Top 10 Champions League Games

jonjoward1998
May 31, 2025
8 min read

It's the Champions League final this weekend and to mark the occasion I've decided to do another Champions League related top 10.

The final Champions League top 10 is Champions League games.

The Champions League has produced many incredible games over the years at pretty much every stage of the competition, including the qualifying rounds despite them not being remembered.

We were lucky enough to witness one very recently in the second leg of the semi final between Barcelona and Inter Milan. But that game unfortunately is not on the list as I did the list a few months ago but if I had done this top 10 next season, I'm sure that I would've included it and had it high up the list.

Now here is the list:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham - 2019

Man City 4-3 Real Madrid - 2022

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool - 2009

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan - 2005

Man City 4-3 Tottenham - 2019

Juventus 2-3 Man United - 1999

Man City 5-3 Monaco - 2017

Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich - 1995

Hamburg 4-4 Juventus - 2000

Man United 2-1 Bayern Munich - 1999

Man United 2-1 Bayern Munich

I've written about this game on two previous Champions League top 10's in moments and finals and it's getting another mention in this one.

Man United were being outplayed by Bayern for most of the game and it wasn't until the final minutes of the game when they put Bayern under serious pressure, and made it an exciting game.

They looked set to lose the final heading into stoppage time despite putting all that pressure on Bayern during the latter stages of normal time. But in a matter of minutes, the game was turned on it's head as Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped off the bench and scored the goals that won the cup for United.

Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich

This game was the second leg of a semi final and it was in this leg where all the goals were scored after a goalless first leg in Munich.

Ajax were in complete control in the first half as they went 3-1 ahead and they further established their dominance early in the second half when Jari Litmanen got his second goal just a couple of minutes in.

Mehmet Scholl's penalty in the 75th minute for Bayern halved the deficit and they soon went for it by creating a number of good chances.

But Marc Overmars made sure of the win for Ajax with his strike a couple of minutes from time to send them into the final.

Ajax would go on to win the Champions League that season by beating AC Milan in the final and their team that year was exciting as it had the likes of Seedorf, Kanu, De Boer, Overmars and Kluivert.

Juventus 2-3 Man United

Man United were 2-0 down inside 11 minutes of this semi final through two Filippo Inzaghi goals and a lot of people must've been thinking that there was no way back for them.

But Roy Keane got them back in the game when he headed in David Beckham's corner in the 24th minute to give United hope, before Dwight Yorke headed in Andy Cole's ball into the box to draw the game level 10 minutes later.

United were going through to the final on away goals as things stood heading into the final minutes of the ball, but Cole made sure of the win when he scored from a tight angle after Dwight Yorke was brought down by the keeper, only for the referee to play the advantage.

This game showed how good a team spirit United had during the 1998/99 season and it all came from the manager in Alex Ferguson.

They would go on to complete the treble that season and they showed that team spirit once again in the final.

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

One of the finest nights in Spurs' history and the one that put them in the final.

Spurs were trailing 2-0 at half time as Ajax dominated the first half and a lot of people thought that it was going to be the Dutch side who would go through.

But Spurs responded brilliantly in the second half as Lucas Moura scored twice inside six minutes to level score and turn the game around. He would later complete his hat trick in stoppage time to complete an incredible comeback for Spurs to send them into the final on away goals.

I don't think any one expected them to beat this incredibly exciting Ajax side who had some exciting young talents in their side in Matthijs De Ligt, Donny Van De Beek, and Frenkie De Jong. They also had Dusan Tadic who was their main man that season with the goals he scored.

They had already knocked out two giants in Real Madrid and Juventus in the previous rounds which made them the favourites in this game. But Spurs defied the odds in brilliantly coming from behind to win the game and reach the final.

The Ajax players were absolutely devastated at full time after looking at their body language at full time.

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea and Liverpool have played each other a few times in the Champions League and it's where the rivalry between the two sides started. Especially in the 2005 semi finals when Luis Garcia scored that ghost goal at Anfield.

In this game which was the second leg of a Quarter Final, Liverpool were trailing 3-1 on aggregate and they started the second leg very strongly as they went 2-0 up at half time through a Fabio Aurelio free kick and a Xabi Alonso penalty.

After those two goal levelled the tie on aggregate, Chelsea started the second half strongly and went back in front in the tie when Didier Drogba poked home from a tight angle before a brilliant free kick from Alex levelled the score on the night.

Frank Lampard made sure of the blues' place in the final with his first goal in the 76th minute which put Chelsea ahead before Liverpool regained the lead through goals from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt to get themselves back in the tie.

But Lampard ended any hopes of a Liverpool comeback when he stroked home into the bottom corner just inside the penalty area.

