UEFA Champions League: The 50 Best Goals in Champions League History

We all love a good goal, and the Champions League has produced some crackers over the years.

Whilst the last few years worth are still relatively fresh in the mind, some of these strikes had been thrown on the rubbish pile—a former memory of a game that took place long ago.

Refreshed and revived, here are 50 of the best goals in Champions League history with one word—for the most part—to describe them.

50. Roy Makaay

How or why Roy Makaay decided to hit this volley with his right foot I'll never know. It seems the end justified the means in this instance.

Watched.

49. Sonny Anderson

A bit of one-two football at it's finest. This is why coaches teach one touch football, it just cuts defences to ribbons.

Joint effort.

48. Mauro Camoranesi

When you chest the ball down 20 yards out from goal with no-one closing you down, why not have a pop?

Cameronesi did and it certainly paid off.

Dipping.

47. Juan Sebastian Veron

One of Juan Sebastian Veron's better days in a Manchester United shirt.

The finish is the type of skill that made Alex Ferguson buy the Argentinian in the first place.

Justified.

46. Deivid De Souza

There's probably not a goalkeeper on the planet that could have saved this shot from Deivid Da Souza.

There's long range and then there's this.

Screamer.

45. Dejan Stankovic

When your goalkeeper rushes out and heads the ball to the half-way line, you'd expect the danger to have passed.

Not with Dejan Stankovic on the field.

Bold.

44. Eran Zahavi

I've never heard of this guy but I'll be keeping a weather eye out from now on.

An impressive bicycle kick that didn't get as much media coverage as it deserved.

Adaptable.

43. Tino Costa

Tino Costa gained a bit of a reputation for his long range efforts on goal. When he get's them right, they are extremely dangerous.

Exocet.

42. Thomas Muller

Thomas Muller seemed almost surprised when this goal curled in. His celebration would have been better served with a nonchalant hand in the air.

A superb outside-of-the-boot effort.

Curvy.

41. Kareem Benzema

Make a mistake in the Champions League and you're likely to get punished.

Give the ball to Kareem Benzema in the penalty area and you're likely to get punished.

Do both and you might as well get on the coach home already.

Clinical.

40. Hernan Crespo

How calm would you be when you had this opportunity to score in the Champions League final?

Everything about Hernan Crespo says cool, calm and collected.

Aesthetics.

39. Lionel Messi

Quite what Cesc Fabregas was thinking when he gave the ball away here I don't know. 20 yards from goal against Barcelona is a dangerous place to lose possession.

Sloppy.

38. Aleksandr Ryazantsev

Everyone knows that hitting a ball that is rolling across you is difficult. Now add about 40 yards to the equation, facing the Barcelona goalkeeper.

Unstoppable.

37. Ryan Babel

One of Ryan Babel's more memorable moments from his Liverpool days. Many fans thought he never really got a fair crack of the whip.

This goal suggests he had more to offer.

Tester.

36. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has become known for his trademark free-kicks. Here is a classic example of his devastating prowess from a set piece.

Scorcher.

35. Marco Streller

Perhaps the Manchester United goalkeeper wasn't at his best, but Marco Streller still had a difficult bouncing ball to dispatch. He did just that.

Finish.

34. Wayne Rooney

People questioned Wayne Rooney's contribution's in previous finals, but here he steps up and delivers. A deft side footed finish.

Aplomb.

33. David Villa

David Villa is still hopeful of making the Spain squad for Euro 2012. Here is a reminder of why he is so important.

Pinpoint.

32. Ivan Perisic

I don't think Ivan Perisic's own team mates expected him to do this, and seemingly neither did the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Quality.

31. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is often touted as one of the best players that has ever kicked a football.

Here he dances past four of Real Madrid's best players before scoring.

Best ever.

30. George Weah

George Weah was the stuff of legend back in the day.

Here he tries his hand at hurdling before scoring another memorable goal.

Hurdles.

29. Lars Ricken

Believe it or not, this was practically Lars Ricken's first touch since coming on the pitch as a substitute.

Confident much? Superb lofted finish leaves the goalkeeper in no-man's land.

Soundtrack.

28. Robin Van Persie

Robin Van Persie could well be playing for Barcelona next season if Arsenal don't tie up his contract soon.

The Dutchman powers this shot home from an acute angle.

Tight.

27. David Villa

"Villa...Villa...Villa," is the cry from the commentator.

Well it was a special goal from a special player.

Villa.

