Liverpool in Europe, Part 4.

Back in the Old Routine with Ol' Big Ears ...

It’s another Europe week, and our series on Liverpool’s illustrious record in European football continues with a look at the period 1981 up until 1983, including the 1981 European Cup triumph against Real Madrid in Paris.

After two 1st Round exits, Liverpool would not have anticipated a third after bring drawn against Finnish part-timers Oulo Palloseura. After a scruffy 1-1 away draw on a lottery of a pitch which angered Bob Paisley, Liverpool were ruthless in putting things right in the 2nd leg at Anfield, with a resounding 10-1 victory that more accurately reflected the two clubs’ status, in front of an Anfield crowd of just over 21,000.

It led to a 2nd Round meeting with Scottish champions Aberdeen, under their as-yet un-knighted manager Alex Ferguson. The game in Aberdeen began with an early crowd-quietener from Liverpool, and another in Terry McDermott’s substantial showreel of brilliant goals. This one came at the end of the slickest of interpassing moves and movement off the ball after just 5 minutes. It was to be the night’s only goal, and Ray Clemence was forced into a couple of good saves to preserve the lead.

In the return leg at Anfield Liverpool turned on the afterburners, with some sumptuous football as they swept the Scots team aside 4-0, with three of Liverpool’s own Scots all playing key roles - Souness, Dalglish and Hansen, the latter two both scoring. It was said that that outclassing bordering on humiliation of his side instilled in Ferguson a strong dislike - we’ll put it no more strongly than that - of Liverpool and a thirst to ‘knock them off their perch’ when he later became Manchester United’s manager.

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