More than 20 years on, Liverpools famous Champions League comeback over AC Milan remains one of the most stunning finals in modern football history.
But as is often the way in any team sport, the Reds triumph that night was not just the product of those Steven Gerrard-inspired six-minute second-half goalscoring spree, but the end result of a European campaign which repeatedly saw Rafa Benitezs men come back from the brink.
One of the unsung heroes that season was the one-time France international Florent Sinama Pongolle, who missed the final, but had already played his part.
Sinama Pongolloe on his part in Liverpools 2005 Champions League win
When asked by FourFourTwo what the best moment of his five-year Liverpool career was, the 40-year-old replies: Id say Olympiacos in the final match of the 2004-05 Champions League group stage. We needed a big win to stay alive, and at half-time were losing 1-0 after a Rivaldo free-kick. We had to score three goals.
Rafa Benitez came up to me in the dressing room and told me I was going on in the second half. I couldnt believe it. In my 19-year-old mind, I thought, You really think Im going to change the outcome of this match? But even though I hadnt played that much, my team-mates trusted me and made me feel supported. That gave me wings.
Steven Gerrard looked for me, Harry Kewell gave me the ball and I had to live up to the confidence theyd shown in me. And thats what happened my first shot went in, and we came back to win and qualify for the knockout stage.
Despite not featuring in the final, Sinama Pongolle insists he feels like a European champion,
Absolutely, he continues. Without that goal against Olympiacos, who knows what wouldve happened. It was awful watching the first half of the final from the stands. The helplessness was overwhelming. Paolo Maldini scored in the first minute and we went into half-time 30 down.
Everything was going wrong. I didnt even go down to the dressing room that moment was painful because I couldnt help the team in any way.
Did that mean he felt it was impossible for his team-mates to turn the match around?
"Its difficult to explain, but around five minutes before the second half started, the fans began singing Youll Never Walk Alone, he recalls. The noise was deafening. I felt like the supporters not only wanted it they believed it. Gerrard started that incredible fightback by scoring the first goal and within six minutes we were level at 33. It was pure magic.
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