Every season the European Cup has a hero. Some seasons you can easily predict who it will be, for instance Zidane in 2002 or Drogba in 2012. Other years, such as Dudek in 2005, the hero is the last person you would suspect.
This year’s group stage had plenty of starlets and it also had some absolutely cracking games. It got us thinking; who will be the star of this year’s final?
We could sit here predicting all day, but the truth is only time will tell. So while we’re waiting, we may as well look back at our five favourite finals of all-time.
Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt, 1960
Alfredo Di Stéfano scores a hat-trick while Ferenc Puskás gets four. There was no parking the bus in this game. Even if there was, Di Stéfano probably would have lobbed the ball over it.
This was Real’s fifth European Cup victory and cemented their place as the greatest team in the world at the time.
Video Via: ♥ Real Madrid ♥
Real Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen, 2002
This makes it onto list for one reason: Zinedine Zidane.
Video Via: Quan Pham
Zidane was absolutely sensational from start to finish and his goal will go down as one of the greatest ever scored in a Champions League final.
FC Porto 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1987
Bayern Munich were winning 1-0 up until the 77th minute and then this happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4B–qYWIKs
Video via: KarasuNoGoh
Rabah Madjer scores with the cheekiest back-heel we can ever remember. Porto went on to win with a superb volley from Juary. Bayern Munich crumbling in a European Cup final… surely that would never happen again?
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1999
This is the final which firmly cemented Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s as the best super-sub of all-time. We all know the story at this point, but let’s go through it once more anyway.
Bayern were leading through a Mario Basler goal up until injury time. There ribbons were on the cup and even the most optimistic United fan hoped for a draw at best.
Then the impossible happened.
Video via: sdjp’s channel
The rest is history. United went on to claim the treble and have one of the most successful years in the club’s history.
AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (win on penalties), 2005
Andrea Pirlo, who was playing for Milan that night, recalls this game by saying: “I’ve tried with Istanbul and haven’t managed to get beyond these words: for f*ck’s sake.”
AC were cruising at half-time, three goals to the good.
We could write what happened next, but it wouldn’t do it justice. Just watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEmC3vN-bQ
Via: ToggeroProduction
