The 2005 Champions League final is one of the greatest football matches in history.

It's a match now known as the 'Miracle of Istanbul', with Liverpool coming from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties.

The Italian side went in at half-time with a three-goal advantage thanks to a strike from Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernan Crespo.

But after the break, a revitalised Liverpool had the scores level by the 59th-minute.

Steven Gerrard got the ball rolling, before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso rippled the back of the net in quick succession to make it 3-3 on the night.

That was far from the end of the drama, though. With just three minutes left in extra-time, Jerzy Dudek pulled off a remarkable double save to thwart Milan goal machine Andriy Shevchenko.

Shevchenko's miss v Liverpool

Then when the game went to penalties, the Liverpool goalkeeper denied the Ukrainian legend from 12 yards, a save that secured a 3-2 shootout victory and the Reds' fifth European Cup.

It really was a night to forget for Shevchenko and in a recent interview, the 44-year-old revealed how severely Milan's collapse in Istanbul impacted him.

“In the following three months, I would wake up screaming during the night,” the former striker told Corriere della Sera Magazine 7, per Football Italia.

“Sometimes I still think about it, many of my teammates never wanted to watch that game again, while I know it by heart. Liverpool had a chance out of 100 and they didn’t give up, credit to them.”

To some players, football really is more than just a sport.

Shevchenko after missing his penalty

But while he was struggling to sleep off the field as a result of the 2005 Champions League final, Shevchenko didn't let the game impact his form on the pitch the following season.

In 2005/06, the current manager of the Ukrainian national team scored 28 goals and contributed 10 assists in his 40 appearances across all competitions for Milan.

At the end of that campaign, Shevchenko completed a big-money transfer to Chelsea, a move that sadly did not pay off.

He did at least find the back of the net against Liverpool in a blue shirt, though, netting twice against the Merseyside club in his three years at Stamford Bridge.

(Credit: The Football Terrace)