CL Smooth: The Top 20 Champions League Group Stage Moments

None

CL Smooth: The Top 20 Champions League Group Stage Moments

Coridon's Scorpion Kick

What would happen if a scorpion could play soccer? Maybe more goals like this?

The Night of 36 Goals

One night, eight matches, 36 goals. Defensive soccer went out of the window and teams adopted all-out attack. Steaua Bucharest

Sharpe's Backheel

Manchester United had never been beaten in a home match in European competition when Barcelona came to town in 1994. With just 10 minutes remaining, United was 2-1 down, and it took this piece of magic from gifted left winger Lee Sharpe to preserve the record. "Backheeler, ho, ho," as the commentator puts it.

Asprilla Inspires Geordies

Colombian forward Faustino Asprilla was undoubtedly gifted, but had a troubled time in Newcastle—some blamed his arrival for destabilizing the club

Bayern Turnaround in Turin

As turning points in a season go, this is up there with the best of them. Bayern was struggling domestically and needed a win against Juventus just to get out of the group stage in Europe. Manager Louis van Gaal had reportedly been given just four games to save his job. Things began badly when the Italians struck after 19 minutes, but goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt kick-started a comeback with a 30th-minute penalty. After a remarkable 4-1 win, Bayern

Rubin Shock Barca

Barcelona was the best side in the world, enjoying a record-breaking year that would ultimately see the Catalans lift their sixth trophy when crowned World Champions after winning the Club World Cup a couple of months after this match. Rubin Kazan was...erm...anybody? Right, apparently CL debutants from western Russia. So, this 2-1 Rubin win can

Mourinho's Knee Slide

In Jose Mourinho

Deportivo 4 PSG 3

Deportivo de La Coruna had a couple of seasons in the sun, lighting up the Champions League with superb attacking play. Here, PSG raced to a 3-0 lead at the fantastically named Estadio Riazor (watch out for a brilliant goal from Laurent Leroy, and a fresh-faced Mikel Arteta) but Deportivo realised that with 33 minutes left, they may as well give it a go. Four goals, all headers, meant the Spaniards pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks. Brilliant how the noise from the home crowd cranks up a notch with every goal.

Ronaldinho's Back Pass

Forget Lionel Messi: For two, maybe three seasons, Ronaldinho was the shit. He

Longest Overhead Kick Ever

OK, the goalkeeping is pretty crap, but let

The Hardest Shot

In April 2005, flares thrown onto the field during the Inter v AC Milan Champions League quarter-final caused the match to be abandoned. Why are we telling you this? Because it meant Inter had to play their next few matches behind closed doors (minus a few special guests), all creating the eerie echoey stadium that makes this free kick by Porto

Rooney's Debut

Manchester United had splashed the cash to bring Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford, but a foot injury sustained at Euro 2004 meant his debut was delayed...and the hype grew and grew. Was he up to playing for a big club on the biggest stage? Or would nerves get the better of him on his big night? A hat trick in a 6-2 win over Fenerbahce–despite lining up alongside less-than-successful United alumni Kleberson and David Bellion–was the resounding answer. It said YES.

Gerrard Rescues Liverpool

Minutes away from going out of the Champions League at Anfield against Olympiakos, Steven Gerrard decided the time was right to go for one of his "Hollywood" strikes. Commentator Andy Gray seemed to like it, and Liverpool

Eleven Goals, 90 Minutes

Monaco 8 Deportivo de La Coruna 3: Don

Sheva's Camp Nou Hat Trick

Andrei Shevchenko has been one of the greatest strikers to ever grace the competition. In 1997, the world got an early glimpse of what the then 21-year-old could do. Dynamo Kiev went to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona; by halftime, their young striker had bagged a hat trick. The Ukrainians went on to beat a team containing Luis Figo and Rivaldo, 4-0.

Cole and Yorke Combine

Perhaps the greatest Champions League group of all time saw Barcelona, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich all together in 1998/99. United had already drawn 3-3 with the Spaniards and 2-2 with Bayern when they traveled to the Camp Nou for yet another fantastic encounter–and another 3-3. The pick of the goals encapsulated the sort of dual-striker play from Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke that took United to the treble (Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup) that season. When pundits bemoan the demise of striking partnerships, this is why.

Hamburg 4 Juventus 4

The only 4-4 draw in the history of the Champions League group stage swung back and forth throughout the 90 minutes. Juve were 3-1 up at the break thanks to two strikes from Pippo Inzaghi, but Hamburg hit back, eventually leveling at 3-3 with a penalty from goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt (yep, him again). The Germans went 4-3 up with eight minutes to go, but Inzaghi completed his hat trick from the spot to tie things up with just two minutes to play. Questions? Yes, that is Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti managing Juve and Edwin van der Sar in goal.

Papin Strikes

French forward Jean-Pierre Papin has never really been ranked as highly amongst Europe

The Banana Shot

Before balls like the Jabulani were designed to dip and swerve in flight, Mikael Nilsson produced the perfect banana shot in this game between Gothenburg and PSV. Hey, keeper: You better WATCH FOR THE HOOK!

The Greatest Comeback

Liverpool

Latest in Sports