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"Better than Istanbul" - Steve McManaman on Liverpool's 'Remontada'

Steve McManaman believes Liverpool's Champions League comeback against Barcelona tops Istanbul. T...



Soccer

"Better than Istanbul" - Steve McManaman on Liverpool's 'Remontada'

Steve McManaman believes Liverpool's Champions League comeback against Barcelona tops Istanbul.

The Reds beat Barca 4-0 at Anfield to turn a 3-0 first leg deficit around. That takes them into a second successive Champions League final.

Fourteen years ago, they staged a different kind of comeback by coming back from 3-0 down at half-time to beat AC Milan in Istanbul in the 2005 final.

While the comebacks are different in terms of the timescale it took to achieve them, the fact that last night took place at Anfield elevates it for ex-Liverpool winger McManaman.

He joined Nathan Murphy and Kenny Cunningham on the Newsround a week on from his Off The Ball Aviva special appearance.

"I know people are saying what was better between that game and the 45 minutes in Istanbul. But I think it was yesterday," he said.

One-Sided

"Firstly because it was at Anfield, it was special. I think they rode their luck a lot of the time in Istanbul. [AC Milan] missed all kinds of chances and Jerzy Dudek had to make all kinds of fantastic saves. Last night was very, very one-sided. That's why I thought it was even better.

"And coupled with the fact that [Barcelona] have probably got the best player in the history of football. When you've got [Messi] on your side as well and the fact that he could score a goal at any time of the game, I thought yesterday's game was the best - the one you'll talk about in the annals of a wonderful Anfield history. I think this is the game that everyone will talk about."


He also felt Liverpool's intensity won them the day over a Barca team ill-equipped to deal with it.

"The energy levels from the Liverpool team I thought was exceptional," he said.

"You can as we know by watching the Spanish teams, you can run all over the Spanish teams. They're just not used to it.

Watch the full chat on the Newsround YouTube video.


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Barcelona Champions League Liverpool Off The Ball Steve McManaman