What Carlo Ancelotti told AC Milan players at half-time of Champions League final against Liverpool

Liverpool and AC Milan will always be inextricably linked by the 2005 Champions League final, so it's only natural to reminisce about that remarkable match whenever the two teams face each other.

The Reds are currently in Milan for their opening Champions League game of the season as the two sides do battle for the fifth time in their history.

The 2005 final was actually the first time Liverpool and Milan ever played each other, which is remarkable given how successful both teams had been throughout the history of the European Cup.

Milan went into the final as firm favourites given the talent in its squad, with the likes of Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko lining up in Istanbul.

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Milan dazzled and took a three-goal lead in the first half through an early Maldini strike and a brace from Hernan Crespo, and Shevchenko revealed last year exactly what boss Carlo Ancelotti said in the dressing room at the interval.

“His instruction was that we carry on playing in the same way," Shevchenko told CBS Sports. “There was a good atmosphere inside [the dressing room]. There was nobody getting excited. We knew we were facing a very good team and we knew the quality of this team.

“English teams always believe and we respect that a lot, because every time you play against a team from England, especially Liverpool, you know at any moment if you lose attention a little bit that they can come back.”

Of course, that's exactly what happened, as Steven Gerrard pulled one back for Liverpool within 10 minutes of the restart, before further goals from Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso levelled proceedings just past the hour mark.

A nervy 60 minutes followed - 30 minutes of normal time before 30 minutes of extra-time - before Liverpool emerged triumphant on penalties as Milan missed three of their five spot-kicks.