Champions League games of the season: Which was your favourite?
Saturday, June 1, 2024
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Have your say on the best games of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign.
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The 2023/24 Champions League season was full of twists with 32 teams trying to plot their course from the group stage through to the showpiece at Wembley Stadium.
UEFA.com has picked out 11 games that summed up the drama of European football's elite club competition. Vote for your favourite below.
Bayern 4-3 Man United (Matchday 1)
A repeat of the famous 1998/99 final did not disappoint as Bayern and Man United played out a seven-goal thriller. Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry put the hosts in the driving seat, but Rasmus Højlund's first United goal offered the visitors hope. Harry Kane then converted a penalty in his first game against English opposition since his transfer from Tottenham, before Casemiro's double either side of Mathys Tel's finish in a grandstand end to a pulsating encounter.
Must-see moment: Casemiro's improvised flick past Sven Ulreich for his first goal.
Union Berlin 2-3 Braga (Matchday 2)
In an enthralling contest in Berlin, Braga came from 2-0 down to score an added-time winner and secure their first group stage victory since 2012. Sheraldo Becker's first-half double got Union up and running in their home Champions League debut, but Sikou Niakaté halved the deficit before Bruma's incredible strike drew Braga level. Both sides had chances to win it before André Castro's 94th-minute piledriver from just outside the box made the difference.
Must-see moment: Bruma's brilliant curled effort to make it 2-2 would be a goal of the season contender in any campaign.
Copenhagen 4-3 Man United (Matchday 4)
United found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline for the second time as Copenhagen mounted an extraordinary comeback on Matchday 4. Højlund scored two goals inside the opening 30 minutes against his old club, but after Marcus Rashford was sent off for United the Danes struck twice before half-time to level things up. A Bruno Fernandes penalty restored Erik ten Hag's side's lead only for Lukas Lerager to poke in and equalise again before Roony Bardghji's dramatic late winner settled this magnificent spectacle.
Must-see moment: Bardghji's strike, which made him the youngest player to score against United in the Champions League (17 years 358 days).
Sevilla 2-3 PSV Eindhoven (Matchday 5)
PSV came from 2-0 down to win this fascinating encounter thanks to an added-time Ricardo Pepi header. Veteran Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos got the 10,000th Champions League goal to open the scoring before Youssef En-Nesyri doubled the hosts' lead just after half-time. The dismissal of Sevilla's Lucas Ocampos completely changed the match, Ismael Saibari's beautiful volley halving the deficit before a Nemanja Gudelj own goal and Pepi's late intervention earned three points that took the Dutch side into the round of 16.
Must-see moment: Sergiño Dest's pinpoint cross, which was met with a precise side-foot volley into the top corner by Saibari.
Salzburg 1-3 Benfica (Matchday 6)
There was drama on the final matchday as an added-time Benfica goal secured them a third-place finish in Group D and progression to the Europa League knockout play-offs at the expense of their hosts. Knowing they needed to win by a two-goal margin, the Eagles made a blistering start, Ángel Di María and Rafa Silva putting them 2-0 up in the first half. But after the break Luka Sučić got a crucial goal back for Salzburg, and they held firm until the 93rd minute, when Arthur Cabral dramatically back-heeled in to spark scenes of jubilation for Benfica.
Must-see moment: Di María scoring directly from a corner with a bending effort to get Benfica going.
Atlético de Madrid 2-1 Inter, agg: 2-2 – Atlético won 3-2 on pens (Round of 16 second leg)
When Federico Dimarco thumped the Italian side into a 33rd-minute lead in Madrid, doubling their aggregate advantage, Diego Simeone's men looked set to exit the competition with a whimper. Atlético's famed resilience and spirit would come to the fore again though as Antoine Griezmann quickly levelled on the night and Memphis Depay drove in with three minute left to force extra time. Penalties ensued and Jan Oblak stood tall for the hosts, saving from Alexis Sánchez and Davy Klaassen before Lautaro Martínez's miss eliminated the 2023 finalists.
Must-see moment: Depay's textbook control into his stride and finish to force the contest into an additional 30 minutes.
Real Madrid 3-3 Manchester City (Quarter-final first leg)
This was only the second knockout match in Champions League history to feature three goals in the opening 14 minutes, Bernardo Silva's early free-kick finding the net first before Rúben Dias's own goal and Rodrygo's prod gave Madrid the lead. There were three goals in a 14-minute spell in the second half too with fine strikes from Phil Foden and Joško Gvardiol tipping the balance back in City's favour only for Federico Valverde to thump in a gorgeous volley to leave a pulsating tie locked at 3-3 heading to England for the return.
Must-see moment: Foden's stunning strike from outside the area which whistled into the top-corner 'postage stamp' to draw Pep Guardiola's men level at 2-2.
Barcelona 1-4 Paris, agg: 4-6 (Quarter-final second leg)
The French side had never prevailed on aggregate after losing a home first leg in UEFA competition and they looked unlikely to do so at the eighth attempt when Raphinha extended Barcelona's first-leg advantage. Ronald Araújo's 29th-minute red card opened the door though, and Luis Enrique's men stormed through it. Ousmane Dembélé struck before the interval and the French side strode to a landmark victory after the break thanks to a fine Vitinha strike and two efforts from Kylian Mbappé.
Must-see moment: Vitinha's thumping 20-metre strike past Marc-André ter Stegen in the 54th-minute to level the aggregate score.
Dortmund 4-2 Atlético de Madrid, agg: 5-4 (Quarter-final second leg)
Few games this season could claim to have quite so many plot twists as this return. Trailing from the first leg, Dortmund were ahead in the tie by half-time thanks to strikes from Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen. A desperate Diego Simeone made three half-time substitutions, and turned the tide through Mats Hummels' own goal and Ángel Correa. BVB had to mount a comeback all over again and, in the space of three minutes, repeated the feat through Niclas Füllkrug's header and Marcel Sabitzer's rasping drive.
Must-see moment: Füllkrug's textbook glancing header across Jan Oblak to make it 4-4 on aggregate in the 71st minute.
Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern, agg: 4-3 (Semi-final second leg)
Bayern seemed to have produced the sucker punch when Alphonso Davies thumped them in front midway through the second half of this decider but Madrid's never-say-die spirit in this competition rose to the surface in dramatic circumstances again. Joselu was the unlikely hero this time, coming off the bench to pounce on Manuel Neuer's spill in the 88th minute then turning in Antonio Rüdiger's cross a minute into added time to seal a place in the final.
Must-see moment: Coach Carlo Ancelotti joining his players in a rendition of the club anthem in front of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu fans after their victory.
Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid (Final)
It took until the 74th minute for Dani Carvajal to glance in a corner from Toni Kroos, making his final club appearance, to break the deadlock and give Real Madrid the edge at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti's charges had looked second best until that point as a dynamic Dortmund side had posed a constant threat, mounting rapid counterattacks throughout the first half. Seven minutes from time, Vinícius Júnior coolly fired in to wrap up Madrid's 15th European Cup success.
Must-see moment: Jude Bellingham in disbelief at full-time having won his first Champions League (and La Liga) in his first season in Spain.
