Looking back at all 6 LFC Champions League wins

No other English club has the European heritage of Liverpool FC. Only AC Milan and Real Madrid have lifted the trophy more times than the Merseyside club. For Reds fans who were around in the 1970s and early 1980s, this was a golden period, and few teams have ever matched this level of performance. There was a significant gap between their fourth and fifth titles, but many fans believe the wait was worth it, given the magic that unfolded in Istanbul in 2005.

1. Rome: the first European Cup – 1976/77

Steve Heighway and a Phil Neal double secured Liverpool's first Champions League win in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. However, the magic of the campaign erupted from the Saint-Étienne game in the second leg of the quarterfinals, when the Reds scored two goals in the last 30 minutes to fire themselves into the semifinals. 

Given that the French team was narrowly defeated in the final the previous year, many Liverpool fans saw this as having one hand on the trophy. The victory in the final against Borussia Mönchengladbach was a seminal moment in the club's history and acted as the springboard for one of the most remarkable runs ever seen in English football.

The European Cup involved many nations and league games. Although the qualification stages of the tournament have since changed, the tournament still comprises the best of the best in Europe and features the finest players on the planet.

2. London: back-to-back success – 1977/78

Liverpool went into the 1977/78 European Cup as favourites. Their inspired performance and their team, which was full of elite talent, meant that few could match them. They walked through Dynamo Dresden and Benfica before a repeat of the final against Borussia Mönchengladbach played out in the semis, and a sole goal from club legend Kenny Dalglish won the game against Brugge.

3. Paris: hat-trick of ‘Big Ears’ – 1980/81

Many Liverpool fans believe Bill Shankly laid the foundations for Bob Paisley to dominate Europe. Paisley is one of a handful of managers who have won the European Cup thrice – completing his hat-trick within five seasons – which is a remarkable achievement. The structure of the competition differed then, and it was a straight knockout competition. Therefore, Liverpool was so dominant that they didn't face anybody who could mount a serious challenge until they encountered Bayern Munich in the semifinal. 

Having squeezed past the German giants on the now-defunct away goal rule, Real Madrid, the biggest of them all, stood in the Reds' way. It was a tight final between two elite European clubs, with an Alan Kennedy goal settling matters in the French capital, sending a whole generation of Reds into ecstasy. 

4. Rome: a return to the Italian capital – 1983/84

An Ian Rush double against Bucharest in the semifinal sent the Reds to an unprecedented fourth final in eight years. Francesco Graziani and Bruno Cotti missed their penalties for Roma against Joe Fagan's men. So it was written, the final chapter of a dominant and unstoppable juggernaut of football – this final trophy set into motion a 20-year drought, with all roads and destinies leading to Istanbul. 

5. Istanbul: one night in Turkey – 2004/05

Steven Gerrard wasn't old enough to remember any of Liverpool's other European triumphs. But the Liverpool-born man almost single-handedly dragged the team to their first European Cup in two decades. It looked as though the game was over before it started, as AC Milan in 2005 was the best team in Europe, on paper. They had Kaka, Shevchenko, Nesta and Pirlo, and were widely considered the finest Italian team of that decade. 

Having barely scraped out of the group stages, few people fancied the Reds to get to the latter stages of the competition. Following Gerrard's miracles against Juventus and "the ghost goal" against Chelsea, the stage was set in Istanbul. Every football fan knows what happened next. Gerrard scored a header, won a penalty, and the nail-biting finale resulted in Liverpool winning the penalty shootout. 

6. Madrid: Wanda Metropolitano – 2019

Although the Reds reached another final after Istanbul, it wouldn't be until 2019 that trophy number six made its way to Anfield. It occurred during a period of dominance for Jurgen Klopp, and the Istanbul-style comeback against Lionel Messi's Barcelona at Anfield was the stuff of necromancy and pure legend. After such an incredible game, Spurs didn't stand a chance and were routinely brushed aside with goals in each half from Mohammad Salah and Divock Origi. 

Written by Alan Spencer