Three Times LFC Beat the Bookies' Odds and Emerged Victoriou

In the world of football, few victories feel as good as those where everyone has counted your team out. Underdog stories and against the odds winners are beloved by everyone - except maybe fans of the losing favourites. Over the years, Liverpool FC have had many such nights. Some that you might know better than others. But what are the very best stories? 

Well, the 2005 Champions League final comeback against AC Milan will have live longed in the memory of many fans for one. This article will look at that famous night but also several others of recent and former years that were almost as dramatic changes of fortune. These are three of Liverpool Football Club's greatest against the odds wins. 

Of Course That Famous Night in Istanbul is Centrepiece 

Liverpool went into the 2005 Champions League Final as heavy underdogs. The Reds hadn't been in a European final for 20 years, and they were up against one of the most star-studded AC Milan teams of recent years. 

The Milanese had a prime form Ballon d'Or winning Kaka as their centrepiece star, alongside the mercurial Andrea Pirlo, double World Cup winning Cafu and the feared striker Andrey Shevchenko. They were in their second Champions League final in three years. 

The game started out terribly for Rafael Benitez's Reds - with then 36-year-old Paolo Maldini scoring a header from an Andrea Pirlo free kick less then a minute in. It remains the fastest goal in Champions League final history, and Maldini remains the oldest scorer. 

Milan then made it 3-0 before half time with two goals from Argentine Hernan Crespo. During half time, some analysis rated Liverpool's chances of winning at less than 1%. However, you probably know what happened next. 

Perhaps that comeback victory made some bettors a a big win. And, even if not, many fans would feel like visiting an online casino uk players can trust, after such a stroke of luck. Maybe a casino where you can bet on Liverpool as well as play slots, blackjack and other top games. 

Liverpool hit back at 54 minutes with a Steven Gerrard header. Then Smicer scored two minutes later - his final Liverpool appearance by the way - and then Xabi Alonso got the rebound from a saved penalty and bagged it for 3-3. Liverpool went onto win on penalties, in one of the most celebrated upset comeback wins in footballing history. 

The 2000-01 Surprise Cup Treble Would Have Been Long Odds 

Gerard Houllier's 2000 Liverpool team was not expected to do much. The bookies would have had them at long odds to win even one trophy that year, but - remarkably - the Reds went onto win three cup trophies.

That year Liverpool won the UEFA Cup, the League Cup and the FA Cup. On the way they produced a series of dramatic displays, including an epic 5-4 UEFA Cup Final win over Alaves in which they won by a last minute own goal from Alaves Delfi Geli. 

Earlier that year they beat Birmingham on penalties at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (new Wembley was under construction) to secure the League Cup. 

Just four days prior to that dramatic European cup win they had also won the FA Cup by beating Arsenal 2-1 with a Michael Owen brace.

Preseason odds considered Liverpool a strong team but far from title or cup contenders. A longshot accumulator on a treble cup winning season would have offered a significant payday for anyone who correctly predicted it. 

The 1986 Surprise Double Trophy Over the Blues 

Although those big European nights are certainly special for Liverpool fans, they are some of the few victories that live longer in the memory than a cup winning performance over Everton. 

Although historically the dominant Liverpool team in the last forty years, in the late 1980s the Blue half of Merseyside football were the ones on top. In 1986, many expected the School of Science Everton team to repeat their feats from 1985. 

However, it was the Reds that stole the show away from the Toffees with a surprise League victory on the very final day. A week later they faced their cross-town rivals in the FA Cup final. Despite Gary Lineker putting Everton 1-0 up and then holding onto that lead until half time, Liverpool pulled out a historic second half display to turn around a 3-1 victory after two goals from Ian Rush and one from Craig Johnston. 

The two Mersey clubs were considered the best in the League before the season began so the odds difference would not have been huge. 

The Merseyside rivals faced each other three years later in a dramatic final where Liverpool were victorious again. Everton won the trophy in 1995 and returned to the final in 2009 in which they lost to Chelsea. Meanwhile Liverpool went on to win the FA cup a further five times since the 1986 win that clinched the double - in 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006 and 2022 - for a total of eight victories.