Background
Juventus were appearing in their third European Cup final, having lost their previous appearances in 1973 and 1983. Liverpool were appearing in their fifth final, they were the reigning champions after beating Italian team Roma 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out after the 1984 final finished 1–1. Liverpool had won in 1977, 1978 and 1981. The two clubs had faced each other during the season in the 1984 European Super Cup at Juventus' home ground, the Stadio Comunale, and was won 2–0 by Juventus with two goals from Zbigniew Boniek.
Juventus finished the 1984–85 Serie A in fifth position, which was outside of the European qualification positions. In order to participate in European competition in 1985–86, they needed to win the European Cup. Liverpool had finished second behind Everton in the 1984–85 Football League, and thus qualified for the UEFA Cup, but victory in the final would enable them to compete in the European Cup the following season.
The final was to be played at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium. Liverpool had objected to the choice of venue as they were concerned about the condition of the stadium, which was crumbling, and the decision to allocate a neutral section for Belgian fans.
Read more about this topic: 1985 European Cup Final
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