Istanbul heads list of Games of the Decade

January 1, 2010

Here’s a total random idea: go and choose the best five matches of the last 10 years – a lot easier said than done.

Where do you begin ? Do you only pick matches you have seen yourself ? As I am based in England, do I pick only matches
played in England, or as I am lucky enough to travel round the world and watch football do I go for international matches too.

Do you allow your personal preferences to come into it? After all, any fan could easily pick five great victories achieved by the team they support.

Well, I’ve weighed it up and gone for the bigger picture: any match played anywhere. It’s a totally subjective list with no “right” or “wrong” choices so here goes: Mike Collett’s Best Five Matches of the last decade:

Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3: The epic 2005 Champions League final which Liverpool won on penalties after fighting back from a 3-0 halftime deficit. Milan thought they had won the title — Liverpool, inspired by Steven Gerrard proved them wrong.

AS Monaco 8 Deportivo Coruna 3: An extraordinary match which set a Champions league scoring record in November 2003 and included four goals from striker Dado Prso on his 29th birthday.

Senegal 1 France 0: The stunning upset in the opening match that set the tone for much of the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.
Papa Bouba Diop scored the solitary goal that beat the reigning world champions.

Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1: On a night of pouring rain and unbearable tension in Moscow in May 2008, the two English teams battled to a draw in the Champions League final before John Terry’s penalty miss in the shootout led to United being crowned European champions for the
second time.

Liverpool 5 Alaves 4: The 2001 UEFA Cup final was a momentous match between the old European aristocrats from England and a little-heralded club from Spain that defied the odds to reach their only final. Liverpool completed a cup treble for the season when Delfi Geli conceded a golden goal own goal in extra time.

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