Every UEFA Champions League Final Ranked From Worst To Best

5. Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal (2006)

The Stade de France in Paris played host to an action-packed Champions League final in 2006 that was eventful from the very first minute until the last.

It had no business being this entertaining either given that Arsenal played much of the game with 10 men following the dismissal of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann after just 18 minutes with the scores locked at 0-0.

Anyone predicting a Barcelona procession from there was soon proved wrong, with the Gunners taking a surprise lead on 37 minutes courtesy of a towering Sol Campbell header.

That set things up nicely for the second half, with Barcelona pouring forward in search of a goal and Arsenal using Thierry Henry to launch their own counter-attacks.

It was a breathless occasion though Arsenal proved difficult to break down, coming into the game off the back of a run that saw them concede just twice in nine games en route to the final.

They had chances to extend their lead too, with Henry guilty of missing a couple of crucial one-on-ones. It was substitute Henrik Larsson who turned the game on its head, earning all the plaudits in the process.

It was Larsson who played the pivotal pass in for Samuel Eto’o’s equaliser and Larsson who set up Juliano Belletti for the winner. Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia might have done better with both goals, but that takes nothing away from Larsson’s impact, Arsenal’s incredible effort and Barca’s dramatic fightback. An instant classic.

Contributor

Former Loaded magazine staff writer with additional credits for FourFourTwo, ScreenRant, Planet Football and Den of Geek. A man with an unhealthy interest in the film career of Hulk Hogan.