UEFA Champions League 2014/15 Season Awards
By Ryan Wrenn
Best Goal
UEFA helpfully provides us with a handful of some of the best goals of the tournament. It’s tempting to simply just say Messi again – R.I.P. Jérôme Boateng – but let’s take a slightly different course here. Which of these spectacular goals had more of an impact? Messi’s of course contributed to Barcelona’s humbling of Bayern Munich, and Aaron Ramsey’s was part of a doomed comeback attempt by Arsenal against a surprising Monaco side. Ultimately, though, you can’t get more crucial than a goal in the Champions League final. Ivan Rakitić’s goal came at the end of a series of passes that included every single Barcelona outfield player but for Luis Suarez. Juve mostly did an excellent job containing the best of Barcelona throughout the first half of that game, but there’s simply no denying the team’s overall level of quality. As has so often been said about Barcelona before, to play against them is to die by a thousand cuts. Rakitić’s final ball past Gigi Buffon in the fourth minute of the game was about as vintage a Barcelona team goal as you’ll ever find.
Next: Best Game