Football

13/10/2009 - 10:45

Top 100: Greatest matches 50-41

Imago

Our countdown of the greatest football matches ever played continues with Tottenham becoming the first British side to claim a European trophy.

41. European Cup Winners' C up final 1963 - Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 Atletico Madrid

Remember the Cup Winners' Cup? Tottenham fans certainly do. This now defunct competition was the first European trophy to be won by a British side. Bill Nicholson's side made up for their semi-final exit to Benfica in the European Cup the previous season with this crushing victory in Rotterdam. Typically, Spurs' record goalscorer Jimmy Greaves got the opener with a clinical half-volley, with John White's strike into the roof of the net putting them two up. Less than a minute after the break Ron Henry's handball in the area gave Atletico a penalty, which Enrique Collar duly dispatched to get the holders back in the game. The Spaniards were revitalised, and Spurs had to weather the storm before Terry Dyson's speculative lob floated over goalkeeper Edgardo Madinabeytia to re-establish Tottenham's two-goal advantage. In the last 10 minutes Dyson set up Greaves's second before taking the ball from his own half and firing a rocket into the top corner to put the gloss on a glory glory night for Spurs.

42. Champions League quarter-final second leg 2009 - Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool (Chelsea win 7-5 on aggregate )

These two sides met for the fifth consecutive season in Europe, and it turned out to be a classic tie. Chelsea looked to have it sewn up after winning the first leg at Anfield 3-1. Both teams were missing their skippers - Steven Gerrard through injury and John Terry through suspension - which may help explain why the match was so open. Fabio Aurelio was canny enough to fire a low free-kick past the out-of-position Petr Cech to open the scoring, and Xabi Alonso's penalty gave Liverpool hope on the half-hour. After Cech's dodgy showing, it was Pepe Reina’s turn to make a costly clanger. The Spaniard fumbled Didier Drogba's shot over the line. Alex smashed an awesome free-kick to restore Chelsea's two-goal cushion, and when Frank Lampard finished from close range with 15 minutes remaining it looked all over. But a manic minute spell saw Lucas's strike deflect in off Michael Essien and Dirk Kuyt head home to make it 6-5 on aggregate, only for Lampard to score with a shot that bounced off both posts before crossing the line and finally settling a sensational tie.

43. World Cup quarter-final 1954 - Austria 7-5 Switzerland

Switzerland may be responsible for one of the most boring World Cup matches of all-time - their stale goalless draw with Ukraine in 2006, which they lost on penalties - but they were also part of the highest-scoring one when the 1954 hosts met neighbours Austria in Lausanne. The Swiss were 3-0 up after 20 minutes due to a three-minute blitz in which Robert Ballaman's goal was quickly followed by a brace from Sepp Huegi. Austria responded with brute force, Theodor Wagner and Robert Koerner scoring two each and Ernst Ocwirk adding another. Ballaman pulled one back to incredibly make it 5-4 at half-time. Wagner completed his hat-trick to restore Austria's two-goal lead after the break, with Huegi following suit just before the hour mark. The Lausanne crowd then had to wait a full 18 minutes before Erich Probst scored the 12th and final goal of a ludicrous match and ensure Austria progressed. Probst scored again in the semi-final but, unfortunately for him, eventual winners West Germany put six past them.

44. FA Cup final 1987 - Coventry City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur (aet)

Back in the days when unfashionable sides won trophies that weren't named after paint companies, Coventry got their hands on the FA Cup after a thrilling final at Wembley. The favourites went ahead in the second minute through Clive Allen, but Dave Bennett almost immediately equalised for John Sillett's side following chaos at the back from Spurs. Tottenham skipper Gary Mabbutt made it 2-1 from close range after goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic failed to meet a Glenn Hoddle free-kick. However, Keith Houchen's iconic diving header brought Coventry level a second time and an extra-time own-goal by the luckless Mabbutt sent the Cup to Highfield Road for the first and only time. Four years later, Mabbutt got his hands on the trophy as Tottenham beat Notthingam Forest in extra time. The winner was another own-goal, this time from Forest centre-back Des Walker.

45. Olympic semi-final 1996 - Nigeria 4-3 Brazil (aet )

Look, we know it was only the Olympics, but this semi-final was about as exciting as international football gets. Flavio Conceicao scored in the first minute with a deflected free-kick, before Roberto Carlos deflected a cross-shot into his own net to make it one-all. Bebeto tapped in after Joseph Dosu could only parry a Ronaldo shot, and Brazil looked well on the way to the final after Conceicao grabbed his second following a brilliant chested through-pass by Juninho. With 12 minutes remaining, Victor Ikpeba pulled one back from the edge of the box, then Nwankwo Kanu showed almost inhuman composure to equalise in the last minute. The languid striker collected a pass a couple of yards out, lifted it over Dida, spun and volleyed in. Kanu settled the encounter in the fourth minute of extra time, drilling a low shot in from 20 yards. Nigeria beat Argentina in the final and went to the 1998 World Cup among the favourites, but never topped their Olympic achievement.

