Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Andrea Dossena became a Liverpool icon with incredible goals against Real Madrid and Manchester United leaving Sergio Ramos and Sir Alex Ferguson stunned

In football, players can become immortal with just one swing of a boot.

Even the most forgettable stars are able to have their moment in the sun and be reborn as icons, forever in the history books.

Do you remember Andrea Dossena?

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Do you remember Andrea Dossena?

Andrea Dossena was all set for a forgettable spell with Liverpool.

Not a bad player, you understand. Just not quite what they were looking for as their replacement for John Arne Riise.

The Italian, though, turned his story into one of legend with two substitute appearances in a five-day spell.

Signed for £7million from Udinese in the 2008 summer transfer window, he was having to defend himself by November.

Dossena celebrates with teammate Ryan Babel

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Dossena celebrates with teammate Ryan Babel

“I am not fully happy with my level and, with Fabio [Aurelio] in my position, the manager has the option of a player more in tune with the tactics of the team right now,” he said.

“There are new demands on me. At Udinese my place in the team was more secure than it ever will be at Liverpool, where there is so much ability in the squad. I must now get to a high level and maintain that, but first I have to battle to win selection. I am learning all the time. I knew that coming to Liverpool and a new league would improve me as a player.”

Aurelio, though, and young prospect Emiliano Insua soon had control of the left-back role.

But Dossena wasn’t done in a Liverpool jersey, far from it, He would make his impact in March 2009.

Sergio Ramos applauds the Real Madrid fans at Anfield in 2009

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Sergio Ramos applauds the Real Madrid fans at Anfield in 2009

On March 10, the Reds had a huge Round of 16 Champions League second leg clash with Real Madrid on the cards.

They were 1-0 up going into the match but were quickly 3-0 up and out of sight with a commanding 4-0 lead on aggregate.

With a huge clash against Premier League title rivals Manchester United coming up at the weekend, manager Rafael Benitez made some wild substitutions.

Jay Spearing replaced Steven Gerrard, while Dossena entered the fray for Fernando Torres.

Five minutes after entering the field of play, the Italian, playing as a winger, found himself in the penalty area and slotted home past Iker Casillas from a Javier Mascherano pass to make it 4-0 on the night.

A defence including Sergio Ramos and Marcelo was rocked while Anfield went wild.

The rest for Gerrard and Torres worked wonders ahead of the match against United on March 14.

By the time Dossena was called upon again as an emergency left winger, after 67 minutes, Liverpool were 2-1 up thanks to the dynamic duo of Gerrard and Torres.

A Nemanja Vidic red card, on another afternoon where Torres teased him mercilessly, was quickly followed by an Aurelio free-kick.

But before the game was done, Dossena was ready for his second and last Liverpool goal.

Spearing joined Dossena for the celebrations against Madrid

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Spearing joined Dossena for the celebrations against Madrid

A huge Pepe Reina boot upfield caught the United defence asleep and the Italian had a run on John O’Shea but, instead of taking the ball down and playing it safe, he had another thing on his mind.

Dossena lofted a beautiful lob over a stranded Edwin van der Sar to seal a 4-1 victory.

That was as good as it would get for Dossena – but what a high!

Not many can look back on career with moments like that in it.

On Tuesday night, live on talkSPORT, other Liverpool heroes get the chance to write themselves into the history books against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

If Dossena can do it, so can they.



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