But they did it.
Having hauled themselves back from 3-0 down to end the 90 minutes at 3-3, Liverpool saw out a nervy extra-time period to reach penalties. With their opponents mentally shot, the Reds had the advantage.
One of the players to score in the shootout was midfielder Dietmar Hamman. And speaking to That Peter Crouch Podcast about the spot-kicks that evening, Hamman said that manager Rafa Benitez was very clear in who he wanted taking them.
“Sometimes when you go to penalties managers have to look for people, which is not good,” explained the German.
“Luis Garcia wanted to take one, the manager didn’t want him to. I’m sure that Xabi Alonso who missed one [during the game] probably would have taken one. So, we probably had seven.”
Garcia blocked from penalty duty
This is another interesting little story from Istanbul, with Hamann serving up a couple while speaking to Peter Crouch today.
In the end, you have to say that Benitez got his decisions spot on, as Liverpool won the shootout. Had they lost out to Milan, you may have heard some grumbles from Garcia, Alonso and the others.
Interestingly, Hamann also pointed out that the three Reds penalty takers who scored past Dida were all substitutes on the day.
The other was John Arne Riise, who was decent from 12 yards. On this occasion Riise missed, but you can see the logic of putting him in.
Although it didn’t come to that, the final kick would have gone to Steven Gerrard. Again, he was a regular penalty taker, so that was an easy choice.
But it just goes to show the details that Benitez was focusing on. As a forward, Garcia might have been a better penalty taker than Hamman or Vladimir Smicer, but the manager wanted those stepping up to be as fresh as possible.
With Hamann, Smicer and Djibril Cisse all finding the net, Rafa’s decision was vindicated completely and is perhaps something managers could learn from.
There’s a lot that goes into a penalty shootout. It isn’t merely just about having your most reliable options lined up to take them. Benitez knew that, and how Liverpool benefitted.
You also need your goalkeeper to come up trumps by the way and Jerzy Dudek delivered on that front, too. And then some.
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