Liverpool’s start to life under Arne Slot has been incredible, securing the Premier League title in his first season. But despite a rich history in the Champions League, their 2024/25 campaign came to an abrupt end in the last 16.
More memories will be sure to come under Slot, but they will have to wait until the new season for their next great European night.
Indeed, Liverpool have enjoyed plenty of great Champions League and Europa League nights over the years – here are some of the very best…
The 15 best Champions League/European Cup finals – ranked
Ahead of the Champions League final, here are the best showdowns of years gone by.
ByPatric Ridge
Year
Competition
Score in final
2019
Champions League
Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
2005
Champions League
Liverpool 3-3 Milan (3-2 on penalties)
2001
UEFA Cup
Liverpool 5-4 Alaves
1984
European Cup
Liverpool 1-1 AS Roma (4-2 on penalties)
1981
European Cup
Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
1978
European Cup
Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge
1977
European Cup
Liverpool 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1976
UEFA Cup
Liverpool 4-3 Club Brugge (on aggregate)
1973
UEFA Cup
Liverpool 3-2 Borussia Monchengladbach (on aggregate)
9 Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos Champions League group stage, 2004/05
Heading into this crucial game at Anfield in December 2004, Liverpool needed to win by two goals to progress to the next stage of the competition. When Rivaldo scored from a free kick for Greek giants Olympiacos, they needed three goals.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor scored to make it 2-1, but the drama wasn’t over yet. The latter youngster teed up Steven Gerrard to unleash a stunning effort into the net which sent the Anfield side through. We all know what happened next… what a hit, son.
8 Barcelona 1-2 Liverpool Champions League last-16 first leg, 2006/07
Barcelona were heavy favourites ahead of their last-16 first-leg clash in 2007, but Liverpool stunned the home crowd with a 2-1 victory.
Deco headed the La Liga side in front after just 14 minutes, and it looked like it would be a long night for the Reds. However, Rafa Benitez’s men dug in, with Craig Bellamy scoring the equaliser just before half-time. He celebrated it with a golf swing due to an alleged training camp fight between him and John Arne Riise.
In the second half, Riise got on the scoresheet himself, scoring the winner. Liverpool reached the final that season but were defeated by Milan in Athens.
7 Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City Champions League quarter-final first leg, 2017/18
Ahead of the first leg against Premier League rivals Manchester City, Jürgen Klopp’s men were the underdogs despite defeating City 4-3 a few months prior.
Pep Guardiola was shocked after a three-goal blitz by the Reds during the opening 31 minutes. Mohamed Salah scored after 12 minutes, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doubled the advantage with an excellent effort from 20 yards.
Salah then delivered a cross into the box which was met by Sadio Mané, who added Liverpool’s third before the break. The game finished 3-0 and the Reds won the second leg 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
6 Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund Europa League quarter-final second leg, 2015/16
The first leg between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund finished 1-1 in Germany, setting up the second leg nicely at Anfield. It was to be a game which wouldn’t disappoint.
Jurgen Klopp’s former employers raced into a 2-0 lead, and while Divock Origi reduced the deficit, Marco Reus soon scored for Dortmund to make it 3-1, with the Reds needing three goals in 25 minutes to go through.
Philippe Coutinho and Mamadou Sahko made it 3-3 on the night, setting up a thrilling finish. In stoppage time, Dejan Lovren rose highest to head in the winner in front of a boisterous Kop, sending Klopp’s side into the last four on one of Anfield’s finest European nights.
5 Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea Champions League semi-final second leg, 2004/05
After a 0-0 draw in the first leg against Chelsea, José Mourinho was aiming to lead a team to the Champions League final for the second year in a row.
On a tense evening at Anfield, Luis Garcia put the Reds ahead after just four minutes, although there were plenty of claims regarding whether the ball had crossed the line.
Chelsea knew a goal would send them through on away goals, but they couldn’t cut through a resolute Liverpool defence as the club reached their first European Cup final in 20 years.
The 10 best clashes between Liverpool and Chelsea
Liverpool and Chelsea usually serve up a treat, so here’s a look at their best clashes.
ByBarney Lane 4 Liverpool 5-4 Alaves UEFA Cup final, 2000/01
With a stunning cup treble on the line, Liverpool scored three times in the opening 40 minutes, yet they were pegged back several times, and by the 50th minute, the score was 3-3 as Alaves were giving everything they had.
Robbie Fowler looked like he had scored the winner with 20 minutes left, but Jordi Cruyff scored a late equaliser, sending the tie to extra-time.
A (golden) own goal by Geli with four minutes of the extra-time period remaining gave Liverpool the trophy, their first in Europe since 1984.
3 Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid Champions League last-16 second leg, 2008/09
One of Liverpool’s finest European nights at Anfield saw them eliminate Real Madrid in the last 16 with a 5-0 aggregate victory.
Fernando Torres was devastating, scoring the opener before Steven Gerrard netted twice to put the Reds three goals up on the night.
A fourth was added late on as Liverpool sent shockwaves through the continent with this result, although they would lose to Chelsea in the next round.
2 Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona Champions League semi-final second leg, 2018/19
Ten years after their win over Real, Barcelona were the ones to suffer a 4-0 loss at Anfield. Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, no one gave the Reds much of a chance.
Divock Origi gave Liverpool a deserved lead after seven minutes, yet it wasn’t until Georginio Wijnaldum scored two quick-fire goals at the start of the second half that the fans started dreaming.
Trent Alexander-Arnold took a quick corner which caught the defence napping to gift Origi his second and send the club through to the final, which they won against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.
1 Milan 3-3 Liverpool Champions League final, 2004/05
The greatest European night in Liverpool’s history and perhaps even the finest comeback in the competition came as the Anfield side won their fifth continental title.
Benitez’s men were trailing 3-0 at half-time, but a rousing speech by Gerrard gave them some hope. Indeed, the captain scored a header early in the second half, before Vladimir Smicer scored from 25 yards to reduce the deficit to one.
When Xabi Alonso slotted home a rebound from a penalty, it was destined to be Liverpool’s cup. Jerzy Dudek made an incredible stop to deny Andriy Shevchenko in extra time before the Polish goalkeeper saved the Ukrainian’s penalty in the shootout to secure the trophy for his team.
