Off The Ball has teamed up with Pepsi Max who are bringing the Champions League Trophy to Ireland! The legendary piece of silverware lands on Irish soil on February 29th and March 1st, which is the first time Pepsi Max has brought it to Ireland!
Over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at the goals, rivalries, controversies and all the rest that makes the Champions League an unmissable part of our football calendar.
Second up, we go back through the archives to rank the beautiful art of the assist.
From Xavi, Pirlo, Ronaldinho, Scholes and Messi, the Champions League has long played host to world football's most beautiful technicians but amazingly none of the aforementioned players make our list.
5. Juan Mata v Wolfsburg, 2015
An admittedly dodgy opening to our list of greatest assists. While the pass itself is a moment of the highest class from Juan Mata, it's inarguably lucky to rank with some of the Champions League's greatest moments.
The first issue being Manchester United failed to progress past the group stages of the tournament that year. Secondly, the magical assist only occurs as a result of a scuffed shot from Bastian Schweinsteiger.
All that aside, with his back towards goal, Mata managed to hook the ball back with a reverse karate kick into the perfect vacuum between defenders and goalkeeper. And who was there to convert the incredible assist? None other than Chris Smalling.
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold v Barcelona, 2019
If Mata's entry was a genius moment in an inconsequential moment, Trent Alexander-Arnold's quick-taken corner against Barcelona was genius in a defining moment of Liverpool history.
Going into the match with a three-goal deficit from the first leg, Jurgen Klopp urged his side before the match to "just try" or "fail in the most beautiful way." What they mustered up was one of the tournament's greatest-ever comebacks, with Alexander-Arnold's inquisitive quick-thinking corner setting up Divock Origi for the crowning moment of the tie.
Walking away from the corner, the right-back suddenly turned and swung, catching the whole Barcelona defence off-guard for Liverpool's fourth goal on the night. That assist was a huge moment on the road to Liverpool's sixth Champions League.
3. Andrés Iniesta v Paris Saint Germain, 2015
No list of Champions League assists would be complete without including the defence lockpick that was Andrés Iniesta. Two years before his move to PSG, Neymar scored three goals against his future side across both legs of the 2015 quarter-final.
However, it was four-time Champions League winner Iniesta who was the star of the moment and perhaps no other European assist better showcases his ability to craft a goal-scoring opportunity out of thin air.
Picking up the ball in the middle of his own half, two sleights of the shoulder and a shuffle to his other foot see him beat three separate players. From there he surges into the opposing half teasing Marquinhos out of line with David Luiz.
Reacting, Luiz turns his body to face Iniesta and it's at that moment that the Spanish midfielder sees his opportunity to slip Neymar in and subsequently secure Barcelona's spot in the 2015 semi-finals.
2. Dennis Bergkamp v Juventus, 2001
Individual brilliance, Freddie Ljungberg's pink hair and commentary from Clive Tyldesley, what isn't to like about this classic Champions League goal?
Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp was never afraid to demonstrate his individual skill with the ball, and he had perhaps no finer Champions League moment than in Arsenal's 3-1 group stage win over Juventus.
His back to goal, the Dutchman dragged and caressed the ball from foot to foot luring two Juventus defenders to his sides.
With his opponents in place, one more drag-back saw them wrong-footed and Bergkamp goalside on his markers.
All that accomplished, a weighted, deft chip unleashed Ljungberg to lift the ball over an on-rushing Gianluigi Buffon.
1. Fernando Redondo v Manchester United, 2000
Everyone always recalls the brilliance of Brazilian Ronaldo against Manchester United as one of the Champions League's greatest-ever performances but it was his teammate Fernando Redondo's set up for Raúl three years earlier that tops our list of greatest Champions League assists.
Nutmegging Henning Berg with a backheel, Redondo sprinted in pursuit, recovering the ball just as it reached the end line before teeing it up 45 degrees across to Raúl. The assist led Alex Ferguson to question after the match whether Redondo had an invisible unfair advantage. "What does this player have in his boots? A magnet?” he asked reporters.
The brilliance of the assist was seemingly lost on Raúl though, rather than running to celebrate with his teammate who did all the heavy lifting with equal amounts of skill and grace, Raúl dashed to the other side of the pitch sliding on his knees to the plaudits of the crowd and arriving teammates.
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Pepsi Max is a proud partner of the UEFA Champions League. On the 29th February, Off The Ball will be running a skills challenge in association with Pepsi Max as we’ll have the Champions League trophy in Dundrum Shopping Centre with David Meyler and Damien Delaney judging the skills. The two former Irish internationals will also be in the Pavilions Shopping Centre on the 1st March for another skills challenge with the trophy, come down either day for your chance to win a signed football from Lionel Messi as well as other spot prizes! Maximum Taste. No Sugar #ForTheLoveOfIt
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