The top 10 goals of this past season’s edition of the Champions League have on Monday been announced by UEFA.
And Spanish football’s two biggest clubs feature prominently at the very top of the list.
The competition’s very best, as selected by ‘UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel’, comes in the form of Real Madrid star Federico Valverde’s sumptuous volley against Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
After being picked out on the far side of the penalty area by Vinícius Jr, Valverde directed an unerring first-time finish into the far corner of the net, crucial in Real Madrid’s eventual advancement at the expense of Man City.
And pipped to top spot comes a leading member of the attacking ranks at Los Blancos’ arch rivals, Barcelona.
Raphinha was also responsible for a wonderful volleyed finish in the Champions League’s quarter-finals, against Paris Saint-Germain.
Breaking the French champions’ backline courtesy of a perfectly-timed run, the Brazilian was found by substitute Pedri, for a gorgeous left-footed strike.
Elsewhere in the top-10 come a further pair of Real Madrid stars, in Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, as well as Blancos-bound Kylian Mbappé.
1 Federico Valverde (Real Madrid 3-3 Man City) – Quarter-final first leg, 09/04/2024
2 Raphinha (Paris 2-3 Barcelona) – Quarter-final first leg, 10/04/2024
3 Niclas Füllkrug (Dortmund 4-2 Atlético de Madrid) – Quarter-final second leg, 16/04/2024
4 Phil Foden (Real Madrid 3-3 Man City) – Quarter-final first leg, 09/04/2024
5 Bruma (Union Berlin 2-3 Braga) – Matchday 2, 03/10/2023
6 Kylian Mbappé (Real Sociedad 1-2 Paris) – Round of 16 second leg, 05/03/2024
7 Rodrygo (Real Madrid 4-2 Napoli) – Matchday 5, 29/11/2023
8 Jude Bellingham (Napoli 2-3 Real Madrid) – Matchday 2, 03/10/2023
9 Tetê (Galatasaray 2-2 Copenhagen) – Matchday 1, 20/09/2023
10 Alphonso Davies (Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern) – Semi-final second leg, 08/05/2024
Conor Laird | GSFN
