UEFA Champions League: Ranking Liverpool's top 5 group stage games in the last 15 years

Liverpool has handed out a few thrashings in the UCL group stage.
Liverpool has handed out a few thrashings in the UCL group stage.

Liverpool are set to begin their Champions League campaign within the next few days, as an extremely mouth-watering group awaits. The Reds will face off against Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli in one of the best groups of the draw. They haven't had such a competitive group before, as their failures in 2002, 2009 and 2014 suggest. Liverpool has suffered humiliation in the Champions League group stage three times, each of them coming after a season where the Reds finished second.

The group stage is nothing to take lightly, as even the most straightforward of groups may pose a challenge. That is how Liverpool got dumped out by Lyon and Fiorentina in the 2009-10 season. The Reds escaped elimination in 2007-08 with stellar performances in the second half of the group campaign. There have been quite a few memorable group stage games in Liverpool's past, they are likely to add heavily to the list in the next few months.

While the list is not as stacked or diverse as their famous knockout victories in Europe, Liverpool has had their fair share of special nights before qualifying further. There have been historic nights, with records being broken and dreams being revitalised. The first step to success in Europe is progressing to the knockout phase, and that is exactly what Liverpool must be focusing on at the moment. These nights prove that the Reds have done it more often than not.

Here are Liverpool's five greatest group games in the Champions League since the format changed in 2002. But first, here are a couple of honourable mentions.

  • Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto (2007-08)
  • Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow (2017-18)

#5 Maribor 0-7 Liverpool (2017-18)

Liverpool kickstarted their last European campaign with this rout.
Liverpool kickstarted their last European campaign with this rout.

Liverpool did something spectacular last season, as they won 7-0 twice in the Champions League. The only reason why this game is on the list instead of the win against Spartak Moscow is that the Reds broke a record on this night, the biggest away win in Champions League history.

Sandwiched between two crunch games in the Premier League, a goalless draw to United and a heavy defeat to Spurs, Liverpool needed to win this game to get their European campaign going. They had drawn their opening two group games and had some pressure heaped on them.

It didn't show, as the rampant Reds started on the front foot and did not look back even once. Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both got doubles, while Philippe Coutinho also netted in a dominant first half for Liverpool which saw them lead 4-0. The final few minutes saw goals for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his first for the club.

It was a dominant performance which saw all of the Reds' chances turn to goals. This was their first win in the Champions League last season, on their run to the final.

#4 Marseille 0-4 Liverpool (2007-08)

This was the third of three must-win games for the Reds.
This was the third of three must-win games for the Reds.

In 2007-08, Liverpool almost threw away their Champions League status just like that. One point from three games was extremely poor and the Reds needed to win their remaining three games to qualify for the next round. They won their first two from that lot, more on that later, and had to get a victory against Marseille at Stade Velodrome in their final group game.

Liverpool got a dream start as Steven Gerrard earned a third-minute penalty. His spot-kick was saved by Steve Mandanda, but Gerrard slotted in the rebound.

Less than ten minutes later, Fernando Torres scored one of the greatest goals of his Liverpool career as he took on multiple defenders and finished it beautifully. The Reds were cruising.

It got even better in the second half, as the Dutch duo of Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel scored at the start and the end of the half respectively to give Liverpool a dominant 4-0 win and qualification to the knockout stage of the Champions League. They would reach the semi-final that season, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

#3 Liverpool 3-1 PSV Eindhoven (2008-09)

The captain hit his century here.
The captain hit his century here.

This may not seem as significant as some of the others on this list on first viewing, as it was the second group game for both sides. This was the game where Steven Gerrard scored his 100th goal for Liverpool.

The captain slotted in a typical free-kick, just like he always used to. It was a special night for the skipper. It was also a special night for Robbie Keane, who netted his first Liverpool goal after his big money move to Anfield in the summer of 2008. It was a comfortable game for the Reds throughout.

Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring early on and Keane added a second later in the first half. It is unfortunate that the Irishman did not make it at his dream club. The captain joined the century club at the 77th minute of the game before Danny Koevermans grabbed a consolation for the Dutch side.

It turned out to be a pretty significant game because of Gerrard's goal, and Keane's as well. It wasn't as goal-heavy or consequential as the others, but it still holds up as the game where Steven Gerrard got number 100.

#2 Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas (2007-08)

What a scoreline.
What a scoreline.

As mentioned earlier, Liverpool was on the brink of elimination from the 2007-08 Champions League in the group stage and had to win three games in a row. Their first test was at home to Besiktas, a test Liverpool would pass with flying colours. Similar to the Maribor game, everything the Reds touched turned to a goal.

It was just one of those nights for them. Goals from Peter Crouch and Yossi Benayoun gave Liverpool a 2-goal lead at the half-time interval. What happened next blew everybody's minds away. It all started with two quick goals from Benayoun, as he grabbed his hattrick.

Steven Gerrard got a fifth for the Reds before super-sub Ryan Babel came on to cause even more damage to the Turks. A cheeky backheel made it six before luck prevailed, as a defender's clearance bounced off Babel's back and into the net.

The Dutchman would hit the bar from a header shortly after, missing out on a treble from the bench. Liverpool did get the eighth though, as Crouch compounded Besiktas' misery. It was the biggest ever victory in Champions League history, one that was only ever matched once. Real Madrid beat Malmo by that same exact scoreline in 2015-16 and guess who was their manager at the time. Of course, it was Rafa Benitez.

#1 Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos (2004-05)

This was the night that kept the dream alive.
This was the night that kept the dream alive.

Did you honestly think this game was not going to be on top of this list? This one had it all. A condition to qualify, a rocking home stadium, late drama, an iconic goal, and eventual success in the Champions League. Liverpool went into their final game of the 2004-05 Champions League group stage needing to win by two clear goals against Olympiakos.

Their job became tougher when Rivaldo slotted home a free-kick for the Greek outfit. The Reds needed three goals to keep their Champions League hopes, and possibly any future ambition, alive. Had Liverpool crashed out, it would have been hard to see Steven Gerrard staying at Anfield.

Fortunately, Liverpool turned it on in the second half. Unsung substitute heroes Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor scored a goal each to make it 2-1. However, the Reds still required one goal.

And they got it in the most incredible of circumstances, as Gerrard stepped up and volleyed his boyhood club into the knockout stage of the Champions League. It was an essential goal, one which meant so much to every Liverpool fan, specifically Gerrard. He had kept the dream alive, a dream that had been realised the next May. If it wasn't for Olympiakos, we would not have seen an Istanbul in 2005. It will take a mammoth effort to top this as the greatest group game in Liverpool's Champions League history.

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Edited by Sripad