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The Champions League is the holy grail of European football. It is the trophy that the best teams in Europe compete to lay their hands on every year. Currently, Real Madrid are the most successful side in the history of the competition, having won the trophy a record-breaking 13 times.
AC Milan and Liverpool take their place on the podium with seven and six victories respectively, with the Reds also being the current holders. With the rich pool of talent on show every year, there have been several brilliant individuals who have managed to carve out a legacy for themselves in Europe’s biggest football competition. We have witnessed thrilling contests, magnificent comebacks and the endless drama that have been etched into our memories.
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The Champions League final, for the most part, tends to be a cagey affair with both teams yearning to seize their moment of glory. Despite the caution, there have been some unforgettable moments that we have witnessed in these finals, all of which have become a part of UCL folklore.
Therefore, amidst the lock-down, we look back at the most iconic moments that have defined the summit clash of Europe's premier club competition.
#5 Messi soars high to seal the Champions League against Manchester United (2009)
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Final Score: Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United
Not one of the greatest Champions League finals ever, yet it represented a contest where defending champions Manchester United at least stood a chance (unlike 2011) against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona side. Labelled as the Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi showdown, it was a game in which the Portuguese clearly emerged second-best.
Visibly frustrated, Ronaldo frequently took long-range shots but Barcelona’s defence and Victor Valdes had all their bases covered on the day. Despite the Red Devils' early dominance, it was the Blaugrana who took the lead in the 10th minute as Samuel Eto’o cut in from the right and toe poked his shot past Edwin van der Sar.
Messi, who had a relatively quiet first half, finally got his moment in the limelight in the 70th minute. As Xavi floated in a delicious looking cross into the box, it felt for a moment that the ball might just soar over the Argentine's head.
Yet, the diminutive forward found space between Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea, leapt high into thin air (something you would associate more with his counterpart, Ronaldo), and looped the ball beyond the reach of the Dutch goalkeeper.
Despite being the scorer of so many goals, with most of them being memorable, the desire to be at the end of the cross is what stood out the most on that night in Rome in 2009.
#4 Zidane’s stunning volley to break Bayer Leverkusen hearts (2002)
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow
Final Scoreline: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
The 2002 Champions League final will always be synonymous with Zinedine Zidane’s thunderous volley that left the entire world watching in awe. The significance of that goal was not just qualitative as it also led Real Madrid to their 9th Champions League crown.
The Los Blancos reached Hampden Park with the upper hand, yet their opponents could not be taken lightly. Having gotten past the English duo of Liverpool and Manchester United in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, the German side were in the final on merit.
Both teams got off to a quick start as Raul squeezed his tame left-footed shot past German goalkeeper Han-Jorg Butt to open the scoring for Madrid in the 8th minute. The Bundesliga outfit responded five minutes later when Brazilian defender Lucio rose highest to nod home a free-kick.
As the clock trickled towards half time, Roberto Carlos went on one of his trademark runs that ended with a lobbed cross towards the edge of the penalty box, where Zidane stood, agonizingly waiting for the ball to come down. The Frenchman, who was left surprisingly unmarked, swivelled his body, got over the flight of the ball and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed volley that left the goalkeeper with no chance.
As the Real Madrid players reeled away in celebration, the opposition’s confidence was shot. Despite the wonder goal, the German team was actually the better side after the break and were it not for Iker Casillas’ brilliance in goal, Leverkusen would surely have clawed themselves back into the game.
Unsurprisingly though, Zidane was voted as the Player of the Match and his goal has been re-lived several times since.
#3 John Terry’s infamous slip at Moscow (2008)
Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Final Scoreline: Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (United won 6-5 on penalties)
The 2007/08 Champions League season was dominated by the Premier League sides, with three of the four semi-final slots being taken up by English clubs. Hence, it came as no surprise when the 2008 final was an all-English affair.
Despite parting company with Jose Mourinho earlier in the season, Chelsea under the stewardship of Avram Grant, had managed to recover and finished second in the league, behind Manchester United, who were also their opponents in the 2009 UCL final.
That said, both teams were rich in quality. While the Red Devils boasted the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney, the Blues possessed John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard & Didier Drogba in the opposition ranks. The game promised to be a cracking affair, but at the end of 120 minutes, it boiled down to an unfortunate slip to decide the winner of the Champions League.
Manchester United started on the front foot and in the 26th minute went ahead through a towering Ronaldo header. Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea scored just before the break as Frank Lampard toe-poked his shot past van der Sar.
