Andrea Dossena scored only two goals in 31 appearances for Liverpool. Both came within four days, against Real Madrid and Manchester United.
On 10 March 2009, he came off the bench to complete a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid at Anfield. That Saturday, he did it again at Old Trafford, lobbing Edwin van der Sar to seal a 4-1 victory over United.
He never scored for Liverpool before or after that week. But for a player whose time on Merseyside rarely went to plan, he could hardly have chosen two better occasions.
A night to remember against Real Madrid
Liverpool were already a goal ahead from the first leg at the Bernabéu when Real Madrid arrived at Anfield for their Champions League last-16 return.
What followed was one of the great European performances of the Rafa Benítez years.
Fernando Torres opened the scoring and Steven Gerrard added two more as Liverpool overwhelmed the visitors. Iker Casillas made a string of saves, but there was little he could do about the fourth.
Dossena, introduced as a late replacement for Torres, arrived in the box to meet Javier Mascherano’s low cross from the right and turn the ball home.
His first Liverpool goal completed a 4-0 victory on the night and a 5-0 aggregate win. After a difficult opening few months in England, the Italian finally had a moment to savour in front of the Kop.
Four days later at Old Trafford
Dossena did not have to wait long for his second.
Liverpool travelled to Old Trafford on 14 March knowing they needed to beat the league leaders to strengthen their title challenge.
Cristiano Ronaldo put United ahead from the penalty spot, but Torres capitalised on a mistake by Nemanja Vidić to equalise. Gerrard then scored a penalty just before half-time to put Liverpool in front.
Dossena replaced Albert Riera midway through the second half. Vidić was subsequently sent off for pulling back Gerrard, and Fábio Aurélio curled the resulting free-kick beyond Van der Sar to make it 3-1.
Then, in stoppage time, came the finish that Liverpool supporters would remember Dossena for.
Pepe Reina’s long clearance sent him through, and he met the bouncing ball with a first-time lob over the advancing Van der Sar.
It was a finish any striker would have enjoyed, delivered by a left-back who had yet to establish himself in the team.
Liverpool had scored four at Old Trafford, and Dossena had supplied the final goal in two extraordinary victories in the space of four days.
That was his entire Liverpool goalscoring record. No routine consolation or forgotten cup goal: Real Madrid at Anfield and Manchester United away.
From Lodi to Liverpool
Born in Lodi, Lombardy, on 11 September 1981, Dossena came through Verona’s youth system and made his Serie A debut with the club.
After four seasons in the first team, he moved to Treviso in 2005. Udinese took a half-share in him the following year before completing the transfer in 2007.
His performances earned him international recognition, and he made his Italy debut against South Africa on 17 October 2007.
When John Arne Riise left Liverpool for Roma in the summer of 2008, Benítez chose Dossena as his replacement.
Liverpool completed the signing on 4 July for a reported fee of around £7 million. Dossena signed a four-year contract and took the No. 2 shirt.
An Italy international with Serie A experience, he arrived with the opportunity to make Liverpool’s left-back position his own.
A difficult start on Merseyside
His competitive debut was an uncomfortable introduction.
Away to Standard Liège in a Champions League qualifier on 13 August 2008, Dossena was penalised for handball. Reina saved Dante’s penalty, helping Liverpool return from Belgium with a goalless draw.
The following months brought few signs that Dossena was ready to become an automatic selection. Aurélio was increasingly preferred at left-back, and the Italian acknowledged that his performances needed to improve.
“I am not fully happy with my level,” he admitted in November.
He also recognised that Aurélio was more familiar with the team’s tactics. Dossena was still adapting, and the competition for his place gave him little room to do so.
The goals against Real Madrid and United briefly changed the mood around him. They also came with Dossena operating further forward, rather than in the defensive position Liverpool had signed him to fill.
They were memorable contributions, but they did not mark the beginning of a sustained breakthrough.
Moving on to Napoli
Dossena went to the Confederations Cup with Italy in the summer of 2009 and finished his international career with ten caps.
Back at Liverpool, Emiliano Insúa’s emergence increased the competition on the left, and Dossena’s opportunities remained limited.
In January 2010, he returned to Italy to join Napoli. His Liverpool career had lasted 18 months and brought 31 appearances.
He became a regular at Napoli and returned to Anfield in the Europa League in November 2010.
It was not a happy reunion. Ezequiel Lavezzi put Napoli ahead, but an underhit back-pass from Dossena allowed Gerrard to equalise.
The Liverpool captain, who had come on at half-time, went on to complete a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory.
Dossena did, however, enjoy silverware with Napoli. In May 2012, he came off the bench late on as they beat Juventus 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final.
Sunderland, Orient and the dugout
After a loan spell with Palermo, Dossena returned to England in September 2013 to join Sunderland.
He made seven Premier League appearances during his season on Wearside before moving to Leyton Orient in League One in November 2014.
Spells with Chiasso in Switzerland and Piacenza in Italy followed before he moved into coaching.
His managerial career began with Crema in 2019, with subsequent jobs at Ravenna, Renate, Pro Vercelli and SPAL.
In December 2025, he took charge of Novara in Serie C. The club announced in May 2026 that his spell would end at the conclusion of the season.
Once a Red
Dossena never made the left-back position his own, and his departure after 18 months reflected a transfer that had not worked out as hoped.
Yet his name still brings back memories of two outstanding Liverpool performances.
Against Real Madrid, he was there to finish the move and round off a famous European night. At Old Trafford, he showed the composure to lift the ball over Van der Sar and give the travelling support one last celebration.
Two goals were a modest return across his Liverpool career. Taken together, though, they gave him a place in the memories of supporters that many more prolific players would envy.