If you had to show one football match to make somebody fall in love with football, what would it be?

The City match where Owen scored the winner
World cup 2022 final

One match that always sticks out in my memory is an Arsenal Barcelona match from somewhere around 2010-2012. It was at the emirates, Barcelona were 2-0 up and doing their thing for most of the match, then Wenger brought Walcott on and changed the entire dynamic of the match. Walcott ended up scoring, and then Fabregas scored a last minute penalty against Barcelona (I think this was around when the Fabregas to Barcelona rumors were really reaching their peak). It was a really good match for so many reasons. Watching Pep's barcelona in action, Arsenal trying to hold on, a substitute turning the game on its head and the boy from Barcelona scoring against his boyhood club in the dying minutes when there are so many stories about him going there.
 
Bocca9978 said:
99 semi final vs Arsenal. In a London pub, loved it.
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This one!

I was lucky in the sense I had started following United in 03-04 season but had no clue about our history or the treble season.

This match was on tv and I ended up watching the entire game and couldnt take my eyes away. So got to watch it like fans in 99 would’ve experienced it (almost)

The game had it all. Red card, injured goalie, penalty save and of course the wonder goal. Watching that is how I found out United was on for a treble in 99 :lol:
 
Theonas said:
My favorite game that we lost. Pure spectacle!
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We won the game but lost the tie. I know what you meant though.

I'd go with Argentina England 86. You get the hand of God and the greatest goal over along with incredible drama and passion.
 
Picking 1 is hard so I'm going with 4 :D

Utd vs Arsenal 1999 Cup semi replay
Utd vs Barcelona 1986 Cup Winners Cup - OT was seriously rocking that night
Utd vs West Brom 1978 3-5 one of the best games I ever saw live
Liverpool vs Arsenal 1989 Michael Thomas in the last seconds to win the title
 
2005 That one night in Istanbul 3-3 to Liverpool
2006 LFC West Ham FA cup final 3-3 to Liverpool
2019 LFC Barca second leg 4-0 to Liverpool
2001 UEFA Cup final LFC Alaves 5-4 to Liverpool
 
Man Utd 4-3 Real Madrid in 2003. It had everything, drama, goals, poor defending by both sides, and icons all over the pitch. R9 with a hattrick and Becks with one of his best off the bench performances.

As a sidenote, Becks seemed to up his game at OT every time he faced Real. He scored a classy one in that 3-2 loss in 2000.


I would also pick Italy vs Holland in Euro 2000 semis. That was such a wild ride. I was 100% sure the Netherlands were going through, but Toldo channeled his inner Yashin and refused to let any penalties go in. He saved 2 during normal time and then a couple of more during extra time. What a crazy game that was.
 
Romania vs Argentina ( WC 1994)
Netherlands vs Argentina (WC 1998)
Netherlands vs Soviet Union (Euro 1988)

Not based on the overall quality itself but in moments related to tournaments in International football and the individual quality from certain players.
 
Liverpool vs Ac Milan 2005.

Best match I've ever seen & I still watch highlights of it occasionally.

I love Dudek's double save & dancing whilst saving penalties (know it was from an ex GK) - wish more GK's did it.
 
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Athletic Bilbao 2 - 2 Barcelona in 2011. Bielsa vs Guardiola. Highly technical players in a game played with a ferocious intensity and speed by both teams. Each manager described the other team as beasts after the game. Thrilling from start to finish.
 
Argies France 2022 is hard to beat from a layperson viewing it perspective.
 
I like our Champions League final against Chelsea. Had great attacking football, Ronaldo Tevez Rooney, then an epic PK shoot out.
 
Obviously the 1999 FA Cup semi but loads have already mentioned it.

Also the Liverpool - Newcastle 4-3 from 1996, I remember every goal in that match like it was yesterday.
 
TheBigLewandowski said:
Liverpool vs Ac Milan 2005.

Best match I've ever seen & I still watch highlights of it occasionally.

I love Dudek's double save & dancing whilst saving penalties (know it was from an ex GK) - wish more GK's did it.
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The funny thing is Liverpool's hitherto 'shit on a stick' football, which was played in this game, too, would turn anyone off the sport! Just joking, it was a great comeback.

However, one of the richest teams in the sport with media lording them as some plucky little guy. I appreciate Meeeeeeeeelan were favourites, but Deportivo (remember) only the season previous pulled off a remarkable comeback against them.

However, saying so about that brand of football, Greece in Euro 2004 is absolutely the fairytale, but were harshly treated by media despite similar tactics.

Of course, as they were an unfashionable brand, they were accused of all sorts. 'The only underdog everyone wants to lose' spat the guardian, as though they genuinely spoke for everyone.
 
Interesting the only game being mentioned from recent years is the last World Cup final, probably says a lot about how exciting the game is now.
 
