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Mandzukic volley among magnificent seven of best Champions League final goals

Saturday's Champions League final certainly lived up to its billing as the greatest game in club football, and there was one moment that will live long in the memory of those present in Cardiff.

Mario Mandzukic ended up on the losing side as Juventus succumbed to a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid but he will take some solace from the fact that he might well have scored the greatest goal in the history of the modern tournament's final matches.

The Croatia international's stupendous volley had the Principality Stadium on its feet and must even have drawn a wry smile from the watching Zinedine Zidane, who has previously been credited with the best strike in this showpiece.

So does Mandzukic's effort rank as the best among this esteemed company? We'll let you decide. To make matters somewhat simpler, we've kept it just to Champions League finals, so nothing from 1992 or earlier.

 

The clash in Athens was something of a rude awakening for Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team', the trophy holders and firm favourites going into the match.

Desailly is unfortunate not to make this list, with Savicevic edging out his team-mate thanks largely to the sheer audacity of his effort. 

 

Borussia Dortmund's triumph in Munich is better known for another goal – one that also features in this list – but this one is a stand-out from Alessandro Del Piero's mightily impressive back catalogue.

 

This was a final blessed with two memorable goals, the latter of which is widely regarded as one of the best in Borussia Dortmund's storied history.

With the score at 2-1 after Del Piero's moment of magic, the Germans were desperate to land a killer blow and seal their first European crown. Cue the arrival of substitute Lars Ricken.

"I'd been sitting on the bench, studying the game and I noticed that [Juventus goalkeeper] Angelo Peruzzi was always positioned far from his goal," he explained later. "I said: 'If I come on, the first thing I'm going to do is shoot, no matter where I am'."

He did. Within 16 seconds of appearing from the bench, 20-year-old Ricken collected Andreas Moller's pass on the break and rifled the ball up and over Peruzzi and into the net from close to 35 yards out.

 

The all-Spanish affair at Stade de France proved to be pretty one-sided, with Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul on the scoresheet to give Madrid their second Champions League crown.

Roberto Carlos' long throw into the penalty area was headed away to the edge of the box, where the England man arrived to connect with a first-time scissor-kick volley that flew beyond Santiago Canizares and into the bottom-right corner.

 

Lucio cancelled out Raul's eighth-minute opener to leave firm favourites Real Madrid in need of a moment of inspiration to get them back on track.

 

Arguably the greatest club team in history deserves to have an entry in this list. 

Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona claimed their second Champions League in three seasons by beating Manchester United at Wembley, the same opponents they defeated in 2009 in Rome.

While that had been a closely-fought affair, the match in London was more one-sided. Barca's opener through Pedro was cancelled out by Wayne Rooney but they fully deserved to regain the lead through Lionel Messi, before David Villa produced a moment of the highest quality.

 

Mario Mandzukic cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo's opener but Casemiro, Ronaldo again and Marco Asensio saw Real Madrid make history by becoming the first team to win the Champions League in consecutive seasons.

It is unlikely to make the bitterness of a second final defeat in three seasons more palatable, but Mandzukic's goal could go on to be regarded as one of the greatest ever scored in the competition.

The ball did not touch the ground from the moment the move started until it was in Keylor Navas' net. Leonardo Bonucci sent a raking long pass to Alex Sandro, who volleyed the ball across towards Gonzalo Higuain 12 yards out. 

The striker controlled and flicked it into Mandzukic's path and the Croatian chested it down and hooked a stunning overhead kick that sailed over Navas. Incredible.