TV review: Documentary on Liverpool's Istanbul miracle almost too good to be true
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy in Istanbul, May 25, 2005
(Netflix) is a look back at Liverpool FC’s insane come-back in the 2005 Champion’s League Final, through the eyes of a few players and manager, Rafa Benitez.
It’s roller-coaster stuff. 2005 and Liverpool are faded giants without a top-drawer trophy since 1990. Their two world class players — Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen — become one world class player when Owen moves to Real Madrid shortly after Benitez arrives. They are rubbish in the league and only qualify for the knockout stages of the European Champions League with a late goal from Steven Gerrard. They improve, go to the final against AC Milan in Istanbul, bring half of Liverpool with them, find themselves 3-0 down at half time, score three without reply in the the second half and win the trophy on penalties.
Throw in a redemption story for error-prone goalie Jerzy Dudek and this is pure feel-good telly, and I say that as a Man United fan. But this goes beyond plot. Because the characters are gripping. Midfielder Didi Hamman is one of the funniest people on TV, without really trying. Steven Gerrard is compelling, fuelled by cranky ambition. Jamie Carragher sounds like he is going to cry, but that might just be his accent. Bit part defender, Djimi Traoré, is endearing, describing how he was subbed off at half-time in the final, only to be recalled from his early shower because another defender was injured.
Goalkeeper Dudek looks like he remains haunted by every mistake he made in his career, so to rewatch him saving a few penalties in the final is as rousing as the end of Free Willy.
And then there’s the manager Rafa Benitez, a cold tactician who seemed to upset everyone he met at Liverpool, a very emotional football club. He’s hard to like, but you can’t look away. We get a lot of his back story, how he liked to play a board game called Stratego when he was young. This is compared to Gerrard, who describes coming home with bleeding knees after playing soccer with his friends.
But Benitez, the details man, had done his homework and was able to tell Dudek where Milan’s star-striker Shevchenko was likely to place the decisive penalty kick. Dudek saved and we have our Free Willy moment.
Brains and brawn come together for a madcap night in Istanbul. It’s an incredibly satisfying story. Give it a a watch.
