The UEFA Champions League /juːˈeɪfə ˈtʃæmpiənz ˈliːɡ/ known simply as the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe.^[1] It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the competition is the most watched annual sporting event worldwide, drawing over 300 million television viewers.

Leroy, the last-minute replacement for the injuredNicolas Anelka, scored twice for PSG as, following Jay-Jay Okocha’s fortunate opener, they established a 3-0 lead, Deportivo’s normally raucous Riazor stadium stunned to silence. Birmingham fans will wonder how Walter Pandiani could hold sway over European classics, but the substitute’s hat-trick of headers, along with a Diego Tristán goal, lead the most unbelievable of comebacks in the final half-hour

The great Barcelona side of Ronald Koeman, Hristo Stoichkov and Romario was expected to swat aside Fabio Capello’s Milan shorn of their hugely influential but suspended captain, Franco Baresi. Daniele Massaro scored twice in the first half as Milan dominated against their highly fancied opponents. Having set up Massaro’s second, Dejan Savićević deservedly capped a superb performance with the third, lobbing Andoni Zubizarreta. Marcel Desailly, in scoring the fourth, put his mark on a victory that made him the first player to win consecutive European Cups with different clubs

The phenomenon that was Ronaldo at his peak was given a standing ovation by the Old Trafford crowd after his hat-trick rendered United’s brave effort pointless. Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Steve McManaman all excelled in midfield for the Spanish side, prising open a United defence where the last line of defence was an unsure Fabien Barthez. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored his 14th Champions League goal of the season against his future club before David Beckham did the same, twice – but it was all just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic after Ronaldo’s display of power, pace and lethal finishing

Andriy Shevchenko and Kakha Kaladze put the Ukrainian side in the box seat with first-half goals only for Michael Tarnat to give the Germans a lifeline just before half-time with an extraordinary free-kick from 35 yards. Vitaliy Kosovksyi made it 3-1 on the restart before Steffan Effenberg fired home a trademark free-kick. The match was approaching its denouement when Carsten Jancker popped up inside the area to stun the majority of the 80,000 in the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Bayern were, of course, to be on the wrong end of such a comeback in the final against Manchester United

A hat-trick from Gerard López was the difference between these two sides after a pulsating match that saw the conventional first leg strategy of keeping it tight dispensed with at the Mestalla. Gerard’s first in the fourth minute came two minutes after his team-mate Miguel Ángel Angulo had opened the scoring. Simone Inzaghi halved the deficit before Gerard scored twice, either side of half-time. Marcelo Salas gave hope to the Italians before Claudio Lopez’s injury-time strike demoted the return leg to dead rubber status

Few expected thrills and spills when these two were pitted against each other for the fifth season in succession, which made the ludicrous 180 minutes that followed all the more joyous for the neutral, particularly the second instalment. Petr Cech forgot how to keep goal but Didier Drogba returned to his unplayable best. Each side’s Brazilian demonstrated nous from free-kicks in very different ways, Fernando Torres retreated, while Frank Lampard eventually excelled in a match that ebbed and flowed so much as to make even the armchair fan nauseous

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff proved within 20 minutes that Jose Mourinho could adopt a devil-may-care attitude when the mood struck, but by half-time Ronaldinho, still in his pomp and certainly in the mood, struck – once from the penalty spot and then with the most glorious of 20-yard belters, preceded by an arrogant shuffle and no discernable backlift. Petr Cech saved brilliantly from future team-mate Juliano Belletti, Andres Iniesta and Carlos Puyol before John Terry won the game with a trademark header

Never have Milan been made to look as feeble in defence as they were in the first 43 minutes of this match. Goals from Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque brought Deportivo level after they had lost the first leg 4-1 at San Siro. There was an inevitability to Gonzalez Fran’s second-half clincher as the Rossaneri’s defence was swept away in a blue and white cyclone

This match brings two words to mind: “Roy Keane” – his performance and the residual effect it had on his team-mates was astounding, but what shouldn’t be forgotten is, having drawn level after Filippo Inzaghi’s early brace via their talismanic captain and Dwight Yorke, Alex Ferguson’s side were ahead on away goals, but they kept attacking and Andy Cole’s late tap-in was a deserved winner

Behind 3-0 at half-time to goals from Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernan Crespo, a breathless six-minute spell and goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought Liverpool level. Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek excelled, not only in the shootout, but also with a stunning double save from Andriy Shevchenko at the end of normal time