What followed defied logic. If Elvis rose from the grave, brushed off his white suit and announced plans for a world tour we'd still say it wasn't as good a comeback as Liverpool's in Istanbul. Freed by the essentially restored Didi Hamman, Gerrard started to advance. The most important cross of John Arne-Riise's life found the skipper's head. Then Smicer matched his former nemesis thanks to Dida's careless dive. Yes, Smithy, Vlad has now scored a crucial European Cup goal just as you did! The improbable was suddenly possible. By the time Gennaro Gattuso (the biggest culprit when it came to counting chickens at halftime) tripped Gerrard Liverpool were rampant. Gattuso should have seen red. Liverpool's equaliser at the second attempt from Xabi Alonso was an acceptable consolation. But the momentum shifted back to Milan. The Reds looked like they had punched above their weight once too often. The only winner seemed destined to come from a white shirt with Shevchenko and the increasingly confident Dudek engaging in a personal duel. When the Pole made an astonishing double save with two minutes of extra time remaining rumour had it the engraver started with an L on the famous trophy. Penalties were still Liverpool's only hope. The spirit of 1984 was enacted. Dudek was the hero. What's likely to be his final appearance for Liverpool will sit comfortably alongside the images of Bruce Grobbelaar - although the Pole's weren't the only knees wobbling by this stage. All that remained was for Gerrard to grab his prize. The European Cup seemed to radiate a smile which beamed as broad as the skipper's face. The dreams of the captain, the manager, the squad and fans were realised in a way the most elaborate fantasist couldn't have imagined. Finally a new generation of Liverpool fans and players know how it feels to be no games from greatness. And the European Cup is coming home. | 
