Liverpool's three-goal lead had almost disappeared by half-time. Jupp Heynckes scored twice for Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Bökelbergstadion on 23 May 1973, leaving the UEFA Cup final one further home goal away from extra time.

Bill Shankly's side did not concede it. They lost the match 2–0, but won the tie 3–2 on aggregate and brought Liverpool their first European trophy.

The return leg was a different contest from the 3–0 victory at Anfield thirteen days earlier. There, John Toshack had helped Kevin Keegan score twice and Larry Lloyd had added a third. In West Germany, Borussia pressed Liverpool hard, with Günter Netzer directing their attacking play.

Heynckes opened the scoring from close range around the half-hour. Before the interval he struck again, curling a shot beyond Ray Clemence to reduce Liverpool's aggregate lead to a single goal. The clean sheet Clemence had preserved by saving Heynckes's penalty in the first leg now looked especially valuable.

Shankly had started the same eleven who began the completed match at Anfield. Tommy Smith remained captain, with Lloyd alongside him in the defence, and Toshack and Keegan were again in the attack. The task facing those players at half-time was to prevent Borussia finishing the recovery they had begun so forcefully.

Liverpool endured the pressure. As the second half progressed, the home attacks lost some of their earlier force and Liverpool found opportunities of their own, without scoring the away goal which would have given them greater security. Phil Boersma replaced Steve Heighway in the closing stages.

The final whistle arrived with the half-time score unchanged. Smith collected the trophy on German soil, completing a league-and-UEFA Cup double for a side which had already secured the First Division championship in April.

Seven years after Liverpool's defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the Cup Winners' Cup final, Shankly finally had a European prize. The decisive contribution on this last night was not a Liverpool goal, but a second half in which they conceded none.

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