Gerrard Magic

GERRARD!!!

Next up Olympiakos. We needed a 1-0 win. But if they scored, we'd have to win by 2 clear goals since the champions league was decided by head to head records. So it'd have to be 3-1 or 4-2.

We start out well, had a goal disallowed for a foul and pressured the greeks until that brazilian mercenary, Rivaldo decides to score off a freekick before the half hour mark. Nunez steps away from his spot in the wall, opening a hole where the ball went through, dumbfounding Kirkland. Halftime score? 0-1 Olympiakos in the lead, well organised. Liverpool? Staring elimination in the face, especially since Monaco were 3 up against Deportivo.

So we needed 3 goals. Cue Florent Sinama-Pongolle. The young frenchman puts one in to level matters. Then Stevie puts one in! 2-1! But its not to be! Disallowed! Another foul. Says the referee who chose not to send off 2 or 3 greeks for multiple yellow card offences. Then Kewell heads straight into the keeper. Agony. It looked all over at that point. 2 more goals needed with ten minutes to go we get a freekick outside the box. Sinama-Pongolle, alert after what looked a blatant penalty, gets a brilliant cross to the far post. Nunez heads it! Brilliant save from Nikopolidis but Mellor gets to it first! 2-1! Can the impossible become possible? Will the tide turn? Minutes to go, ball drops to Steven Gerrard, one red-blooded Liverpudlian, captain of the Reds. It comes at an awkward height... right boot, half-volley, wild swing... its going into the stands... rockets off, stays down... gets past the keeper into a bulging net at the Kop end and the stadium erupts, Liverpool through to the next round.

"Special things happen with special players at special times."