Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta would not imagine that his team-mates collapsed towards Liverpool within the 2005 Champions League remaining, regardless of blowing a three-goal lead in simply six minutes.
After Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernan Crespo had put AC Milan 3-0 up within the first half of the ultimate, it seemed inconceivable that the Italian giants would relinquish their grip on one other Champions League crown. Besides they did, with Liverpool preventing again to take the sport to penalties and, in the end, win.
However Costacurta – who spent greater than 20 years at Milan in his enjoying profession, and who spent the complete 2005 remaining as an unused substitute – remains to be filled with reward for the facet that performed in Istanbul towards the Reds.
Milan did not collapse, however they did turn out to be complacent towards Liverpool
I believe the Rossoneri group that performed in Istanbul was the best Milan of all of the finals we performed, alongside the 1989 remaining towards Steaua,” Costacurta tells FourFourTwo. “For 114 minutes we performed a rare, stunning sport, however in [the other] six minutes we have been condemned to a draw after which we misplaced a penalty shootout.
“I perceive that conceding three targets in simply six minutes signifies that in the beginning of the second half, we thought we had already received. Anybody who has performed at a excessive stage is aware of that feeling: once you go 2-0 up, the opponent is in shock and also you assume the sport is over.
“We underestimated Liverpool’s power of character. After they equalised, we created many extra probabilities – I recognize why it’s a speaking level however, once more, it was probably the greatest Milan groups in trendy soccer historical past. The targets from Hernan Crespo and Paolo Maldini are outstanding.”
Costacurta continues, suggesting that complacency crept in and minor particulars within the construct as much as Liverpool’s targets have been the explanation for his or her failure to carry onto the lead, relatively than any actual catastrophe.
“Once you see Liverpool’s targets, Kaka is tying his laces when Steven Gerrard heads residence – that reveals we weren’t 100 per cent centered [in fact, the ball passed Kaka while he adjusted a shinpad and Vladimir Smicer made it 3-2],” he provides.
“However we didn’t collapse. We misplaced focus for six minutes. For the opposite 114, we have been extraordinary. Fortunately, we took revenge two years on in Athens.”
