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26 years have gone since the European cup was renamed as UEFA Champions League, giving a wider range of teams a shot at European club football’s biggest honor. Since then, there have been many memorable matches and awe-inspiring performances from the players. For many legends of the game winning the UCL has been one of the most emotional and unforgettable moments of their career and that is why even at 40, Buffon is still in pursuit of the only major trophy that has eluded him.
The UCL final is one of the most watched annual sporting events and that is why performances under such extreme pressure are highly respected by football experts and fans alike. Here are the Top 5 mind-blowing performances in a UCL final.
Honorable mentions:
1. Hernan Crespo, AC Milan vs Liverpool, 2005.
2. Arjen Robben, Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund, 2013.
3. Neymar, Barcelona vs Juventus, 2015.
1. Diego Milito, Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich, 2010
The 2009-10 campaign was the greatest season in the history of Inter Milan as they completed a historic treble becoming the first and the only Italian club to achieve this rare feat. Jose Mourinho was at the peak of his powers and was looking for a second UCL title after his incredible title triumph with Porto FC in 2004.
Diego Milito had played a major part in Inter’s Serie A title win and a lot of expectations were riding on him. And he did not disappoint as the 73,490 football fans in Madrid were treated to a display of individual brilliance of the highest order.
Milito opened the account for his club in the 35th minute with a great counterattack that was initiated after a clearance by goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Milito received the ball and passed it to Wesley Sneijder with a little flick which was duly returned back to him by Sneijder. Bayern’s center-backs were caught off guard by the top class counter-attack and this gave Milito enough free space to receive the pass and power the ball into the net over the head of Bayern’s goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt.
The second goal was even better. He received the ball from Samuel Eto’o a few yards outside the box in the left flank and then wrong-footed Daniel van Buyten with a little dribble and then gloriously flicked it into the nets, giving Internazionale their first European Cup after a long wait of 45 years.
2. Gareth Bale, Real Madrid vs Liverpool, 2018.
By the time the 2018 UCL knockouts had started, Gareth Bale’s influence in the Real Madrid side had slowly declined due to a truckload of injuries. Also, Marco Asensio was favored over Bale for the away leg against Bayern Munich and only came as a substitute in the second leg. As expected, he was not present in the starting lineup for the final and only came as a substitute in the 60th minute. What followed was the greatest UCL final performance by a substitute.
His first goal was athleticism at its very best. Marcelo made a superb run down the left flank and dished out a cross which looked harmless and out of the target. But, Bale in the penalty box showed his insane abilities as he literally flew towards the ball and produced an overhead kick which will be etched forever in the memory of Real Madrid fans around the world.
Then in the 83rd minute, he shot with a tremendous amount of power straight towards Loris Karius but the ball just burst through his hands and gave Bale his second goal of the night. This stunning performance gave Bale his 4th UCL title and Real Madrid their 13th title triumph in the history of the European Cup.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid vs Juventus, 2017
This game was a repeat of 1998 final and the Juventus team were ready to play their hearts out to secure their first UCL trophy since 1996. Not for the first time in Gianluigi Buffon’s career, it was CR7 who stood between him and that elusive European glory.
Ronaldo was breathing fire coming into this UCL final. In the quarterfinals, he had scored a brace and a hattrick against Bayern Munich and then followed it up with yet another brilliant hattrick against Atletico Madrid in the away leg of the semi-final. His ability to score against big clubs in high-pressure games has been the hallmark of a truly illustrious career and this time too he did not disappoint anybody.
20 minutes into the game, he received the ball at the edge of the box and played it out to Carvajal on the right flank and made a little run into the box. Carvajal returned the favor with a neat pass back to Ronaldo who somehow deposited the ball into the left corner despite two defenders covering that space. The second goal was great anticipation from CR7 as he suddenly burst into a run inside the box to receive the pass from Luka Modric and diverted it into the net. In the end, Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 victory and lifted their 12th UCL trophy.
4. Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2002
Even before this match, Zinedine Zidane was regarded by many as one the greatest big match players the game has ever seen. Zidane very rarely had an off day throughout his entire career and always contributed something to the team. But his performances in high-pressure finals separate him from other legends.
Raul opened the account for Real Madrid but Brazilian defender Lucio soon scored the equalizer. The match was evenly poised until the end of the first half when Zidane produced a moment of sheer genius to give Madrid the definitive lead. The legendary Roberto Carlos played a high cross to Zidane near the box who turned gracefully and left-footed a volley into the nets. This goal is regarded by many as the greatest goal in the European championship because of the impeccable technique Zidane displayed while scoring the volley.
5. Lionel Messi, Barcelona vs Manchester United, 2011
No list would be complete without an appearance from the little genius and this list is no exception. Lionel Messi was in exceptional form throughout that season and he was Barcelona’s key player going into the final.
Throughout the match, he was simply breathtaking and magical. He made countless runs into the box and created many chances for his team. The highlight was an unbelievable run into the box during the early stages of the match. He received the ball in the middle of the pitch and kept going past the United players one after another until he lost his footing in the penalty box. At times, it seemed like he was just toying with the United defenders for fun.
In the 54th minute, He gave Barcelona the 2-1 lead with an absolute screamer from 20 yards out. Then, he yet again broke through the United defense giving David Villa enough free space to shoot the ball into the right corner. His mesmerizing performance gave Barcelona its 4th UCL trophy and propelled Messi into the league of a very few people to have scored in two UCL finals.
