PAST GLORIES: Wembley 1978

May 21 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

AS the defending champions playing at Wembley Stadium enjoying the backing of 90% of a 92,000 crowd, Liverpool were always expected to lift the European Cup for a second consecutive season in 1978.

Bruges, who had been steered to the final by their tactically astute coach Ernst Happel were a pretty significant force in the continental game back in the 1970s and had also reached the UEFA Cup final two years earlier before also losing to Liverpool.

However, after the glory that was Rome 12 months earlier against a crack Bundesliga outfit like Moenchengladbach, nobody could envisage anything other than another victory for Bob Paisley’s side against the Belgians.

Liverpool’s win, which saw them become the first English side to retain the trophy, meant that they followed in the illustrious footsteps of the likes of Real Madrid, Benfica, Internazionale, Ajax and Bayern Munich in recording back-to-back triumphs.

Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of their victory was how difficult a job they made of their title defence.

Happel, whose side had also been weakened by injuries, adopted an ultra-cautious approach and his side’s stifling tactics frustrated Liverpool for long periods.

Struggling to make a breakthrough against Bruges’s biting offside trap, Liverpool had to remain patient for their opening before it finally arrive in the 64th minute.

Kenny Dalglish, a record £440,000 capture from Celtic the previous summer , drafted in to replace Kevin Keegan, netted the only goal of the game.

‘King Kenny’ as he became known by the Anfield fans was one of five changes in the starting line-up from the previous year as Phil Thompson replaced Joey Jones, Alan Hansen came in for Tommy Smith, David Fairclough was preferred to Steve Heighway and Graeme Souness, a £350,000 capture from Middlesbrough played in midfield ahead of veteran Ian Callaghan.

It was Liverpool’s two new Scots who combined for the goal as Bruges’s Danish keeper Birger Jensen could only deflect an overhead kick by Dalglish into the path of Souness picked out Liverpool’s number seven and perfectly enablied Dalglish to lift the ball over the custodian an into the net.