The Champions League brings the best club from the continent together to each year to determine the ultimate ruler of Europe. In such circumstances, memorable clashes are bound to happen. Whether there are bitter rivals colliding against one another, a stunning performance of 6+ goals, or an unexpected comeback.
The UEFA Champions League has it all and during its long history, there were a lot of matches to remember. But it seems that 10 of them stick out more than the others.
Today we talk about the greatest games in Champions League history that will forever be remembered.
10. Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 4-1 (2013/14)
In the 2013 /14 Champions League finale, we were treated with the Madrid Debry. Atletico Madrid just came off a victory against Barcelona to secure their first La Liga title in eight years and wanted to capitulate the season with their first-ever Champions League title.
Things started off well after the Diego Godin scored a header passed Casillas in the first half. But Los Blancos never gave up and kept fighting till the last minute as Sergio Ramos scored a late late equalizer.
Atletico was already spent and they conceded three more goals in extra time.
9. Barcelona vs Manchester United 3-1 (2010/11)
This was the time when Barcelona was at the top of its game with coach Pep Guardiola leading the charge. It was the most impressive Barca had looked in years and they showcased everything they had in the 2010/11 Champions League finals.
Pedro scored to give the lead to the Catalans, but Roney leveled the score before the half time. But the second half was all Barcelona as they scored twice in an impressive fashion to grab the coveted trophy at Wembley Stadium.
8. Ajax vs Tottenham 2-3 (2018/19)
The second leg of the Champions League semi-finals game in 2019 saw Ajax enter as favorites. They already had a 1-0 lead from the first match. They even got this one started with two goals in the first half. Things seemed dark for the Spurs and it seemed that all hope was lost.
However, the English side rallied in the second half and managed to first equalize and then win by a 96th-minute winner. The hero of the match was Lucas Moura who scored a hat-trick for Tottenham.
7. Juventus vs Manchester United 2-3 (1998/99)
Manchester United found themselves deep in a hole only 11 minutes after the start of the game. They were 2-0 down and 3-1 on aggregate. But then the legendary Roy Keane stepped in!
It was probably the best performance of his career as he managed to score a goal and then helped Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole score two more to get them to the finals. Sadly, in his own familiar fashion, Keane got booked and was forced to miss the finals against Bayern Munich.
6. Monaco vs Real Madrid 3-1 (2003/04)
Monaco’s historic run to reach the 2003/04 Champions League Finals was embellished with a marvelous performance that saw them eliminate the Galacticos of Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. The player that made all of this possible was none other than Real’s very own Fernando Morientes, who was on loan from Real at the time.
Fernando scored once and managed to get two assists to Ludovic Giuly to see The Monégasques eliminate one of the greatest Real teams in history.
5. Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan 4-0 (2003/04)
The Spanish side of Deportivo found themselves 4-1 behind after the first game played in Milano. So naturally, everyone thought that Javier Irureta’s side was down for as no team in history has ever managed to come back after a three-goal deficit… Until that day.
La Coruna was already three goals up after the first half was concluded. The stadium erupted in the 76th minute when Fran scored the fourth and qualifying goal that sent Deportivo to the next round and Ancelotti’s Milan packing home.
4. AC Milan vs Barcelona 4-0 (1993/94)
Yohan Cruyff’s side was considered as one of the best in Europe at the time. They’ve won the Champions League trophy only two years prior and also had notched four consecutive La Liga titles. With one of the deadliest attacking duo at the front comprising of Romario and Stoickhov, Barca was a shoo in to advance.
However, the Rossoneri put all doubts to rest after they achieved one of the most memorable victories in their history with two goals from Massaro, one from Desailly and a lob for the ages from Dejan Savicevic.
3. Manchester United vs Bayern Munich 2-1 (1998/99)
It was England versus Germany once again. This time it was the English side that rose to the top. Nobody remembers the first 90 minutes of the game as the most memorable part came after Beckham’s corner that saw replacement Teddy Sheringham turn the ball in Bayern’s net.
Then came the extra time, another corner, Sheringham poked the ball, out came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the super-sub, out of nowhere. Everything else is history.
2. Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 (2016/17)
What happened at Kamp Nou that faithful night is something that could only be written in a movie. The second leg came after Barca was thrashed by The Parisians at Parc des Princes by 4 goals to none. So they were basically left hopeless.
But a three-goal lead in the first half gave some hope. That is until Edison Cavani scored in the 62nd, rattling Barca’s dreams of going through once more. The Catalan side needed three more goals and somehow they got them. It was all played out in the last five minutes of the match where Neymar scored twice while Sergi Roberto put the dagger in the PSG’s hope of going through.
1. AC Milan vs Liverpool 3-3 (2004/05)
The finale of the 2004/05 Champions League season could be called the greatest final ever played in football. The Reds were completely humiliated in the first half with Maldini scoring once and Crespo twice. Everyone thought that things were ever and that the finals would be a dull affair.
But after the fans rendered “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the half, Liverpool came back with a vengeance. They needed only six minutes to level the score after which penalty kicks ensured.
The unsung hero of Liverpool, goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, stepped out and saved three penalties with the decisive one being against Shevchenko that won Liverpool their fifth Champions League title and marked this game as the greatest one in the history of the competition.
