YOUR TOP 10 RAFA COMEBACKS
Liverpoolfc.tv 08 October 2008
After coming from behind for the fourth time this season to snatch another victory from the jaws of defeat, we decided it was high time to run through our top 10 comebacks under Rafa Benitez – as voted by YOU.
Thousands of you took part in our online poll earlier this week and we can now reveal the results. So, sit back, reminisce and bask in the knowledge that no team in the world can bounce back like the mighty Reds.
10. Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Liverpool (3-4 on pens)
Carling Cup quarter-final – December 2004
Allez, Allez, Sinama-Pongolle...The little French gem not only cancelled out Jermaine Defoe's opener with a calmly taken pen as the final whistle loomed but also scored the decisive kick in the shoot-out to keep Benitez's Babes (Whitbread, Potter and Raven all started) in the mix as eight became four on the road to Cardiff.
9. Liverpool 2-1 Middlesbrough
Premier League – August 2008
Mido put 'Boro ahead on 70 minutes with a well-hit effort from distance before Liverpool's local heroes sprung into action to save the day. Jamie Carragher equalised with a speculative whack which took a hefty deflection on its way into the Kop net, then Steven Gerrard popped up in the dying seconds to thrash the winner home.
8. Fulham 2-4 Liverpool
Premier League - October 2004
One of the club's most memorable Premier League games during which Rafa's Reds demonstrated for the first time the bouncebackability that would bring us all so much joy in the seasons to come. Summer signing Xabi Alonso was the catalyst this time, coming on for Salif Diao following a dire first half which ended with the home side two up. Luis Boa Morte's brace was quickly made irrelevant with goals from Milan Baros, Alonso, Igor Biscan and an own goal from Zat Knight. Not even a late sending off for new boy Josemi could tarnish Rafa's first away win in the league.
7. Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool
FA Cup third round - October 2008
This match had giant-killing written all over it until Xabi Alonso struck from 40 yards to level the scores at 3-3 with half an hour to go. The Reds had fallen asleep after Steven Gerrard opened the scoring on 16 minutes and Luton hit three goals to seemingly put the tie beyond reach. But everything changed when the lively Florent Sinama-Pongolle was introduced to the action. Pongolle headed past Hatters 'keeper Marlon Beresford to put Liverpool in front before Alonso sealed the win in style by curling the ball into an empty net from all of 60 yards.
Bellamy scores at the Nou Camp
6. Barcelona 1-2 Liverpool (agg win 2-2)
Champions League second round – February 2007
A fraught build up involving John Arne Riise, Craig Bellamy and a golf club was hardly ideal preparation for a visit to the European champions, and when Deco handed Barcelona an early lead, few gave the Reds any chance in the awe-inspiring Nou Camp. Football's a funny old game, though, and Liverpool went on to complete a remarkable turnaround with goals from, you've guessed it, Riise and Bellamy. Rafa Benitez selected new boy Alvaro Arbeloa out of position to man-mark Argentine wonder-kid Lionel Messi, a tactical masterstroke which helped keep the hosts at bay in the closing stages.
5. Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
Premier League – September 2008
Liverpool fans feared the worst when Carlos Tevez put Alex Ferguson's men in front after three minutes, but supersub Ryan Babel struck the winner at the Kop end 13 minutes from time after a Wes Brown own goal levelled the match in the first half to secure Rafa Benitez's first league victory over Manchester United. Having gone down to a series of unlucky strikes in recent seasons, this win was long overdue and sent the Reds to the top of the Premier League table.
4. Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League – October 2008
Things looked bleak for Rafa's Reds when they went in 2-0 down at half-time but Liverpool fought back for the fourth time in 2008-09 to come away from Eastlands with three points. Fernando Torres scored a brace to pull us level before Dirk Kuyt smashed home the winner from close range in stoppage time to send the travelling Kop wild.
Steven Gerrard fa cup final 2006
3. West Ham United 3-3 Liverpool (1-3 on pens)
FA Cup final – May 2006
After coming back from a goal down on two occasions to secure victory in a nail-baiting penalty shoot-out, this match has gone down in folklore as one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever. The Reds were trailing 3-2 with seconds to go when Steven Gerrard hauled them level with a magnificent 35-yard strike to bring the game into extra-time. Pepe Reina saved three West Ham spot kicks in the shoot-out to secure a seventh FA Cup triumph for Liverpool.
2. Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos
Champions League Group Stage – December 2004
With a win by two clear goals required, Liverpool looked down and out of the Champions League when Rivaldo beat Jerzy Dudek with a curling free-kick in the first half of the last group match in 2004-05. But Steven Gerrard rallied the troops and struck the all-important goal four minutes from time after substitutes Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor found the net. Coming back from behind here set the Reds on course to win Europe's premier competition for the fifth time.
1. AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (2-3 on pens)
Champions League final – May 2005
The most incredible night in the club's history. Liverpool reclaimed their crown as Kings of Europe after miraculously overcoming a 3-0 half-time deficit to defeat AC Milan at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso cancelled out the Rossoneri's three-goal lead and a miraculous save from Jerzy Dudek in extra-time kept the Reds in the match to set up a penalty shoot-out. The Polish stopper was again the hero in the shoot-out and made a decisive save from Andrei Shevchenko to secure a fifth European triumph for Liverpool.