Phil said:
Interesting the only game being mentioned from recent years is the last World Cup final, probably says a lot about how exciting the game is now.
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2020s Football is drab compared to Barclays era. So regimented and risk averse. Showing a thrilling match from the past to a prospective fan would create expectations that would very seldomly be met in future.


Matches I would show

2008 UCL Final
Euro 2000 final
Arsenal 4 - 4 Newcastle
 
I'll always remember as a kid having a 95/96 season video (premier league not just the Utd one) that I would watch whenever I was ill off school and the most epic looking match was Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle. The montage of it on there with the swings each way, last minute winner, Collymore going crazy, Keegan slumping, seemingly had everything (albeit in a 3 minute package). And back then I didn't quite have the Liverpool hatred I do now, mostly because they weren't actually a competitive rival to us at the time....whilst that was actually a great result for us and pivotal in Newcastle's collapse.
 
Deportivo Milan 2004 is one I’ll always remember. Lots of snoozefests back then with Italian defensive football dominating so this was an unexpected comeback which I didnt think was possible at the time.
 
Phil said:
Interesting the only game being mentioned from recent years is the last World Cup final, probably says a lot about how exciting the game is now.
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And our 4-3 vs Liverpool last season.

Overall you're right though, i really don't think it's just nostalgia - the game has really disimproved since around 2010. The 90s and 00s were the peak for me
 
Also a couple of dramatic international games growing up spring to mind:
- Euro 2000 - Spain 4-3 Yugoslavia (Spain 3-2 down going into injury time and had to win to go through)
- WC 2002 qualifying - Germany 1-5 England (prime Owen & Heskey)
- Euro 2004 - Czech Republic 3-2 Holland (comeback from 2-0 down with Baros and Koller turn into prime Owen & Heskey and a last minute Poborsky winner)
 
AlexiV said:
Deportivo Milan 2004 is one I’ll always remember. Lots of snoozefests back then with Italian defensive football dominating so this was an unexpected comeback which I didnt think was possible at the time.
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Also this.
 
FA cup semi final in 99, Arsenal V Man Utd.
 
njred said:
2005 That one night in Istanbul 3-3 to Liverpool
2006 LFC West Ham FA cup final 3-3 to Liverpool
2019 LFC Barca second leg 4-0 to Liverpool
2001 UEFA Cup final LFC Alaves 5-4 to Liverpool
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Great shouts. I'd add the 7-0 against Utd just for fun as well. Norwich Lallana winner, Dortmund Lovren winner, too many to choose from to be honest.

Non-Liverpool, probably a Ronaldinho Barcelona game around that 2005 period. Perhaps his standing ovation against Real or that tie against Chelsea in which he scored that goal from just outside the box.
 
United 4 Villa 0 Old Trafford April 2008. Ronaldo at his absolute peak. Rooney and Tevez causing havoc. Could have won 10-0. Greatest performance from a United team under Ferguson IMHO.
 
RobinLFC said:
Great shouts. I'd add the 7-0 against Utd just for fun as well. Norwich Lallana winner, Dortmund Lovren winner, too many to choose from to be honest.

Non-Liverpool, probably a Ronaldinho Barcelona game around that 2005 period. Perhaps his standing ovation against Real or that tie against Chelsea in which he scored that goal from just outside the box
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Those matches I mentioned are usually at the top of every neutral’s fan poll too. We could have put the Liverpool-Newcastle matches in too. It is weird that we just happen to have the greatest matches in every single type of competition.
 
I was very young, but the one I remember is the game against Spurs, we were 3-0 down and managed to turn it around and win 5-3. The champions league final between Liverpool and Milan 2005 was unreal with Milan fielding a World XI and goes 3-0 up, and scousers somehow turning it around was great entertainment.
 
SER19 said:
And our 4-3 vs Liverpool last season.

Overall you're right though, i really don't think it's just nostalgia - the game has really disimproved since around 2010. The 90s and 00s were the peak for me
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Bastian Schweinsteige in his interview with Gary Neville got it spot when he said that Pep's version of the game ruined the German traditional way of playing and it's the same in England

Jurgen Klinsmann on the US Overlap the other day was bemoaning the lack of traditional number 9's, it's patently obvious he hates the modern way the game is played now
 
AarhusUnited said:
United - Arsenal Fa cup semi 1999 and Denmark vs USSR 4-2 1985
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Thought about mentioning the latter. It wouldn’t look out of place as a World Cup’s final, let alone as a qualification game.
 
To get them into United, almost any game from the 98/99 season would do. Or rather binge the whole season back to back!

Legendary football matches: Brazil-Sweden 5-2 WC 1958, Germany-France 3-3 (and penalties) of WC 1982, Brazil-France WC 1986.

Last year, Man Utd - Liverpool 4-3 would be my pick of the bunch.
 
Been said a couple of times but the 4-3 win over City with the late, late Owen goal had everything for me. Taking the lead 3 times only to get pegged back (relatively) quickly each time, and one of the best moments of late drama I was ever there for.
 
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