I probably should've had this game higher given how crazy it was.

Man City 4-3 Real Madrid

This game truly was a classic. It was end to end, both teams were going for it, and there were plenty of goals.

City off to to the perfect start when Kevin De Bruyne headed in Riyad Mahrez's cross after just two minutes before Gabriel Jesus put them 2-0 up nine minutes later.

Karim Benzema pulled one back for Real before half time with his volley in the 33rd minute and it was in the second half where the goals flowed.

Phil Foden restored City's two-goal lead when he headed in Fernandinho's cross towards the beginning of the second half, only for it to be halved a couple of minutes later by Vinicius Junior after he collected the ball inside his own half before going on a run and scoring the goal.

City restored their two-goal lead yet again when Bernardo Silva scored a brilliant strike from into the roof of the net. But Real pulled another goal back through a Karim Benzema penalty.

This game will have kept fans on the edge of their seats because of the drama and end to end action seen in the game.

Man City 5-3 Monaco

This game was one that summed up both teams at the time with Man City being a side who were good going forward but vulnerable at the back. This game was in their first season under Pep where they did have problems and especially in defence.

The Monaco side at the time were one of the best attacking teams in Europe and had some exciting young players in it, including an 18 year-old Kylian Mbappe, who announced himself on the European stage in this competition in this very season, then-future City player Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

City were leading the game through Raheem Sterling after he poked home Leroy Sane's low cross in the 26th minute. But they were soon pegged back as Radamel Falcao equalised for Monaco with a diving header before an Mbappe put the French side ahead before half time.

In the second half, Monaco missed the chance to go 3-1 when Falcao missed from the spot as his penalty went straight at the keeper. But he soon made amends for it over 10 minutes later with a delightful chip over Willy Caballero in the City goal to put them back in front after Sergio Aguero levelled for City.

Aguero netted another later on when he volleyed in David Silva's corner to level the score before John Stones put City ahead for only the second time in the game when he poked in at the back post from Yaya Toure's flicked on header.

Sane made sure of the win for City towards the end to give City the advantage after placing in Aguero's pass.

Man City 4-3 Tottenham

This game had everything. Goals, VAR controversy and plenty of drama.

The start of the game was hectic as four goals were scored inside the opening 12 minutes of the game with Raheem Sterling putting City ahead after just 4 minutes before a quick-fire double from Heung Min Son three minutes later put Spurs ahead. City responded straight away from Bernardo Silva a minute after Son got his second.

City would go into half time 3-2 up after Sterling got his second in the 21st minute. They would they had the game won when Sergio Aguero scored after thumping home to put City 4-2 up.

But Spurs bagged another through Fernando Llorente which was checked by VAR for a potential handball. But goal stood as the ball came off his knee even though the hand was quite close.

VAR was involved yet again as they denied Raheem Sterling his hat trick in injury time due to Aguero being in an offside position in the lead up to the goal.

It was an incredible if not crazy game that was dominated by VAR.

Hamburg 4-4 Juventus

This game was just incredible and a brilliant way to kick off the 2000/01 Champions League campaign as it was in the opening week of the competition.

A lot of people were expecting this game to be a one sided affair because of the difference in quality to be the two teams, but it was anything but a one sided affair.

Juventus appeared to be in control of the game early in the second half when Filippo Inzaghi got his second goal of the game to put them 3-1 up.

But Hamburg soon made more of a game of it and got themselves back into it when Mehdi Mahdavikia bundled the ball over the line following a brief tussle for the ball.

The German side soon pulled off an unlikely come back as keeper Hans-Jorg Butt scored from the penalty spot to level the score before Nico Kovac was left in plenty of space to score the goal to put them ahead.

But they weren't able to see the game out as they conceded a penalty late in the game which was converted by Inzaghi who completed his hat trick.

The Hamburg side didn't have any well known players in their team, but for them to come from behind lead a Juventus side with the likes of Zidane, Inzaghi and Edgar Davids was just incredible.

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan

Another Champions League top 10, another place at no.1 for the 2005 final.

I had to have it at no.1 for this top 10 because it's for me the most iconic game on the list.

Liverpool were outplayed by Milan in the first half and it looked like the game was already over at half time because of how dominant and in control Milan were.

But from out of nowhere, Liverpool pulled off the unexpected in coming from 3-0 down to level the score to 3-3 in just seven minutes before going on to win on penalties.

Steven Gerrard was the mastermind behind this comeback as he rallied his team at half time, and single handedly inspired them to pull off the most unlikeliest of comebacks against an incredible Milan side that included the likes of Maldini, Stam, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf and Shevchenko.

This game is without a doubt the greatest Champions League final in history and for me the greatest Champions League game in history.

MY TOP 10: