7 Players Who Have Scored Vital Goals Against Their Former Club
Robin van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all world-class superstars and they all share a very common trait.
All three of those star forwards have scored vital goals against their former clubs.
Who else besides these three giants of the game have netted crucial goals against their past employers?
Continue reading to check out the seven players that scored vital goals versus their former sides.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Manchester United
1 of 7
When: March 5, 2013
When the round of 16 draw was announced for the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League, the main story was Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford.
After scoring at home in the first leg for Real Madrid, Ronaldo killed off the Red Devils in the return leg in Manchester with a 69th-minute goal.
Instead of celebrating the goal, Ronaldo shrugged off his teammates in respect of the club that did so much for him in the past.
David Villa vs. Barcelona
2 of 7When: August 21, 2013
David Villa's debut for Atletico Madrid was quite a meaningful one, as he opened the scoring in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup back in August.
Villa's stunning goal put Atletico ahead in the clash that was expected to be dominated by the Catalans.
After 180 minutes of play over two legs, Barcelona won in dubious fashion on away goals. However, without the goal from Villa, a threat would have never been mounted by Los Colchoneros.
Craig Bellamy vs. Manchester City
3 of 7When: January 25, 2012
Craig Bellamy is a player who has a plethora of former clubs, and while he was playing for Liverpool in 2012, he scored a massive goal against his old mates at Manchester City.
In the second leg of the League Cup semifinal, Bellamy handed the Reds a 3-2 win on aggregate with his 74th-minute strike.
In the final of the competition that season, Bellamy and Liverpool defeated his current club, Cardiff City, on penalties.
Alan Shearer vs. Blackburn Rovers
4 of 7When: November 11, 1998
During the 1990s, Alan Shearer was one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world.
Before he joined Newcastle United in 1996, a club he spent over a decade at, Shearer played for Blackburn Rovers.
His former and then-current sides collided in the round of 16 in the League Cup back in 1998, and it was Shearer who opened the scoring and set the tone.
The ninth-minute header from the Englishman gave the Magpies an early lead at St. James' Park that would end up being squandered 21 minutes later.
The match went to penalties after a 1-1 draw decided nothing. Shearer's former side eventually got the last laugh.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs. Inter
5 of 7When: November 14, 2010
Few characters in world football are as polarizing as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Few players in the history of Italian football have played for both Milan clubs, AC Milan and Internazionale, which is an achievement Zlatan has accomplished during his career.
In his first Milan derby as a member of the Rossoneri, it was Ibrahimovic who drew an early penalty by dropping to the ground after a tackle by Marco Materazzi.
To add to the misery of Inter, Ibrahimovic stepped to the spot and blasted home the penalty kick that would eventually be the deciding goal of the match.
Denis Law vs. Manchester United
6 of 7When: April 27, 1974
Few players have crossed the Manchester divide, but Denis Law did just that by playing for both Manchester United and Manchester City.
Law played just one full season with City at the beginning of his career before moving to Torino, and then eventually Manchester United.
The Scottish forward turned into a scoring machine while playing for United, but his goal against the Red Devils at the end of the 1973-74 season may be his most memorable in a match involving the Old Trafford club.
With United needing a win over City to have a chance at avoiding relegation, Law scored in the 81st minute to hand the Citizens a win and dump his former side to the Second Division, which would have happened anyway since Birmingham City won their match on that day to seal United's fate.
Robin van Persie vs. Arsenal
7 of 7
When: November 3, 2012
Before being the innocent party in the halftime shirt swap seen around the world, Robin van Persie struck three minutes into his first match against Arsenal as a member of Manchester United.
The Dutchman, who spent eight seasons with the Gunners, took advantage of a defensive error by Per Mertesacker and slotted home a goal to hand his current club the early lead.
Just like many players on this list, Van Persie refused to celebrate in respect for his former club.
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