This season's UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan is a different challenge by all means, an unusual contest that can hardly be compared to any other high-profile finale. With no shortage of world class talents at both ends, represented in the likes of Steven Gerrard and Kaka, a crunch final is expected in Athens. Even though last season included a dream contest between Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Arsenal's Thierry Henry, this season is different as history has a role to play at the end. The stage is set for a special confrontation between two of the continent's best, but the infamous 2005 final, which Liverpool won in a penalty shootout after a dramatic 3-3 draw, remains at the thoughts of everyone anticipating the game. For sure it evokes memories of a sweet dream for the Reds, a nightmare for the Rossoneri, and a breathtaking thriller for neutrals. THE ISTANBUL EFFECT To be ripped of a three goal cushion inside 45 minutes and then lose the game on penalties could be a sour experience for any team, but in a Champions League final it's a demoralizing end to your season. The remarkable flow of events in Istanbul adds much intensity to the already heated contest, as both teams have an additional motive to the dream of being crowned European champions. Milan tasted the bitterness of their dismal second-half performance in Istanbul, and the players and coach should have learned a tough lesson on how not to give away a lead at such a crucial stage. Not to mention that it is against the same team that has caused the damage, so it adds a vengeance incentive for the Rossoneri. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and his players know a way into breeching the walls of the team that received three goals in 45 minutes from the Milanista, but they also must be careful not concede three in six minutes!
Ancelotti, will he have to pass by the trophy without touching it again? That's why we are expecting a full-90 minutes concentration from a much more experienced Milan side that has played at the top level in almost every competition, in addition to a manager who maintains a habit of reaching the grand finale. The Italian has been present in three of the last five Champions League finals including this one, which is a notable record to his credit. A 3-2 penalty shootout decided Milan's latest two finals, with current Chelsea striker Andrei Shevchenko netting the winner for Ancelotti's team in 2003 against Juventus, and the Ukrainian ironically blasting the decisive penalty in 2005 into Jerzy Dudek's hands to hand the Reds the cup. A RARE REPEAT Liverpool are enjoying an automatic boost after their famous 2005 victory, which concluded the biggest club football prize. As Milan tasted the bitterness of a dramatic defeat, Liverpool should be targeting a Déjà vu to their sweet experience of a hard-fought comeback. The architect of their legendary fight back in 2005, Rafael Benitez, summarized what a repeat to the Istanbul triumph could mean to the Reds. "If we win, people might still be talking about it in a hundred years," Benitez claimed this week. 'Rafa the Gaffer' guided Valencia to the UEFA Cup trophy in 2004, before grabbing the more precious Champions League title a year later with the Reds, so its obvious that the Spaniard shares a similar degree of fortune with his Italian counterpart. Even though the Reds possess a much younger side, their squad boasts a number of world class players capable of withstanding the experienced Rossoneri outfit, with the magnificent Gerrard ready to repeat his heroics in 2005, the likes of Jamie Carragher, John Arne Riise and Xabi Alonso play a significant role. Seeing the same two teams battling in a massive competition final within this short time period is something very rare, it brings memories of the back-to-back Germany vs. Argentina finals of the World
