Liverpool in Europe, Part 8

From Istanbul to the Present - including Athens, Basel, Kyiv, Madrid and Paris.

This period saw Liverpool reach five major European finals, but only win one of them. There were also successes in 2019 in the European Super Cup against Chelsea in Qatar, and in the Club World Cup with wins over Monterey and Flamengo.

Our defence of the trophy won so unforgettably in Istanbul was rather unspectacular - although how could anything match the absurd drama of May 25th 2005? It lasted only until the second knockout round, with defeat home and away by Benfica bringing the insane ride to an end. Although Liverpool still did not have a strong enough team to be title-challengers domestically - it would be a couple of years before a team powered by Torres and Gerrard would do that - but Europe was a different matter, where Rafa Benitez’s tactical nous and thorough preparation ensured Liverpool punched above their weight.

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