What a night. Liverpool European Champions By Gregory Anderson

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What a night. Everything I've believed about football - Steven Everett spoke of it - has been kicked into row Z. Much will be written and spoken about the night Liverpool became football kings of Europe, and rightly so. Milan's first goal was, we must admit, a sickener. A set-piece from the first attack in the first minute. Traore - showing us the skill that scored that Burnley own goal - started as nervous as I expected.

But not even Mike, the train-driving stranger sat beside me, would admit to his mistake.

Except, perhaps, when Milan scored their second goal. A beautiful turn on the half-way line was capped by a delicate run and crisp finish saw Mike sink into his pint. As a neutral who wanted Chelsea to be the English representative I left for the bar. Clearly I hadn't watched Liverpool play Chelsea. Or Juventus. Of course when Crespo dinked the ball over Dudek the match had ended. Milan, the reigning champions, were playing magnificently.

Three goals worthy to win any match. The lads sat in front of the screen began playing pool and no-one complained.

Now I've seen fantastic matches. Boro V Chesterfield '96. Man U V Bayern Munich '99. Wolves V Palace '95. But 3-0 down against Milan was, simply, bollocks. Rhetoric of winning and Liverpool spirit meant nothing in those moments as Mike, scouse train-driver born and bred, readied himself to leave. Passion, or maybe desperation, made Liverpool come out like they did the second half. With Kewell missing every ball now resigned to the bench, Liverpool did something more than football.

Where was their £30m striker when Gerrard headed their first goal? Where was the Brazilian footballer when Smicer slammed home a second? And, surely, it should have been an Italian who smashed through a defiant third.

But here we all were, bloody Liverpool back to 3-3. And so all the hope that comes with being a Wolves fan begin to dangerously build. My heavy cynicism leashed that expectation. Me and Mike dived into an intense conversation about management styles to distract ourselves from the possibility of eleven men winning in such a way. Barely looking at the screen we talked non-stop through the second half, only looking up to see Carragher stretch for another clearance or Gerrard dive for another tackle.

Soon the second half of extra time had started. As a deeply unpatriotic Englishman penalties seemed a welcome relief. Why stress ourselves about what could be when we know we could loose gracefully on penalties? Milan must have misread this script. Stepping up to take the first penalty was John Smith Serginiho, who gladly skied the ball. Smicer satisfyingly lifted home the first. This wasn't a game I understood. When Dudek, all 6' 1", blocked Pirlo's effort, the pub erupted.

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