Liverpool knocks off AC Milan in PKs

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Liverpool won the European Champions Cup for the first time since 1984, overcoming a three-goal deficit to beat AC Milan 3-2 on penalty kicks following a 3-3 tie Wednesday night in the greatest comeback in the tournament's history.\nAC Milan captain Paolo Maldini scored in the first minute, and Hernan Crespo added goals in the 39th and 43rd.\nNo team had ever come back from a three-goal deficit in the final, but Liverpool did just that during a stunning sequence in the 50th Champions Cup final. Captain Steve Gerrard scored in the 54th, Vladimir Smicer made it 3-2 in the 56th and Xabi Alonso tied it in the 60th on the rebound of his penalty kick, which goalkeeper Dida had saved.\nThe game went to 30 minutes of overtime, and Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek stopped Andriy Shevchenko twice in the 118th minute, first saving his header, then blocking Shevchenko's shot off the rebound.\nSmicer scored the winning penalty kick for Liverpool, with Shevchenko and Djibril Cisse connecting.\nIt was the fifth title for Liverpool, the first since its fans rioted in 1985 in Belgium, causing the death of 39 fans and leading to a lengthy ban from European competition. Under currently rules, Liverpool won't be able to defend its title because only the top four teams in England's Premier League qualified for next year's competition and Liverpool finished fifth.