Greatest finals in the UEFA Champions League
Here's a look at a few of the best finals played during the UEFA Champions League.
Barcelona 2 - Arsenal 1 (2006)
Barcelona were the favourites’ going into the match considering they had been in top form throughout the season, while Arsenal had been struggling to find their rhythm that year. Arsenal’s goalkeeper Lehman was sent off in the eighteenth minute, but to every
one’s surprise it was Arsenal who opened the scoring. Sol Campbell rose highest to head in a Thierry Henry free-kick, which gave the Gunners the lead at half time.
In the second half Barcelona tried their level best to unlock the resilient Arsenal defence, but they were constantly being kept out. In the seventy sixth minute Eto’o finally scored for Barcelona, and then Juliano Belletti scored moments before the final
whistle to seal the game for his side. Barcelona lifted their second European crown, but they were given a run for their money throughout the game by Arsenal.
AC Milan 4 - Barcelona 0 (1994)
The score line suggests that this match was quite possibly the biggest blowout in the history of Champions Leagues finals. Barcelona were easily the favourites to win the title against an AC Milan, who were missing numerous key players such as Papin, Laudrup,
Van Basten and their captain Baresi. On the field however Milan quite simply destroyed Barcelona. They stunned every one as they ran riot and won by a four goal margin.
Manchester United 2 - Bayern Munich 1 (1999)
This was probably one of the all-time European epics. The match was dead locked between the two teams, but a deflected free kick by Mario Basler gave Bayern Munich the lead, and the Germans did their best to hold onto that lead for ninety minutes.
In injury time Manchester United had two moments of absolute magic to turn the game around and lift the coveted trophy. United won two corners off their German rivals, both of which were whipped in brilliantly by David Beckham, and were turned into the back
of the net by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. United had shocked the Nou Camp by pinching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Liverpool 3 - AC Milan 3 (2005) with Liverpool winning on penalties
The match that has been labeled as the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ was without a doubt the greatest final match to ever take place in the Champions League. Milan were the favourites going into the game, and they did that reputation no harm when they went three
goals up near the end of the first half. No one could have ever guessed what was going to happen in the next forty five minutes of football however.
Liverpool managed to pull off one of the greatest ever comebacks, when they scored three goals in the span of six second-half minutes. Milan were easily the better team on the night, but the spirit and fight shown by Liverpool could have overcome the greatest
of any team on that night. In the resulting penalty shootout, Jerzy Dudek pulled off a heroic display to help Liverpool lift their fifth European Cup with a 3-2 score line in the penalty shootout..
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