Do you still remeber the Classic Uefa Cup Final
Liverpool Vs. Alaves, Uefa Cup Final 2001
Scorers:
Liverpool – Markus Babbel 4′
Liverpool – Steven Gerrard 13′
Alaves – Ivan Alonso 27′
Liverpool – Gary McAllister 41′ (pen.)
Alaves – Javi Moreno 48′
Alaves – Javi Moreno 51′
Liverpool – Robbie Fowler 73′
Alaves – Jordi Cruyff 89′
Liverpool – Delfi Geli 26′ (own goal)
An own goal by Delfi Geli 26 minutes into Golden Goal extra time gave Liverpool an incredible 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alaves on Wednesday.
A Gary McAllister free kick skidded off the head of Geli to settle one of the greatest Eruopean finals ever played.
Gary McAllister was left “numb” after Liverpool scored a Golden-Goal winner 26 minutes into extra time to give them an amazing 5-4 UEFA Cup final victory over Alaves on Wednesy.
“All credit to Alaves,” said McAllister, who scored a 41st minute penalty to help Liverpool to an astonishing treble. “It was incredible really.”
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said: “It was a thriller. I am so happy and proud for the team. It is an historic night.”
Jordi Cruyff scored an 89th minute header for Alaves to make it 4-4 with Liverpool after 90 minutes of an amazing UEFA Cup final on Wednesday.
After the highest-scoring one-off European final since 1962, the teams will now contest sudden-death “golden goal” extra-time.
Liverpool made a dream start to the UEFA Cup final against Alaves on Wednesday, as a Markus Babbel header gave them a 1-0 lead after just four minutes.
Emile Heskey, chasing on to a Sami Hyypia clearance, won a freekick to the right of the area and Gary McAllister floated in the freekick for the German defender to nod in comfortably.
It was a sixth goal of the season for Babbel but his first in Liverpool’s run to the UEFA Cup.
Liverpool, chasing their third trophy of the season, made a more relaxed start against an Alaves side playing their first European final.
The Spanish side were struggling to keep hold of the ball early on.
The inclusion of the 36-year-old Scot McAllister in place of Vladimir Smicer was the only change to the Liverpool team from Saturday’s FA Cup final win over Arsenal.
LIVERPOOL MAKE IT TWO
As the game wore on Alaves began to look more comfortable.
Oscar Tellez cracked in a freekick that Sander Westerveld did well to turn round the post on 13 minutes.
Jordi Cruyff, formerly of Manchester United, appeared to have set Delfi Geli clear down the left two minutes later but the former Atletico Madrid midfielder was ruled offside.
Just when it looked like Alaves were gaining a foothold, Liverpool made it 2-0.
Michael Owen received a pass from Dietmar Hamann with his back to goal and held up the ball before slipping a pass into the path of Steven Gerrard on the right.
The England international midfielder swept his shot past Martin Herrera to give Liverpool a stunning start.
ALAVES SCORE
Alaves reacted by sending on Ivan Alonso in place of Dan Eggen, a forward for a defender, and the tactic paid dividends in the 27th minute as Alaves made it 2-1.
Romanian international fullback Cosmin Contra, venturing forward for the first time, got the better of Danny Murphy and crossed to the far post where Alonso headed past Westerveld.
McAllister had earlier tried to set Owen clear on goal with a long pass only for Antonio Karmona to cut out the danger.
Alaves had their tails up after the goal and started pressing the Liverpool defence back.
On 32 minutes another Contra cross was missed by the Liverpool defence and only a last-gasp covering tackle from Babbel prevented Javi Moreno getting a clear shot on goal.
From the resulting corner Westerveld had to be alert again to save a piledriver from Tellez with his chest.
MCALLISTER CONVERTS PENALTY
And Moreno gave the English side a real let-off on 36 minutes as he raced clear on goal only to shoot straight at Liverpool’s Dutch keeper.
But against the run of play, Liverpool made it 3-1 just before halftime.
Owen, running on to a long ball from midfield, turned past Herrera on the right edge of the box and as he cut back inside the keeper was adjudged to have brought him down.
Herrera was booked and McAllister stepped up to crack in the spot kick low to the keeper’s left and inside the post.
The score stayed 3-1 as the referee blew his whistle to bring to an end one of the most entertaining first halves of a European final in recent memory.
