Liverpool Lifted their first European Cup in Rome 1977 after they won 3-1 over German giants Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The Final - May 25th 1977
Liverpool 3 Borussia Moenchengladbach 1
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway, McDermott, Callaghan
Goals : McDermott (27), Smith (64), Neal(pen) (82)
Att : 57,000
Unused Subs : Fairclough, McDonnell, Johnson, Waddle, Lindsay
Just days after losing the FA Cup Final the Reds took Rome by storm and won the European cup for the first time. The Reds opened the scoring as Terry McDermott finished off a typically fluent Reds' move. The Reds held the lead till the second half when early after the re-start Allan Simonsen bagged an equaliser.
The 30,000 plus Reds in the crowd though were not to be disappointed as the mighty Reds stormed back. On sixty four minutes Tommy Smith rose in the area to send a Heighway corner into the top corner with a magnificent header. With just eight minutes to go and the Reds well in control Kevin Keegan went on a mazy run towards goal. German centre back Berti Vogts couldn't keep pace and brought Keegan to his knees just inside the area for a blatant penalty. Phil Neal stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home for 3-1.
The Route to the Final
Semi Final 1st Leg - April 6th 1977
FC Zurich 1 Liverpool 3
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway, Fairclough, McDermott
Goals : Neal 2(1 pen)(14, 67), Heighway (48)
Att : 30,500
The Reds pretty much booked their trip to Rome in this first leg. After the trials of St Etienne the round before the Reds were comfortable in this game and managed to bag three away goals in to the bargain. The Reds were simply too good for the Swiss side in this game.
Semi Final 2nd Leg - April 20th 1977
Liverpool 3 FC Zurich 0
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Case, Heighway(Waddle), McDermott, Johnson
Goals : Case 2 (33,79), Keegan (83)
Att 50,611
The hard work was done a fortnight earlier and this really was a formality with the Swiss side offering little resistance. Any slim hopes they had disappeared just over half an hour into the game as Jimmy Case opened the scoring. Although the score stayed at one nil for most of the match it finally tipped to the Reds with two goals in four minutes late on.
Quarter Final 1st Leg - March 2nd 1977
St.Etienne 1 Liverpool 0
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, McDermott, Case, Heighway, Toshack(Smith), Callaghan
Att : 28,000
The French side had lost the previous final and were strongly tipped to go one better in 77 and must have fancied their chances after defeating the Reds with the only goal of the game in the first leg. Without an away goal the odds were slightly against the Reds, especially with the French side looking slick.
Quarter Final 2nd Leg - March 16th 1977
Liverpool 3 St.Etienne 1
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, case, Heighway, Toshack(Fairclough), Callaghan
Goals : Keegan (2), Kennedy (59), Fairclough (84)
Att : 55.043
The greatest ever Reds match? Well you'll find it hard to argue against it. The Reds were a goal down and 'Les Verts' came over in numbers to see their side through to the semi final. Within two minutes Keegan had the Reds ahead with a shot from near the corner flag. The lead sent the crowd mad but it was the French side who got the next goal to silence the Kop for a short while. Ray Kennedy blasted the Reds back into the lead but with the French team having an away goal the Reds were still on their way out. That was until Super Sub David Fairclough was sent into action. A through ball from Kennedy was calmly slotted home to defeat the French. The crowd went mad and the Reds held out for a deserved win.
Round 2 1st Leg - October 20th 1976
Trabzonspor 1 Liverpool 0
Team : Clemence, Smith, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, McDermott, Heighway (Fairclough), Toshack (Johnson), Callaghan
Goals : -
Att : 25,000
This was the first time the Reds had faced Turkish opposition but they played relatively well and a single goal defeat was always going to be hauled back at Anfield in front of the Reds fans. The game itself was nothing special and bar the goal against from the penalty spot this trip went well.
Round 2 2nd Leg - November 3rd 1976
Liverpool 3 Trabzonspor 0
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, McDermott, Heighway, Johnson, Callaghan
Goals : Heighway (8), Johnson (10), Keegan (19)
Att : 42,275
With a single goal deficit from the first leg the Reds burst out the traps and put this game beyond the Turks after just nineteen minutes and coasted the rest of it. Early goals from Heighway and Johnson were then added to by Keegan and the result was never in doubt.
Round 1 1st Leg - September 14th 1976
Liverpool 2 Crusaders 0
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Johnson, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan
Goals : Neal (18 pen), Toshack (64)
Att : 22,442
The champions of Northern Ireland came to Anfield and were eased past in the first leg thanks to a penalty from Phil Neal and a second half goal from John Toshack. The days of a hammering were not quite on the Reds but a comfortable enough performance all the same. Toshacks goal proved to be his last in Europe for the Reds.
Round 1 2nd Leg - September 28th 1976
Crusaders 0 Liverpool 5
Team : Clemence, Neal, Jones, Smith, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, Johnson, Heighway, Case(McDermott), Callaghan
Goals : Keegan(34), Johnson (81, 90), McDermott (84), Heighway (87)
Att : 10,000
The scoreline looks big but it wasn't until the last ten minutes of this game that the Reds really eased clear of the part timers in Northern Ireland. A goal in the first half from Keegan got the Reds on the way and the result was never really in question but late goals suggest an easy victory which this certainly wasn't.
