Moments Fit For A Champions League Final

When the two teams meet at the Stade de France in Paris on May 28 for the 2022 Champions League final, the world will be watching.

It’s already attracted a certain level of drama following its relocation to the original venue planned – the Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg. But if it’s true to form we can expect plenty of excitement on the pitch too.

And, while you can read all about the football prediction about who might win right now, we’ll have to wait until May 28 to see if there are any events that come close to matching these.

Magnificent matches

2005 Final: Milan 3 – Liverpool 3 (Liverpool win 3-2 after penalties)

It’s been called “The Miracle of Istanbul” and it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see a match quite like it again. In the first minute Paolo Maldini’s goal for Milan set the tone. Then Herman Crespo dealt what looked like the killer blow with two goals before the end of the second half.

But Stephen Gerrard’s team were asked to step up to the plate, and they did. The captain opened Liverpool’s scoring in the second half with a header. Then, Vladimir Smicer followed this up with a long-distance shot that hit the target. Goal three came as the result of a penalty won by Gerrard and scored on the rebound by Xabi Alonso.

With the scores level, Milan fought back hard throughout extra time. But Liverpool held firm, taking it to penalties that, thanks to the brilliance of keeper Jerzy Dudek, they won making history in the process.

1994 Final: Milan 4 – Barcelona 0

The Barcelona team of the mid-1990’s was legendary – and were managed by the Dutch legend Johann Cruyff.  So, when they met the seriously depleted Milan team in 1994 the result was an almost foregone conclusion.

After a long season, the Italian team was missing key players including Marco van Basten, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. Fired up by the occasion, Milan played out of their skins and had a two-goal lead by half-time, courtesy of Daniele Massaro. Further goals in the second half from Dejan Sevicevic and Marcel Desailly cemented the victory that no-one could have anticipated.

2012 Final: Chelsea 1 – Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea win 4-3 after penalties)

Throughout the game Arjen Robben terrorised the defence of his former London club, ably assisted by Franck Ribery. At many points they seemed certain to score and, in the 83^rd minute, Thomas Muller finally put Bayern ahead.

They could have held on for seven more minutes to secure a victory – if Didier Drogba’s equaliser hadn’t taken the game to extra time, and Chelsea’s final dramatic victory in the penalty shoot-out.

Great goals

2002 Final: Bayer Leverkeusen 1- Real Madrid 2

Zinedine Zidane had joined the club that he later went on to manage in 2001 and, at the time, was the world’s most expensive player. But skilful as he was, the goal he scored at the 2002 final at Hampden Park even took him by surprise.

It was a volley with his weaker left foot that left Bayer’s keeper Hans-Jörg Butt sprawling on the ground and helped to secure a famous victory for Real Madrid.

2018 Final: Real Madrid 3 – Liverpool 1

Gareth Bale might be the player widely regarded as the one-man Wales squad, but his achievements have been equally spectacular in European football too.

Brought on in the 61^st minute of the game, within two minutes he had scored one of the most spectacular goals of his career, with his first-ever successful bicycle kick.

He went on to score Real’s third goal too, but it’s his first one that everyone remembers – and the one that probably earned him the Man of the Match award too.

Spectacular saves

2005 Final: Milan 3 – Liverpool 3 (Liverpool win 3-2 after penalties)

We’re back to “The Miracle of Istanbul” for this one. It would never have gone to penalties without Jerzy Dudek’s double save against Andriy Shevchenko. First, he fended off a powerful header but couldn’t control the ball. Then, on his knees, sheer reflexes allowed him to save the second shot too, propelling the team towards their victorious penalty shoot-out.

2001 Final: Bayern 1 – Valencia 1 (Bayern win 5-4 after penalties)

Oliver Kahn had to make no less than three saves in this particular shoot-out, helping the Germans to their first victory in a Champions League final for 25 years. Even more impressively, Kahn took time to console Valencia’s keeper, Santiago Canizares, after the matching, also winning himself the UEFA fair play award.

So, let’s hope that this year’s final does generate some more moments like these. And with Liverpool and Real Madrid still in the running to be winners, they could add to the spectacular achievements we’ve mentioned already.