Liverpool's European Cup Victories - Ranked

Only five clubs are allowed to keep the European Cup trophy permanently, an honour given to only the most regular winners of the competition.


Those five teams come from five different nations, with the English representative among that quintet being Liverpool.


The Reds have won the European Cup - or Champions League for us modern folk - six times, and were the defending champions this season; a title stripped from them by Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid before the enforced coronavirus break.


With rich tradition in the competition, you often wonder - especially if you're a Liverpool fan - which one of those successes was the most impressive. Well, wonder no more, as 90min take on the unenviable task of transcending eras - ranking each moment of glory by how bloomin' good it was.



6. 1977/78


Liverpool came into the campaign as defending champions, but unlike this season, they managed to regain their title of the year before.


The Reds were rewarded for their 1976/77 title with a bye into the second round, where they would pit their wits against East Germany's Dynamo Dresden. A 5-1 home win was more than enough to ensure a comfortable aggregate victory, booking a date with Benfica.


After dispatching the Portuguese giants will relative ease, a clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach awaited Bob Paisley's side. Despite slipping to defeat in the first leg, Liverpool came good to batter their German foes, sealing a spot in a Wembley final.


There, they faced Club Brugge - earning victory thanks to Kenny Dalglish's strike in front of 90,000 spectators.



5. 1976/77


We go back a season here and look at Liverpool's first ever European Cup success, a campaign where Bayern Munich - who had won the last three tournaments - were red hot favourites.


The Reds were handed a fairly easy first round tie, seeing off Crusaders of Northern Ireland 7-0. They faced Trabzonspor next, overcoming defeat in the first leg to book a tricky last eight clash with Saint-Étienne.


David Fairclough's goal was enough to book a clash with surprise semi-finalists Zurich, while Bayern crashed out to Dynamo Kyiv. A 6-1 aggregate spanking of the Swiss booked Liverpool a date with Mönchengladbach; a game they would win 3-1 to lift their maiden European crown.



4. 1980/81


Bob Paisley won his third and final European Cup with Liverpool in 1980, but it all kicked off with a dream first round tie with Finnish minnows OPS. Astonishingly, the first game ended all-square in Finland, before a 10-1 demolition job at Anfield swiftly put things right.


Aberdeen and CSKA Sofia - seen off by a Graeme Souness hat-trick - took the Reds through to the semi finals, alongside three top European sides - Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter.


It was Bayern who Liverpool would face, and after a 0-0 draw at Anfield, the Reds would earn a score draw in Munich to take their place in the final. Real Madrid were the opponents downed on this occasion, thanks to Alan Kennedy's late goal.



3. 1983/84


Liverpool entered the 1983/84 season under the guidance of new manager Joe Fagan, but it didn't take long for old habits to kick in.


After easing past Odense, Ian Rush saw off Athletic Club - as well as Benfica - to book a physical and ill-tempered semi-final with Dinamo Bucaresti.


The Romanians were dispatched in difficult circumstances, setting up a date with Roma - who were later accused of bribing the referee in their semi final clash with Dundee United - in Italy's capital city.


Despite enjoying home advantage, the Italians were unable to seize the initiative and the Reds prevailed on penalties after a 1-1 draw - sealing a famous treble after First Division and League Cup success.



2. 2018/19


Attempting to right the wrongs of the 'Loris Karius final' the previous season, Liverpool lost to group winners PSG and Napoli in the group stages, scraping through in second place.


Nothing could separate Liverpool and the mighty Bayern Munich in their last 16 clash at Anfield, but a stirring two-goal display from Sadio Mané at the Allianz waved goodbye to Manuel Neuer and co.


Liverpool were on a roll, and swiftly dispatched Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final. Ajax or Tottenham Hotspur would have been kinder draws, but it was Barcelona who awaited Klopp's boys. After the first leg, the tie looked to be over; the Catalans emerging 3-0 winners.


No Roberto Firmino and no Mohamed Salah proved to be no problem, however, as Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum doubles inspired a stirring comeback - as well as Darren Fletcher's "corner taken quickly" commentary - and dumped Barcelona out 4-3 on aggregate.


The final itself was a tame affair, as Liverpool ousted Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid - an unspectacular end to a very spectacular campaign.



1. 2004/05


AC Milan v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final

Liverpool came into the 2004/05 Champions League season as the fourth best team in England and the 22nd seeds.


They entered the competition at the third qualifying round, squeezing past Austrian minnows GAK before a better head-to-head record with Olympiacos enabled progression from the group stage.


Two 3-1 wins over Bayer Leverkusen booked Liverpool through a date with Juventus, conquerors of Real Madrid in the previous round. I Bianconeri were seen off narrowly, before Luis Garcia's 'ghost' goal against Chelsea saw the Reds prevail in an all-English semi-final.


In the final, Liverpool faced AC Milan - and unthinkably found themselves 3-0 down at half-time thanks to Paolo Maldini's first minute strike and Hernan Crespo's brace.


UEFA Champions League Final - AC Milan v Liverpool

BUT, Liverpool were not done - cue Clive Tyldesley's "Hello, hello, here we go!" rattling around the brain box - as Steven Gerrard and Vladimir Smicer struck within two minutes of one another. Amazingly, Xabi Alonso brought the Reds level on the hour mark, completing the mother of all comebacks.


Andriy Shevchenko's point blank miss - or Jerzy Dudek's incredible save, whichever way you want to look at it - ensured extra time would lead to penalties......and we all know what happened next.




Source : 90min