Chelsea v Ajax was an absolute belter. A 4-4 draw which included two goals inside the first four minutes, two penalties, two red cards, and a VAR decision.
I had the feeling when Ajax were 4-1 up in last night's Champions League Group stage match that it wasn't over. Having watched their Champions League capitulation to Spurs in Amsterdam back in May, I know there is a trait within them that resembles gamblers in a casino; they get ahead and they don't know how to quit.
When Daley Blind and Joel Veltman were sent off within a minute of each other in the second half, the tide turned and Ajax had one had on the cliff edge. Chelsea swarmed, teenager Reece James equalised and Stamford Bridge went mad. It was crazy and it was a tonic after living in a VAR bubble of late, even though Cesar Azpilicueta's late effort for Chelsea was ruled out by technology.
Chelsea v Ajax was great fun, crazy and it conjured memories in my mind of other madcap games I have seen in the world of football. You may identify with the below and you will have some of your own.
Here's a personal take on some of the surreal:
Liverpool v AC Milan, Champions League Final, 2005
I watched this one in Brussels, on what must have been the hottest week in mankind. Cities can't handle extreme heat. Milan went 3-0 up in Istanbul, but I had a weird gambler's premonition that it wasn't over. Steven Gerrard inspired Liverpool to tie it up and Liverpool won it on spot-kicks when Jerzy Dudek saved from Andriy Shevchenko. I sang 'You'll never walk alone' afterwards - admittedly worse for wear. I then found a €50 note on a street. It was a good night.
Liverpool v Alaves, UEFA Cup Final, 2001
I was working early mornings back then, and the memories of this are of not actually watching the game. I thought it would be a dud, Liverpool would win easily and I didn't bother. I went for a nap and when I woke up, it was 4-4. Delfi Geli headed the ball into his own net from a Gary McAllister free-kick with three minutes remaining in extra time. Liverpool won on the Golden Goal and I vowed never to miss a major final again.
Spain v Yugoslavia, Euro 2000
John Motson was one of the great football commentators, the greatest when on song back in his day. Spain, needing to win, passed the 90 minute mark trailing 3-2. Gaizka Mendieta scored a penalty in stoppage time and then Alfonso Perez won it in Bruges with effectively the last kick of the game. I remember Motson going along the lines of: "It's Alfonso. It's unbelievable!" It certainly was.
France v West Germany, World Cup Semi-Final, 1982
Spain were perennial underachievers around 2000, before tika-taka and all that. France had also never tasted World Cup success by the time they reached the 1982 semi-final against West Germany. When you start your football odyssey as a fan, you check out matches from the past which you can't remember. In what was the biggest sporting contest between the countries since World War 2, the game filled every stereotype. It stood out for the romance of the French and the resilience of the Germans. West Germany goalkeeper Harold Schumacher should have seen red for a horrendous challenge on Patrick Battiston. Marius Tresor and Alain Giresse put the French 3-1 up in extra time, before Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer dragged the tense encounter to penalties. West Germany took the shoot-out. The baddies won.
Tottenham v Arsenal, Premier League, 2004
Remember Noureddine Naybet? Of course you do. Attending my first North London derby as a Tottenham fan, I lived the seven glorious minutes when Naybet's goal had Spurs in front. Thierry Henry softened my cough and Arsenal would go on to win 5-4. I still have those seven minutes of air though, vacuum packed. The Gunners were League champions at the time and it was Martin Jol's first Premiership game in charge. Not much seems to have changed in the last 15 years. Arsenal still have problems at the back and Spurs remain 'Spursy'.
Liverpool v Newcastle United, Premier League, 1996
If there was a game that ignited the Premier League era as the 'Daddy', this was probably it. Newcastle were going for the title in a head-to-head with Manchester United. They had blown their Christmas lead, but weren't out of it. Liverpool legend and Magpies' manager Kevin Keegan returned to Anfield to witness the nails hammered into the black and white coffin, as Stan Collymore's goal gave Liverpool a 4-3 win in stoppage time. Keegan slumped in the dugout. He knew it was over.
Spain v Portugal, World Cup, 2018
The third match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup set the tone for the competition. Iberian rivals Spain and Portugal served up a classic, which included Nacho's sublime volley. Spain led 3-2 when Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up in the 88th minute, outside the area. His free-kick beat David de Gea for a hat-trick. It was Ronaldo at its best. I was over in Russia at a media centre and they showed every single angle of all of the goals with the sound off. It's a beautifully crazy way to watch football. Thanks Chelsea and Ajax for keeping it beautiful.
