This post is obviously inspired by today’s game (wtf was that??), but what are the games that truly amazed you, even if your favorite time team didn’t play? Let me start with several examples, some of which are not from the EPL:
- Man Utd 4:3 Man City (2009) - an insane encounter and it always felt United couldn’t win, but they did, and that Owen goal was awesome!
- Netherlands 2:3 Czech Republic (EURO 2004) - if you didn’t watch this one, you should! Robben still had hair and it was one of the most magnificent games of football I’ve ever seen!
- Alaves 4:5 Liverpool (UEFA Cup Final 2001) - I’ve never thought I would be that heartbroken for a team I’ve never watched before!
- Milan 3:3 Liverpool (the Miracle of Istanbul) - obviously.
- Crystal Palace 3:3 Liverpool (2014) - Liverpool went 3 up and decided they should try to erase a -8 goal difference to catch Man City. They paid the price, but damn, the game was worth watching!
- Blackpool 4:3 Bolton Wanderers (2011) - omfg, Ian Holloway’s Blackpool were entertaining as fuck, how I wish they stayed for at least another season … this game is probably my favorite from a season that featured a bunch of great matches.
I remember a mate coming round to my old house and him & my housemate wanted to watch the Plan B movie - Ill Manors. I was watching Reading v Arsenal in the League Cup and at that point Reading were 3-0 up.
I’d heard the movie was pretty bad, but offered them the TV and carried on watching the football on my laptop. Reading got another not long after, but Arsenal pulled one back just before half time. They pulled another two back in the second half and equalised just before the 90 minutes was up. Arsenal took the lead just before half time in extra time but Reading equalised with not long left on the clock before Arsenal sealed the tie with two more injury time goals.
It finished 7-5 to Arsenal after them being 4-0 down. I had a feeling my decision would pay off and it did, especially when I asked my mates about the movie and they said it was “okay”.
Also, Euro 2016 final, France v Portugal. Not a particularly exciting match in itself, but it was enjoyable for me. Ronaldo went off injured early on and France had pretty much all of the game but couldn’t find a breakthrough, partly because Portugal had everyone but Eder behind the ball. After 90 minutes out of sheer curiosity I checked the first goalscorer odds and saw that Eder was 33/1. If Portugal were going to get anything, it was going to be through him because he was the only one getting anywhere near the France box.
I thought it was worth a punt and stuck a fiver on it and told my mates in a group chat that they should do the same, but nobody else was convinced. I was watching on iPlayer through my laptop (maybe I should watch more games on my laptop) so there was a delay. In the first half of extra time Eder had a point blank header, but directed it straight at Lloris. I thought that the chance was gone.
At half time of extra time I checked again, 66/1 for Eder to score first. Oh well, I’d already put a fiver on it, might as well make it a tenner. As I say, I was watching on a delay and there was not really much going on and then suddenly my phone started going mad. About 30 seconds later Eder hit a daisy cutter from about 25 yards out that squirmed past Lloris into the bottom corner and I was suddenly £495 richer.