Top five free kicks

Although Tottenham Hotspur were defeated 3-1 at White Hart Lane by Benfica in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League clash on Thursday night, there was a fantastic free kick scored by Christian Eriksen. It curled and dipped and got Sports Mole thinking of the best free kicks that have been scored.

Here, we pick out five of our favourites from recent memory.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United vs. Portsmouth, 2008

It is not easy to pick from all the brilliant free kicks that have been scored, but Cristiano Ronaldo's in the FA Cup against Portsmouth in 2008 is a clear favourite. The word "impossible" springs to mind with this one. Quite how he got his effort from around 25 yards to curl, dip and find the top corner with the power he generated is baffling. It was a free kick that combined all the techniques required from various positions on the pitch into one. World class.

2. John Arne Riise - Liverpool vs. Manchester United, 2001

This time United are on the receiving end. In 2001 John Arne Riise was in his early 20s. He hadn't long joined the club from Monaco in the summer, but wasted no time making himself a hero at Anfield with one of the best free kicks you will ever see. Against Manchester United, no less. It is not often that a player scores the best goal of his career so early in it, but that is exactly what Riise did with this rising strike from 30 yards.

3. Roberto Carlos - Brazil vs. France, 1997

This free kick has become the benchmark against which all future ones are judged. Roberto Carlos created a reputation for himself based on this effort that he was a free kick specialist, although in truth he did not score all that many through his career. This effort has been studied from the view behind so often to judge just how much it curled, but it is easy to forget quite how far it was hit from too.

4. Juninho Pernambucano - Lyon vs. Ajaccio, 2006

If Carlos was considered to be a master of free kicks, the real hero of the time was Juninho Pernambucano. He scored around 75 in his whole career and in fact most of his goals were from set piece situations. Finding the best out of a portfolio that side is not easy, but SM have opted for this one in 2006 away to Ajaccio. He has no right to score and deceive a goalkeeper from this range, but yet he does.

5. David Beckham - England vs. Greece, 2002

Context is so often key and when you consider that this free kick was the difference between England needing to go through the playoffs or qualify outright for the 2002 World Cup it becomes so much more important. Add in that it was deep into the third minute of time added on and this has to be one of the best that has been scored. Not only that, but it was a fantastic strike as well. Some people left Old Trafford early with England at 2-1 down - a decision they might still regret to this day.