For the end-of-year holidays, RMC Sport invites you to immerse yourself in five matches which are among the most beautiful of the year 2024. On the menu: stunning scenarios in Ligue 1, very high-level spectacle in the Ligue des champions, but also the enchanted parenthesis of the Olympic Games and the return to the forefront of the Clasico in Spain with Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid.
If the football world almost never sleeps, producing hundreds of thousands of professional matches per year, there are few matches that are embedded in memories thanks to a crazy scenario or an avalanche of goals. RMC Sport has selected its five “instant classics” for 2024.
Real 3-3 Manchester City (April 9, Champions League quarter-final first leg)
The final before its time. The magic of the draw meant that Real Madrid and Manchester City were due to meet in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season. A fabulous spectacle was expected and this is indeed what happened on a colossal number of occasions.
It took just 108 seconds for Bernardo Silva to start the performance with a brilliant inspiration from a free kick. In the 12th minute, Eduardo Camavinga equalized with a great dose of success. Two minutes later, Rodrygo delighted and put Real Madrid at 2-1. The pace is incredibly fast, but it is nevertheless the last goal of the first period. After the break, everything happened in 13 minutes: in two magnificent strikes (66th, 71st), Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol put the Skyblues back in control. But Federico Valverde, with a superb volley in the 79th minute, put the Madrilenians back on the right track.
Rennes 4-5 Brest (April 28, 31st day of Ligue 1)
There was no shortage of good shots from Stade Brestois this year. So much so that the club managed to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League, for its first participation in a European Cup. A dream come true thanks in particular to a memorable victory on rival ground last season against Stade Rennais.
Few matches are like this one, which already showed 2-1 for Rennes after 11 minutes. However, in the 66th minute, it was Brest who led 4-2 thanks to goals from Warmed Omari against his camp (48th), Martin Satriano (54th) and Mahdi Camara (66th). A closed affair? Not in the least: a quarter of an hour later, the two teams found themselves tied at 4-4 after two Rennes goals from Arthur Theate (68th) and Martin Terrier (79th). Everything suggests that the match can still change. Which finally happens in the… 90th + 6 with Brest taking the lead thanks to an extraordinary diving header from Lilian Brassier.
Losc 3-4 OL (May 6, 32nd day of Ligue 1)
Ten minutes of madness. This is what it took for Olympique Lyonnais to snatch victory on Pierre-Mauroy's pitch, even though they trailed for more than an hour. With Bafodé Diakité (21st) and Edon Zhegrova (37th), Losc had nevertheless done the job in its quest for the podium. But the Mastiffs gradually lost control in the second half. Firstly, Saïd Benrahma brings OL to 2-1. Then Malick Fofana comes in and equalizes at 2-2 in the 82nd minute.
Another match then begins. With a stunning storyline. Because a helmet hit from Diakité once again tilts the scoreboard in favor of the Mastiffs (85th). The matter seems to be over, the Lille supporters are fired up. Except that Alexandre Lacazette takes care of cooling them down in the 88th minute. Then against all expectations, Mama Baldé iced them in added time (90th + 2).
France 3-5 Spain (August 9, 2024, Olympics men's football tournament final)
The French men's football team came very close to the dream at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And in what way. It was at the end of an incredible final at the Parc des Princes that the Bleuets had to settle for the silver medal. It all started wonderfully with Enzo Millot opening the score in the 11th minute. But the Spaniards, clearly superior in the game, quickly took the advantage thanks to Fermin Lopez (18th, 25th).
However, a bit like the “big guys” at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the French found the resource to ignite the match in the final minutes. After Maghnes Akliouche reduced the gap, the match even became completely crazy with Jean-Philippe Mateta's penalty in added time to snatch an unexpected extension. But it was a little too much for Thierry Henry's players, punished twice by Sergio Camello in this extra half hour. “It’s still a very beautiful story,” the French coach will then say.
Real Madrid 0-4 FC Barcelona (October 26, LaLiga matchday 11)
It was Kylian Mbappé's first big meeting at Real Madrid. It turned into a tactical demonstration by FC Barcelona. For his first Clasico, the French striker went through all the emotions. First with euphoria, thinking of having opened the score in the first half. Then by frustration with the excellent offside trap concocted by Hansi Flick, which also led to the cancellation of his goal.
After a very tactical and breathtaking first period, Barça shifted gears to punish all of Madrid's errors with a quick double from Robert Lewandowski (54th, 56th) and goals from Lamine Yamal (77th) and Raphinha (84th). Humiliated at home, Real could do nothing.
In 2023, RMC Sport had selected the 4-3 victory of PSG against Losc in Ligue 1, the incredible 5-2 of Real Madrid at Anfield against Liverpool in the Champions League, the scathing 7-0 of Liverpool against Manchester United in the Premier League, the stunning 5-4 of OL against Montpellier with quadruplets from Lacazette and Wahi, and finally the 14-0 festival of the Blues against Gibraltar.
