AC Milan 2, Liverpool 1 (D,Post)

May 24 2007 Ian Doyle at the Olympic

RAFAEL BENITEZ told his team not to leave Athens with any regrets. Sadly for Liverpool, that was the only thing they did have as they departed the Olympic Stadium last night.

The supporters again sang their songs at half-time, but this time the Anfield side left their comeback too late as AC Milan avenged their Istanbul defeat of two years ago.

A brace from veteran Filippo Inzaghi rendered Dirk Kuyt’s 89th-minue strike a mere consolation and prevented Benitez’s side from moving to second alongside the Italians in the all-time winners list with a sixth European Cup.

But it didn’t have to be that way.

Similar to two years ago, emotions at the final whistle were laced with a certain sense of disbelief at the outcome. Unlike 2005, this time they will be joined by an overbearing feeling of having missed an opportunity to silence the doubters who regard that victory as mere fluke.

The good fortune Liverpool undoubtedly enjoyed in Turkey was conspicuously absent when Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick on the stroke of half-time was deflected beyond Pepe Reina by the unwitting left arm of Inzaghi.

Poor Reina.

He believed the European Cup owed his family after his father had conceded a last-gasp equaliser to Bayern Munich while playing for Atletico Madrid in 1974.

No chance of that. Last night’s payback belonged to a Milan team that succeeded where Liverpool failed – by taking their chances.

Until Inzaghi’s intervention, Liverpool were the dominant force with Benitez having out- thought Milan counterpart Carlo Ancelotti with his gameplan executed almost to perfection by his players.

The one thing missing, of course, was a goal.