46. Champions League 200 1 - Deportivo L a Coruna 4-3 Paris Saint-Germain

Deportivo enjoyed the greatest spell of its history at the turn of the century, and were reigning Spanish champions in the season of this cracking comeback at the Riazor. Struggling in the short-lived second group phase in a group that also featured Milan and Galatasaray, the Galician side were 3-0 down after 55 minutes as defensive mishaps were punished with a goal from Jay Jay Okocha and a brace from Jerome Leroy. However, inspired by Uruguayan hitman Walter Pandiani, Depor hit back. Pandiani scored first with a header before Diego Tristan scored on the hour mark, also with his head. Pandiani scored two more to seal a hat-trick of headers, the final one with six minutes remaining, to cap off a sensational comeback. Depor drew with Milan in their final group game to finish top of Group B and reach the knockout stage.

47. European Championship qualifier 1967 - England 2-3 Scotland

The famous defeat at Wembley was England's first since winning the World Cup the previous year. Scotland declared themselves the first 'unofficial world champions', a tag which continues to change hands whenever the current holders are beaten in any match, friendly or competitive. The 'title' is currently held by the Netherlands. Scotland's side contained four Celtic players who would become 'Lisbon Lions' the following month when they won the European Cup. Denis Law gave the Scots the lead in the first half, and when Bobby Lennox added a second on 78 minutes the match looked beyond England. Jack Charlton scored with six minutes remaining to give Alf Ramsey's side hope, but that was quickly dashed when James McAlliog restored Scotland's two-goal lead. England's World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst responded with a goal soon after, but they day belonged to the Tartan Army. It proved to be one of many false dawns for Scotland, England went on to top the group and qualify for the finals in Italy the following year.

48. First Division 1978 - Manchester United 3-5 West Bromwich Albion

This rollicking eight-goal encounter helped cement West Brom's reputation as one of English football's most formidable sides. Led by Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis, who as black players were booed throughout, they came from 3-2 down to secure a famous win. The highlights (just type 'Man Utd 3 West Brom 5' into a popular video site) are worth watching not just for the goals, but for Gerald Sinstadt's old-school commentary and the post-match interviews in which Baggies boss Ron Atkinson is asked to name the man of the match. "If there's a bottle of champagne, I'll have it!" Big Ron jokes, before finally awarding it to "one of the two coloured front people. I think Cyrille Regis." Atkinson later admitted he gave his half-time team talk thinking his side were 3-2 down, before Tony Brown reminded him he had equalised with the last kick of the first period. West Brom finished third in the First Division table and reached the UEFA Cup last eight. United had to wait another 15 years for a league title.

49. Champions League 2003 - Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruna

"Unthinkable" was how coach Didier Deschamps described this mauling in Monte Carlo; the aggregate 11 goals setting a Champions League record that may never be beaten. Even more amazingly, Monaco's destroyer-in-chief was Dado Prso, celebrating his 29th birthday. The Croatian netted a first-half hat-trick, and scored a fourth on 49 minutes. Jerome Rothen, Ludovic Giuly, Jaroslav Plasil and Edouard Cisse scored Monaco's other goals, while Diego Tristan (two) and Lionel Scaloni were on target for Depor, who took off goalkeeper Jose Molina at half-time when trailing 5-2. Both sides ended up qualifying from Group C; Depor pulled off one of the greatest comebacks ever to knock out Milan in the quarter-finals, while Monaco toppled Real Madrid and Chelsea on their way to the final, where they lost to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

50. Premier League 2004/05 - Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal

Talk about a baptism of fire. Martin Jol's first game as Tottenham boss was this extraordinary North London derby against an Arsenal side on their way to an unbeaten season. Spurs came closer than most to toppling the Gunners, but could not cope with the awesome firepower of Arsene Wenger's team. The sides went into the break at 1-1, but Lauren soon scored from the penalty spot after a farcical mix-up between Paul Robinson and Ledley King, then Patrick Vieira made it 3-1. Jermain Defoe instantly reduced the arrears with a stunning shot from the edge of the box but Freddie Ljungberg restored the two-goal advantage on 69 minutes. King gave Spurs hope once more before Robert Pires struck for 5-3. Freddie Kanoute scored the seventh goal of an extraordinary second half but Spurs fell just short. And to think Jol was sacked for finishing fifth...

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