Momentous comeback of Miracle of Istanbul can never be emulated – Steven Gerrard

It was a moment in time so memorable it has endured over two decades to become the standard reference point for overcoming overwhelming odds in adversity.

‘Miracle of Istanbul’ and ‘Istanbul 2005’ entered the sporting lexicon a long time ago and it is testament to the achievement of Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool team that it remains the go-to recollection when it comes to comebacks.

The facts hardly need repetition: 3-0 down at half-time to a star-studded AC Milan team boasting the likes of Kaka, Hernan Crespo, Andriy Shevchenko, a comeback sparked by Steven Gerrard, Jerzy Dudek’s “save of my life” from Shevchenko in extra-time before more goalkeeping heroics in the penalty shootout.

Gerrard believes it will be a feat which will never be repeated.

“If you look at the recent Champions League winners and how it is moving forward, I don’t think that will be done again because we weren’t in the best top 10 teams in Europe,” he told a special edition of The Reds Roundtable, alongside Benitez and team-mate Sami Hyypia, posted on the club’s YouTube channel.

“If you think about some of the teams we competed against in terms of ability across the squad – compared to Milan, Juventus and I’m not sure how much money Chelsea spent to put that squad together – for Rafa to guide us to win that European Cup is probably one of the best jobs you will see, pound for pound I would say.”

The outcome of the game all hinged on the half-time team-talk Benitez delivered to his shell-shocked players, who returned to the dressing room after what Gerrard described as “the most difficult walk off a pitch”.

But with echoes of You’ll Never Walk Alone being belted out by their unbowed fans, Benitez came up with the tactical plan which would change the course of history.

Sacrificing right-back Steve Finnan for defensive midfielder Dietmar Hamann released Gerrard to attack more and his flicked header nine minutes into the second half was followed by goals from Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso, following up his saved penalty.

“I was taking notes at 2-0 down what I have to say in English and then we conceded the third goal,” said Spaniard Benitez.

“So then I have to think and the first thing is stay calm. After that I have the note, ‘if we score one goal we will be back in the game’.

“The main thing was (have) a plan. If they know that you have a plan they will follow, even if you are wrong, but because we did it so many times they will believe in you.”

Gerrard and Hyypia were impressed by their manager’s calmness amid the chaos.

“I think the belief was quite low when we were walking to the dressing room,” said Hyypia.

“I think many managers would have screamed their lungs out to us, that we were so poor in the first half.”

Gerrard added: “That’s where I saw Rafa’s best performance as a manager in that four or five minutes he spoke for.

“Without that guidance and those instructions and that calmness we don’t go out and change the way we play.

“But we could see behind the mask – ‘Rafa’s seething here. He is not happy with us’.”

Events in Liverpool’s more recent history, namely the 2019 semi-final second-leg comeback from 3-0 down against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona, have drawn comparisons but Gerrard does not think the two equate.

“I think the Barcelona game is close, because obviously they were 3-0 down playing against Messi, (Luis) Suarez. But this is the final, it’s different,” he said.

“It affected so many lives, especially in this city, in the country and beyond.

“Obviously we are all focused on the journey with the current team but to leave that legacy we did is obviously a very proud feeling. I wish I could do it all again.”