Liverpoolfc.tv 08 October 2008
After coming from behind for the fourth time this season to snatch another victory from the jaws of defeat, we decided it was high time to run through our top 10 comebacks under Rafa Benitez – as voted by YOU.
Thousands of you took part in our online poll earlier this week and we can now reveal the results. So, sit back, reminisce and bask in the knowledge that no team in the world can bounce back like the mighty Reds.
10. Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Liverpool (3-4 on pens)
Carling Cup quarter-final – December 2004
Allez, Allez, Sinama-Pongolle...The little French gem not only cancelled out Jermaine Defoe's opener with a calmly taken pen as the final whistle loomed but also scored the decisive kick in the shoot-out to keep Benitez's Babes (Whitbread, Potter and Raven all started) in the mix as eight became four on the road to Cardiff.
9. Liverpool 2-1 Middlesbrough
Premier League – August 2008
Mido put 'Boro ahead on 70 minutes with a well-hit effort from distance before Liverpool's local heroes sprung into action to save the day. Jamie Carragher equalised with a speculative whack which took a hefty deflection on its way into the Kop net, then Steven Gerrard popped up in the dying seconds to thrash the winner home.
8. Fulham 2-4 Liverpool
Premier League - October 2004
One of the club's most memorable Premier League games during which Rafa's Reds demonstrated for the first time the bouncebackability that would bring us all so much joy in the seasons to come. Summer signing Xabi Alonso was the catalyst this time, coming on for Salif Diao following a dire first half which ended with the home side two up. Luis Boa Morte's brace was quickly made irrelevant with goals from Milan Baros, Alonso, Igor Biscan and an own goal from Zat Knight. Not even a late sending off for new boy Josemi could tarnish Rafa's first away win in the league.
7. Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool
FA Cup third round - October 2008
This match had giant-killing written all over it until Xabi Alonso struck from 40 yards to level the scores at 3-3 with half an hour to go. The Reds had fallen asleep after Steven Gerrard opened the scoring on 16 minutes and Luton hit three goals to seemingly put the tie beyond reach. But everything changed when the lively Florent Sinama-Pongolle was introduced to the action. Pongolle headed past Hatters 'keeper Marlon Beresford to put Liverpool in front before Alonso sealed the win in style by curling the ball into an empty net from all of 60 yards.
Bellamy scores at the Nou Camp
6. Barcelona 1-2 Liverpool (agg win 2-2)
Champions League second round – February 2007
A fraught build up involving John Arne Riise, Craig Bellamy and a golf club was hardly ideal preparation for a visit to the European champions, and when Deco handed Barcelona an early lead, few gave the Reds any chance in the awe-inspiring Nou Camp. Football's a funny old game, though, and Liverpool went on to complete a remarkable turnaround with goals from, you've guessed it, Riise and Bellamy. Rafa Benitez selected new boy Alvaro Arbeloa out of position to man-mark Argentine wonder-kid Lionel Messi, a tactical masterstroke which helped keep the hosts at bay in the closing stages.
5. Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
Premier League – September 2008
Liverpool fans feared the worst when Carlos Tevez put Alex Ferguson's men in front after three minutes, but supersub Ryan Babel struck the winner at the Kop end 13 minutes from time after a Wes Brown own goal levelled the match in the first half to secure Rafa Benitez's first league victory over Manchester United. Having gone down to a series of unlucky strikes in recent seasons, this win was long overdue and sent the Reds to the top of the Premier League table.
4. Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League – October 2008
Things looked bleak for Rafa's Reds when they went in 2-0 down at half-time but Liverpool fought back for the fourth time in 2008-09 to come away from Eastlands with three points. Fernando Torres scored a brace to pull us level before Dirk Kuyt smashed home the winner from close range in stoppage time to send the travelling Kop wild.
Steven Gerrard fa cup final 2006
3. West Ham United 3-3 Liverpool (1-3 on pens)
FA Cup final – May 2006
After coming back from a goal down on two occasions to secure victory in a nail-baiting penalty shoot-out, this match has gone down in folklore as one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever. The Reds were trailing 3-2 with seconds to go when Steven Gerrard hauled them level with a magnificent 35-yard strike to bring the game into extra-time. Pepe Reina saved three West Ham spot kicks in the shoot-out to secure a seventh FA Cup triumph for Liverpool.
2. Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos
Champions League Group Stage – December 2004
With a win by two clear goals required, Liverpool looked down and out of the Champions League when Rivaldo beat Jerzy Dudek with a curling free-kick in the first half of the last group match in 2004-05. But Steven Gerrard rallied the troops and struck the all-important goal four minutes from time after substitutes Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor found the net. Coming back from behind here set the Reds on course to win Europe's premier competition for the fifth time.
1. AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (2-3 on pens)
Champions League final – May 2005
The most incredible night in the club's history. Liverpool reclaimed their crown as Kings of Europe after miraculously overcoming a 3-0 half-time deficit to defeat AC Milan at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso cancelled out the Rossoneri's three-goal lead and a miraculous save from Jerzy Dudek in extra-time kept the Reds in the match to set up a penalty shoot-out. The Polish stopper was again the hero in the shoot-out and made a decisive save from Andrei Shevchenko to secure a fifth European triumph for Liverpool.
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