And I speak as one who was lucky enough to be on duty in the Ataturk Stadium that night to bear suitably astonished first-hand witness to what was, without question, one of the greatest comebacks and most dramatic cup finals in football history.

But I consider myself almost as fortunate to have been in Anfield a few weeks earlier for the second leg of the semi-final which put them through to that unforgettable climax against AC Milan.

Not that the penultimate game, a scrappy 1-0 win, secured by an even scrappier and controversial ‘ghost goal’ by Luis Garcia, came remotely close to matching what would happen in the final, either for the quality of the football or the sensational nature of the drama.

What made the night stand out, more than merely being the critical second-last step on the way to the biggest European prize of them all, was the intensity of the atmosphere inside the ground. True, Anfield has a long history of ‘doing’ big European nights but, as a hair-raisingly impassioned rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rang out before kick-off, even press box veterans of the place assured me that this was something off the scale.

And the reason for that was that the opposition were Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Newly crowned league champions Chelsea. And, more to the point as far as the Kop was concerned — in a message ceaselessly conveyed over the course of a red-hot night by the lusty singing of battle-hymns boasting of their own club’s rich history of success at home and abroad — nouveau riche, southern upstarts, overnight successes Chelsea.

This was about much more than those clichéd bragging rights: this felt like Liverpool, on and off the pitch, seeking to reassert their long-surrendered position atop the domestic pile, even if it had to be done in the context of European competition.

That game took place 15 years after Liverpool had last won the English title. Last night’s match against Bayern Munich took place against the backdrop of the drought extending to a staggering 29 years. And, for good or ill, Liverpool’s European

adventure this year can’t be divorced from that historic context.

Which is why even the visit to Merseyside of a superpower like Bayern Munich didn’t feel quite like the blockbuster occasion it would have been in the past. And in a first half made entertaining as much by accident as design, with both sides repeatedly guilty of errors, the visitors did their best to lower the temperature still further, prepared to bide their time and, though not always without risk, happy enough to go backward to go forward.

They still posed a threat on the break but, though they prevented an early Liverpool blitz, the better goal opportunities still fell to the home side. However, unfortunately for Jurgen Klopp’s team, they also fell mainly to Sadio Mane, inside the box not the most clinical finisher of the fab front three.

The pattern — or, more accurately, lack of pattern — of the game remained much the same in the second half, albeit with Liverpool even more toothless up top and Bayern, still sticking to their containment game, prepared to see Robert Lewandowski almost completely starved of service so long as the defence could do the same to Mo Salah and company.

Credit the visitors for the concentration and discipline which turned this into something close to a textbook away performance, although given Liverpool’s usual firepower, they might still rue their failure to push with more conviction for an away goal.

So the tie, as they say, is finely poised. In theory, it’s advantage Bayern but no one would rule out Liverpool going to Munich and coming away with another of their storied European results. But, whether they do or they don’t, it won’t make or break their season.

Beating the (once) mighty Bayern? That would do nicely. But not half as nice, you suspect, as beating Manchester United on Sunday or even claiming victories away to Newcastle and at home to Wolves should the title race go down to the wire in May.

Champions League v league champions.

For Liverpool, in 2019, it’s really no contest.