Cristiano Ronaldo has beat out competition from his team-mate Gareth Bale to finish top of UEFA’s list of the best Champions League goals of the 2017-18 campaign.
Ronaldo’s overhead kick in Real Madrid’s quarter-final first leg win at Juventus has been selected first ahead of Bale’s similar effort in Saturday’s final against Liverpool.
Bale scored with a spectacular acrobatic volley just two minutes after coming off the bench for Madrid, reacting brilliantly to divert Marcelo’s cross into Loris Karius’ top corner with a flailing left boot.
The goal was described by Gary Neville as ‘maybe the best he’d ever seen’ but Ronaldo’s strike at the Allianz Stadium has been deemed better by UEFA’s panel.
Ronaldo’s overhead kick from Dani Carjvaval’s cross was a similarly acrobatic strike but with a lower trajectory and more power, that sailed past Juventus No 1 Gianluigi Buffon leaving the legendary goalkeeper no chance.
His strike garnered a similar reaction with many hailing it as the greatest Champions League goal of all time ahead of Zinedine Zidane’s volley in the 2002 final.
The rankings are determined by a six-man committee of UEFA Technical Observers that include ex-Manchester United boss David Moyes, former Inter Milan defender Christian Chivu and current Latvia manager Mixu Paatelainen.
Ronaldo and Bale finished first and second respectively ahead of Gonzalo Higuain’s volley from a free-kick for Juventus against Tottenham in the round of 16.
Antoine Griezmann’s bicycle kick for Atletico Madrid against Roma in the group stage is fourth while Edin Dzeko’s powerful volley for Roma at Chelsea at the same stage comes fifth in the list.
Ronaldo and Bale both have a second goal included in the list. Bale’s side-footed volley away at Borussia Dortmund comes sixth while Ronaldo’s curling effort in the home game against the Germans is 10th.
Elsewhere in the top 10, Fred’s free-kick for Shakhtar Donetsk against Roma in the last 16 is seventh while Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne earns eighth spot for a long-range strike against the Ukrainians Shakhtar.
UEFA’S TOP 10 GOALS OF 2017-18
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs Juventus – quarter-final first leg
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2. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) vs Liverpool – final
3. Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus) vs Tottenham – last 16 first leg
4. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) vs Roma – group stage
5. Edin Dzeko (Roma) vs Chelsea – group stage
6. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) vs Borussia Dortmund – group stage
7. Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk) vs Roma – last 16 first leg
8. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) vs Shakhtar Donetsk – group stage
9. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) vs Shakhtar
Donetsk – group stage
10. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs Borussia Dortmund – group stage
