8 Captains Blog

After watching the Merseyside Derby on Sunday and seeing Pepe Reina’s fantastic double save from first Tim Cahill and then one of the members of the Jackson Five it got me thinking about some of the best saves of all time.

I am sure the name Banks springs to mind immediately, but was this really the best save of all time? Its up for debate, I personally would say it is certainly in the top 5, the stage, the opponent, the way he clawed the ball over the bar, it all adds up to a fantastic goalkeeping moment.

So as I once again put my own thoughts together and add them to an endless search through Google, YouTube and other popular video sites I have decided on two saves, I could not split them, one is audacious and amazing the other is a miracle at work. Both are double saves which make them even more special.

Jerzey Dudek
Liverpool v AC Milan, Champions League Final 2005

As a Liverpool fan and someone who was in the stadium that night this has to go down as my number one. Whether it was divine intervention or pure reflex it was quite possibly the most unbelievable save ever particularly with the circumstances surrounding it. The miracle was not only in the reflex save, but also the save before it. To get down to the ball and then get up again and still manage to get something on the ball and turn it over the bar when the angle looked impossible was simply amazing.

Gregory Coupet
Lyon v Barcelona, Champions League 2001

This save has to be my second favourite. As a neutral some may argue that this is the best save ever. Another double save, this time from Lyon’s Gregory Coupet. How on earth he managed to pull this off is beyond me and to do it against one of the worlds greatest ever footballers (Rivaldo) makes it even more impressive, couple that with the fact his own defender got him the situation and once again you have the perfect ingredients to stake a claim for the best save ever.

As well as these two videos I have found a fantastic YouTube video with some of the most outrageous saves ever. (Try back healing the ball over your own crossbar when chipped from 50 yards! one keeper did). Enjoy.