MORENO STRIKES FOR ALAVES
Alaves made their second substitution at the start of the second half and it was another forward, the Brazilian Magno, who came on for midfielder Martin Astudillo.
It was Liverpool who had the first chance after the break, as Emile Heskey raced on to a Hamann through ball on 47 minutes only to shoot weakly at the keeper.
A minute later, Alaves reduced the arrears. Contra, enjoying himself on the right, turned Jamie Carragher and crossed for Moreno to atone for his earlier miss and make it 3-2 with a fine header.
MORENO EQUALISES
Incredibly, Alaves were level at 3-3 on 51 minutes with Moreno’s second of the night.
Alonso, who had caused the Liverpool defence all sorts of trouble since coming on with his team 2-0 down, won a free kick five metres outside the Liverpool area.
Moreno stepped up and sent his shot under the wall and in at Westerveld’s left-hand post.
The stage was set for a fantastic final 40 minutes as Alaves were on fire and Liverpool badly shaken.
FOWLER PUTS LIVERPOOL AHEAD
With Gerrard playing as a right-back, Liverpool regained their composure and started to regain their confidence after the two-goal shock.
On 64 minutes Houllier sent on Robbie Fowler for Heskey, bringing a roar from the Liverpool fans who had been silenced in the second period.
And it was Fowler who put Liverpool in front again on 73 minutes as he took a pass from McAllister on the edge of the area and seemed to stumble slightly before slotting past Herrera to make it 4-3.
JORDI LEVELS FOR ALAVES
There was to be yet another twist to a scarcely credible game on 89 minutes.
Alaves won a corner on the right and as it was swung in Jordi Cruyff rose above the defence to level the scores and raise the prospect of a golden goal period of extra-time.
McAllister gets start
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier brought in experienced midfielder Gary McAllister to his starting lineup for the UEFA Cup final against Alaves on Wednesday.
The inclusion of the 36-year-old Scot McAllister in place of Vladimir Smicer was the only change to the Liverpool team from Saturday’s FA Cup final win over Arsenal.
Robbie Fowler, who was very unhappy to be on the bench for the Cardiff final and came on for the last 13 minutes, was once again left out of Houllier’s initial team.
Michael Owen, who has scored eight goals in his last four games, was picked to lead the attack with Emile Heskey.
The other substitute used on Saturday, Smicer’s Czech Republic team mate Patrik Berger, was also on the bench.
The Liverpool starting line-up included two German players in Markus Babbel and Dietmar Hamann.
Fit-again England midfielder Nick Barmby, who last played against Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup semifinal on April 8, was included among the substitutes for Liverpool.
The others were goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad and defenders Gregory Vignal and Stephen Wright.
Alaves coach Jose Manuel Esnal, nickname Mane, opted to play his strongest defensive line-up of Cosmin Conta, Dan Eggen, Antonio Karmona and Oscar Tellez, complemented by Delfi Geli, who has also been used as a defender this year.
Martin Astudillo and Jordi Cruyff were picked to play behind lone front man Javi Moreno, who has notched 21 league goals this term.
Magno Mocelin and Ivan Alonso were named as the substitute strikers, with Croatian Jurica Vucko missing out on a place in the squad.
The other substitutes were goalkeeper Kike Burgos, midfielders Ibon Begona, Pablo and Jorge Azkoitia and defender Hermes Desio.
Lineups
Liverpool: 1-Sander Westerveld; 23-Jamie Carragher, 2-Stephane Henchoz (7-Vladimir Smicer 56), 12-Sami Hyypia, 6-Markus Babbel; 17-Steven Gerrard, 21-Gary McAllister, 16-Dietmar Hamann, 13-Danny Murphy; 8-Emile Heskey (9-Robbie Fowler 65), 10-Michael Owen (15-Patrik Berger 79)
Alaves: 1-Martin Herrera; 2-Cosmin Contra, 5-Antonio Karmona, 6-Oscar Tellez, 4-Dan Eggen (19-Ivan Alonso 23), 7-Delfi Geli; 14-Jordi Cruyff, 15-Ivan Tomic, 16-Hermes Desio, 18-Martin Astudillo (11-Magno Mocelin 46) 9-Javi Moreno (10-Pablo 65)
Referee: Gilles Veissiere (France)
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