After a frantic first half, the second half witnessed mostly speculative efforts from both sides, neither of which tested the goalkeepers. The game finally went into penalties despite a red-card for Drogba in extra time.
Ferdinand won the toss and opted to go first. The first four penalties were converted by Carlos Tevez, Michael Carrick (both for United), Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti (both for Chelsea), with neither keeper coming close to saving any of the spot-kicks.
Ronaldo stepped up next but his spot-kick was easily saved by Petr Cech. With no one missing the next set of penalties, it was Chelsea captain Terry’s chance to etch his name into the Chelsea history books.
As he stepped up to take the penalty, the English defender unfortunately lost his footing and his resulting shot agonizingly hit the post and went wide. The image of the English defender, sitting on the penalty spot, seemingly aghast still reverberates around Stamford Bridge today.
In sudden death, Nikolas Anelka missed the crucial spot-kick that handed United the Champions League trophy.
Fortunately for the defender and the Chelsea faithful though, the Blues would go on to lift the holy grail of European football in 2012 under his leadership, thereby burying the ghosts of Moscow.
#2 Manchester United’s seemingly impossible comeback to seal the treble (1999)
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
Final Scoreline: Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich
Remarkably, in the 1999 UCL final, Bayern Munich somehow managed to lose a game they dominated for 90 minutes. Coming into the encounter, the Red Devils had already wrapped up the Premier League and the FA Cup and were on the verge of securing a historic treble.
However, with United’s midfield duo of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane suspended for the game, Bayern started as slight favourites. And, it certainly panned out that way.
Mario Basler rifled in a free-kick from the edge of the box in the 6th minute and it was one-way traffic thereafter. Despite dominating possession, United were sorely missing the determination and creative abilities of the Keane-Scholes partnership.
Bayern piled on the pressure and the Red Devils were extremely lucky to not fall further behind. Such was the Bavarians' dominance that Ferguson’s men barely managed to venture into the opposition penalty area.
As the referee’s board went up for 3 additional minutes, United won a rare corner. After an in-swinging corner by David Beckham, the ball pin-balled inside the box before Ryan Giggs’ tame effort from the edge of the box looked to be rolling straight into the arms of Oliver Kahn. However, recognizing the chance to score, Teddy Sheringham, who had come on as a substitute, turned in the incoming shot past the helpless goalkeeper and United fans went into delirium. That wasn’t going to be the end of the story though.
Into the 3rd minute of stoppage time, United won another corner. Once again, Beckham delivered the cross and Sheringham won his header at the near post and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer threw out a boot towards the trajectory of the ball and it remarkably rifled into the roof of the net.
United had pulled off a heist that no one saw coming. The game is never won until the final whistle is blown and that is lesson the Bayern players learnt the hard way at the Camp Nou.
Also Read: All Champions League winners by year
#1 Jerzy Dudek’s epic double save to seal the miracle of Istanbul (2005)
Venue: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul
Final Scoreline: Milan 3-3 Liverpool (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties)
Perhaps the greatest Champions League final of all-time, the miracle of Istanbul had to top this list. Despite making it to the final, the Liverpool side led by Steven Gerrard was always going to be second-favourites against a Milan side boasting the likes of Paulo Maldini, Jaap Stam, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka.
The game began in sparkling fashion as Maldini volleyed in a free-kick to give his side the lead in the 1st minute. Post that, there was no looking back for the Serie A side, who capped off a stunning first-half display with a brace from Hernan Crespo as they went into the break with a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead. The result seemed beyond doubt, at least at that juncture.
However, the second half played out a a no script that was just incredible. Gerrard inspired a comeback as goals from his boot, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought the Reds on level terms at 3-3. Despite Liverpool clawing their way back into the game, there was one moment in extra time that could have swung the tie in Milan’s favour.
In the 117th minute, Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek made a match-winning double save from Andriy Shevchenko that instantly made him a Liverpool cult hero. As the cross was floated in from the left-hand side, Andriy Shevchenko’s header was expertly kept out by the Polish goalkeeper.
Despite pulling off the save, the ball was still in the danger zone and the Ukranian only had a simple tap in to win the game. However, at that moment, Dudek pulled off his biggest trick as the striker's follow up shot hit the keeper on his right palm and the ball ricocheted over the bar.
And, arguably, that was the moment when one felt that Liverpool’s name was engraved on the trophy. The game, subsequently, went into penalties where Dudek was once again the hero, saving Serginho, Pirlo and Shevchenko’s spot-kicks to hand Liverpool their 5th and their most memorable Champions League triumph.
