Liverpool host Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, the first meeting between the teams in almost two decades.
The Reds have faced Leverkusen in two ties previously in the Champions League, eliminating the Germans on route to the trophy in 2005, after a quarter-final exit three years earlier.
The first of those encounters saw Leverkusen emerge as the surprise package of the competition, as Klaus Toppmöller’s side beat Liverpool and Manchester United en route to a runners-up finish.
Leverkusen overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate in a quarter-final thriller, with Michael Ballack (2) and Dimitar Berbatov on target for the hosts. Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool were six minutes from a semi-final place until Lucio’s late goal sent Leverkusen through.
We’ve remembered the Reds XI who bowed out at the BayArena.
Remembering the Liverpool XI knocked out of the Champions League by Bayer Leverkusen in 2002
Goalkeeper: Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek arrived from Feyenoord the previous summer, tasked with replacing Sander Westerveld. The Poland international led the Premier League for clean sheets in his debut campaign but shipped four goals during Liverpool’s European exit.
He later had a crucial role in the club’s 2005 Champions League success. Dudek made a stunning double-save from Andriy Shevchenko in Istanbul, before emerging as the hero of the shootout success against AC Milan.
🤯🤯🤯 Jerzy Dudek double save #OTD in 2005!#UCL | #OnThisDay | @LFC pic.twitter.com/d51h7jyjts
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 25, 2020
Right-back: Abel Xavier
Recruited in the January transfer window, Xavier crossed the Merseyside divide to sign from Everton as cover for Markus Babbel’s absence through illness. After scoring on his debut, he netted again during the defeat at Leverkusen. However, Xavier’s first-half equaliser was not enough to keep Liverpool in Europe.
Centre-back: Sami Hyypia
One of just four players to have represented both clubs. Sami Hyypia might just be Liverpool’s best pound-for-pound signing of the Premier League era after a decade of service following his £2.8m arrival from Willem II.
464 appearances and 10 trophies later, the Finn finished his career with a two-season spell at Leverkusen. He later managed the German side between 2012 and 2014.
Hyypia’s goal had given a Liverpool a 1-0 lead to protect from the first leg.
Centre-back: Stephane Henchoz
Stephane Henchoz formed one half of a centre-back partnership that brought success to Liverpool under Gerard Houllier. The Swiss centre-back was key to Houllier’s pragmatic side, featuring prominently during their 2000/01 UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble-winning season.
Left-back: Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher spent much of his early career with Liverpool filling needs across the backline, before settling in a centre-back role following the arrival of Rafael Benitez.
Only Ian Callaghan has ever made more Liverpool appearances than Carragher, who represented the Reds 737 times during a one-club career.
Midfield: Dietmar Hamann
Hamann’s return to Germany ended in defeat as Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League at Leverkusen. The former Bayern Munich midfielder spent the bulk of his career with Liverpool and was instrumental in their Champions League success in 2005. Off the bench at half-time, he helped Liverpool recover from three goals down to beat AC Milan in Istanbul.
Midfield: Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard was beginning to stamp his mark on the Liverpool side in the early 2000s, having won the PFA Young Player of the Year award after cup treble success in 2000/01. The following campaign was his first in the Champions League and he opened his account in the competition at Dynamo Kyiv in the group stage.
Three seasons later, he was named Man of the Match in the 2005 final win over AC Milan. His performances earned Gerrard the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
Dynamo Kiev ’01 ⏩ Basel ’14
All 21 of Steven Gerrard’s Champions League goals! 👏
But records are there to be broken…#UCL pic.twitter.com/N8EZt0m8Dl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 25, 2020
Right-midfield: Danny Murphy
A cult hero at Liverpool, Danny Murphy’s knack for scoring goals against Manchester United saw him celebrated at Anfield. Murphy made 249 appearances after joining the Reds from Crewe, though he was a surprise sale after the appointment of Rafael Benitez in 2004.
Left-midfield: John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise arrived to bolster the Liverpool squad the previous summer and impressed both at left-back and left-midfield in his debut campaign.
The flame-haired Norwegian was a regular scorer of spectacular goals, with his thunderous strikes still remembered fondly on Merseyside.
Golazo Merchants: John Arne Riise and a thunderous left foot
Forward: Emile Heskey
Emile Heskey was Gerard Houllier’s preferred focal point in attack and scored 22 goals in all competitions during the club’s cup treble a season earlier. The goals failed to flow as freely in the following seasons, though Heskey had a big contribution in their run to the Champions League quarter-finals.
He scored crucial goals against Galatasaray and Roma in the second group stage as the Reds progressed out of a tough draw.
Remembering Gerard Houllier’s emotional Roma return, from #OnThisDay in 2002 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mBLAdna6OF
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 19, 2023
Forward: Michael Owen
Michael Owen was the reigning Ballon d’Or winner during the 2001/02 season and scored 28 times in all competitions during the campaign.
However, Liverpool’s leading scorer was guilty of some glaring misses at the BayArena, as the Reds bowed out of Europe. Owen scored 158 goals for Liverpool in all competitions and won two Premier League Golden Boots before leaving for Real Madrid in 2004.
Happy birthday, Michael Owen! 🥳@themichaelowen || #HBD || #UCL pic.twitter.com/ag0FLM0nJn
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 14, 2022
Iconic Duos: Heskey and Owen – Liverpool’s ‘big man, small man’ combo that inspired a cup treble
Substitute: Vladimir Smicer
Vladimir Smicer came off the bench in Leverkusen but was unable to turn the tide. The Czech midfielder spent six seasons with the Reds after arriving from Lens, with his most memorable contribution perhaps his last. A long-range goal in the 2005 Champions League final helped Liverpool turn around the decider against Milan.
Substitute: Patrik Berger
Another creative Czech midfielder, Liverpool snapped up Patrik Berger from Borussia Dortmund after his impressive performances for the national team at Euro 1996.
Berger produced some brilliant moments in a red shirt, though his latter time with the club was riddled with fitness issues. He later had spells with Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Stoke.
Substitute: Jari Litmanen
Jari Litmanen’s best was behind him by the time he arrived at Liverpool, though the forward played his part in the Reds’ Champions League run.
Big goals against Dynamo Kyiv and Roma helped Houllier’s side progress to the last eight, while his brilliant goal off the bench looked to have booked a semi-final place in Leverkusen. However, Lucio’s late effort broke Liverpool’s hearts at the BayArena.
Read – Midfield Magicians: Xabi Alonso, the grand master of 4D chess
See more – Defensive Rocks: Sami Hyypia – A Finnish man mountain
