Associazione Calcio Milan began the 2004–05 season auspiciously by winning the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana, with a comfortable 3–0 victory over Lazio, thanks to a hat-trick by Andriy Shevchenko. The Serie A began with a 2–2 draw against Livorno. For most part of the season, Milan were second to Juventus, in a close points race. However, after matchweeks 25 through 30, and again matchweeks 33 through 34, Milan were in the first place. On 8 May 2005, Milan faced Juventus at home; by matchweek 35, the two had almost identical statistics of 76 points, 23 wins, 7 draws, and 4 defeats, with Milan's marginally superior goal difference of +36 against Juventus' +35 keeping them on top. Having lost the potential title deciding game 1–0 to a goal by David Trezeguet, Milan drew three more times afterwards and finished in the second place. In the Champions League, Milan were successful and sure-footed, comfortably topping their group and then knocking outManchester United, cross-city rivalsInter and PSV Eindhoven, thus reaching their second Champions League final in 3 years. The final was against Liverpool. In the first half Ancelotti's men scored three goals, one from Paolo Maldini, the club captain, and twice from Hernán Crespo. However, in the second half, the English opponents managed to do the same in just 6 minutes meaning the match went to extra time. Milan were not able to find a fourth goal and had to face a penalty shoot-out. Unlike in 2003, Milan players were to go first and missed the opening and a follow-up shots. Shevchenko, who scored the deciding penalty two years earlier, had to score from the 5th penalty in order to keep Milan in game for at least one more shot but failed to send the ball past Dudek, and Liverpool won the Champions League, in one of the most famous come-backs in European football history. Throughout the season, Ancelotti mostly utilised the 4–4–2 diamond formation, which he had previously employed with much success, especially in 2002–03; the fact that four top-quality strikers were available made it almost imperative that two of them would have to be used as regular starters. On rare occasions, however, formations with three centrebacks and two wingbacks, such as 3–5–2 or 3–4–1–2, were used.