26. Claudio Lopez

When the ball is in the air for an extended amount of time and dropping over your shoulder where a defender and goalkeeper await your first touch, concentration is everything.

Claudio Lopez shows how it's done.

Concentration.

25. Marc Overmars

If you can't count past 10, don't even bother to try and count how many passes Barcelona make before scoring this goal.

Liverpool just can't get near them.

Sumptuous.

24. Charles-Edouard Coridon

Has anyone in the history of football scored a goal like this? Seriously watch it again. That's not normal.

Don't try this at home.

23. Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry is master of the sublime and chief of the cheeky. Here he combines the two to devastiting effect.

Surprising? Perhaps not to the viewers at home.

Record breaker.

22. Fernando Torres

Despite Gary Neville's excited commentary, Fernando Torres' goal actually was pretty good.

His control from a skied ball was perfect, his pace was unmatched, his finishing...deadly.

Orgasmic.

21. Paul Scholes

Manchester United fans were delirious when Scholes announced his decision to withdraw his retirement plans for another season.

His long range strike against Barcelona was top drawer and top corner.

Splice.

20. Peter Crouch

He's tall, he's gangly but Peter Crouch can still be deadly.

Will he ever score another goal as difficult as this? Just technically superb.

Lanky.

19. Lucho Gonzalez

Lucho Gonzalez displays his volley striking expertise with this thunderbolt. Sometimes you just have to bow down to class.

Range.

18. Cristiano Ronaldo

Arsenal fans really despised Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Manchester United, largely because he would do things like this.

Another free-kick, same old result.

Dispatched.

17. Samuel Eto'o

Now earning mega-money at Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala, Samuel Eto'o actually used to play for the enjoyment of the sport.

We enjoyed too when he provided moments like this.

Lofty.

16. Gheorge Hagi

Gheorge Hagi was one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders of the 80's and 90's, and probably the best Romanian players of all time.

Here's why.

Screamer.

15. Michael Essien

Michael Essien is not really revered for his goal-scoring prowess. In fact he rarely scores period.

Chelsea fans are thankful that he saved this one for Barcelona.

Volleyed.

14. Raul

It's not the finish that's so impressive, it's the skill from Fernando Redondo to make it happen. A moment of brilliance is sometimes what wins a game.

Easy.

13. Mikael Nilsson

One of my personal favourites.

Mikael Nilsson get's so much bend on this shot that it nearly comes back to him.

Banana.

12. Freddie Ljungberg

The goal will be credited to Freddie Ljungberg, but Dennis Bergkamp get's the hat-tip for creating this one.

A lesson in close control and passing.

Deft.

11. Hugo Almeida

Have you ever seen a free-kick hit with such ferocity? I'm not even sure that the goalkeeper has realised it's gone in yet.

Absolutely smashed home.

Distance.

10. Mancini

Try and count Mancini's lollipops and you'll probably fall on the floor from being too dizzy.

The finish reeks of a man with confidence.

Lollipops.

9. Jean Pierre Papin

One of the great instinctive finishes from Jean Pierre Papin. He had no other choice other than to lace it goal-wards.

We're all glad he did.

 Instinctive.

8. Andy Cole

Andy Cole's partnership with Dwight Yorke at Manchester United was a deadly combination.

The two great friends just understood each other so well. Here is one of their typical one-two passing moves that defenders can't cope with.

Combination.

7. Jari Litmanen

Jari Litmanen pulled all the strings for Ajax back in the day. Occasionally he scored sublime goals too.

Celebration.

6. Dejan Savicevic

When you rob a defender and find yourself through on goal, no-one expects you to pass.

Nobody expects you to do this either.

Stolen.

5. Steven Gerrard

With time running out and your team needing a goal to progress, it doesn't get any better than a Steven Gerrard half-volley from 25 yards.

Take a bow son.

Critical.

4. Ronaldinho

There is no-one in the world who danced like Ronaldinho in his prime.

Petr Cech just didn't see this one coming.

Tricky.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

There comes a certain point on the football field where you think that someone is too far away to shoot. Normally that range is around 30 yards.

Not for Ronaldo.

Incredible.

2. Mauro Bressan

Are my eyes deceiving me? A bicycle kick from 30 yards?

Mauro Bressan knows how to score in style—even against lesser opposition. Oh it was Barcelona?

Athletic.

1. Zinedine Zidane

If you're going to score a volleyed goal in a Champions League final, why not do it with your supposed weaker foot.

That's just what Zinedine Zidane decided to do.

Simply sublime.

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