The victory was achieved against a backdrop of incredible negativity about our chances and our style of play. Our coach, Fabio Capello, had taken a lot of stick and the players were all really fired up by the dreadful press we received in the build-up. Barcelona were getting all the plaudits before the game, with everyone raving about the beautiful football played by Stoichkov and Romario. We were so fired up, we ended up just thrashing them.
Of course things are very different this season, but there are similarities: there is still a feeling of injustice around the Milan camp.
The club feel they were unfairly treated in the match-rigging scandal and the points deduction left them struggling in Serie A. They have recovered, but they were basically playing all season for fourth place, and more Champions League football next season. That can never be enough for a club of Milan's stature.
Look at the qualities of Liverpool and Milan, and you can see all the ingredients for another great final. On the one hand you have the false-passive Milan, who employ their exceptional pressing to seek out an opportunity for that killer counterattack. Liverpool also look to press their opponents, to hassle and harangue, but they will look to mix up their play - short passes, getting the ball out wide and long balls, too, particularly if Peter Crouch plays. Crouch helps you win those second balls, which can be vital. You don't want to be giving away possession to Milan.
The game will be decided in midfield; whichever team conquers that all-important zone will win. And I have to say Milan have the advantage there.
The Italians are stronger, more consistent and wiser tactically. The way they snuffed out Manchester United in the semi-final was a lesson. They all work for each other, they all press, they all know where they should be all the time. That midfield three are fantastic, and the way Andrea Pirlo has been performing sums it up for me.
Pirlo is the kind of player who can orchestrate a game, who can be your playmaker, but here he is running his socks off to make sure the coach's game plan is adhered to. He fights for the ball, harries opponents. And with Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka in the side, Milan have three great players for retaining possession, waiting for the moment to strike. Think back to that first goal at Old Trafford. The Italians had sucked in United, but without really ever upping the pace. All of a sudden, they took a quick free-kick and Seedorf was putting Kaka through. One-nil.
Liverpool are not exceptional in defence, in midfield or in attack, but they can trouble opponents with their speed and their combativeness, their collectiveness.
If they are to avoid being suffocated by Milan, they will have to score quickly. There is hope for Liverpool in the fact that the Italians conceded two goals against both Bayern Munich and Manchester United on their way to this final. They made mistakes, showed flaws. But they also displayed intelligence in the way they repaired those mistakes in the return legs.
Against United, the Italians were very impressive in the way they dealt with perceived threats. They doubled up on Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs all the time and ended up discouraging them totally. If either of these two dribbled past one player, there was another there waiting. And if they got past two, there would be a third. The worry for Liverpool, whose individuals are not as good as Ronaldo and Giggs, is that their enthusiasm will not be a match for the experience and quality of Milan's midfield.
Although mentalities have evolved a bit since I played for Milan, the general impression of English football has remained more or less the same. Italians think English players, and English football in general, are naive. They admire the fighting spirit and that never-say-die attitude but Italians believe the English have no tactical nous. The thinking in the Milan camp will be along the lines: yes, they will run, they will fight, they will play their long balls, but we will wait, and we will strike when the time is right.
My big worry is that the teams will have too much fear of each other because of what happened in Istanbul two years ago. Milan will be thinking that Liverpool were very naive two years ago, and that they should never have allowed them back into the game. But in the back of their minds will be that memory of Liverpool's comeback. They will be thinking about how Liverpool blew them aside in that second-half and it might encourage them to be more cautious.
Liverpool, meanwhile, might think to themselves: we got taken apart in that first half last time and they should never have let us back into it. We've got to be careful. They could both spend too long watching each other, feeling each other out.
The coaches have important decisions to make regarding their strikers. Rafa Benitez is difficult to read, and it's hard to say whether he'll go for Crouch or side with Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy.
Carlo Ancelotti will, I think, opt for Pippo Inzaghi over Gilardino for his centre-forward. Gilardino was catastrophic at Manchester United, but did score when he came on as a sub in the return game. He might be used in a similar fashion on Wednesday. I can see Ancelotti plumping for Inzaghi because he's the type of striker who spends all his time flirting with offside, lurking on defenders' shoulders, ready to pounce. That might be useful in those early exchanges, when a defensive clearance can turn into a half-chance.
Inzaghi is not the sort of player I appreciated when I was playing. He always looked for an opportunity to use any challenge as an excuse to fall over. He is, let's face it, not far off being a cheat. He would be booed in every stadium if he played in England. Inzaghi is an intelligent footballer, but he can be annoying. I can't say I have fond memories of my games against him.
The big stars tend to come through in the big games. Kaka and Steven Gerrard are the players who are expected to pull their teams through, to cope with all the pressure, rise above it and deliver. It will be a fascinating match within the match.
Kaka has all the qualities: a bright, intelligent player, well suited to the style of Milan. He knows what his role is, knows and understands the tactics of the team and is a more mature and accomplished player today than he was two years ago. He is also stronger than he looks - remember the way he powered through Manchester United's defence twice at Old Trafford to score those vital away goals.
Gerrard is a fantastic player. I admire his drive and the way he can inspire his team-mates. But he has to be careful in a game as important as this. Tactically, he doesn't always seem to be doing what the manager has asked of him and I wonder if that's why Benitez likes to play him on the right. It's a way of trying to control him, no doubt. The danger with Gerrard is that he can sometimes try to do too much; when he wants to do everything it can destabilise his team. Upset the balance.
Sometimes, of course, his risk-taking is a positive because it upsets the opponents, takes them by surprise. But he must be careful, must get the balance right. If one of his sweeping, cross-field passes goes astray, it could lead to an Italian goal just seconds later. Against a Milan team so at ease with the notion of counter-attacking football, Gerrard's qualities could become a weakness.