Bayern Munich came very close to losing their first Bundesliga game of the season on Wednesday night. Instead, a 1-0 deficit turned into 1-1 with 15 minutes left to play, before a world-class acrobatic volley from Thiago Alcantara won all three points for Bayern.
With a nod to Thiago's brilliant finish, Sports Mole picks five of the most dramatic last-gasp goals to have been scored.
1. Jimmy Glass - Carlisle United vs. Plymouth Argyle, 1999
Goals do not come much more important than making the difference between the Football League or the Conference. That is exactly the situation that Carlisle found themselves in on the last day of the 1998-99 season. They would have taken anything: an own goal, a scrappy bobbler or a wonder-goal from 30 yards, but they got none of those. Instead, it was left to goalkeeper Jimmy Glass, who swept in after a corner was not cleared to send the fans into raptures - an onto the pitch, of course.
2. Michael Thomas - Liverpool vs. Arsenal, 1989
The other end of the dramatic spectrum would be a goal to seal a top-flight championship on the last day of the season. Oh yes, that has happened too. Arsenal needed to beat Liverpool at Anfield, but not just any win would have been enough - it needed to be by two clear goals. It was 1-0 until very late in the game, when Michael Thomas scored the second to change the destination of the title. Brian Moore's commentary of the goal has been immortalised.
3. Sergio Aguero - Manchester City vs. Queens Park Rangers, 2012
Amazingly, the Arsenal win is not the only time the top-flight title has been won on goal difference on the last day. It also happened in 2011-2012, which was Manchester City's solitary Premier League title to date. On this occasion City just needed to beat QPR to win the title on their superior goal difference. Two minutes into stoppage time it was 2-1 to the Londoners. Cue Edin Dzeko and then Sergio Aguero to pull of an unbelievable turnaround that left United stunned.
4. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich, 1999
Another game with two last-gasp goals in it here, and another for a club in Manchester. This time the reward was the Champions League. At this time you could just not write off the Red Devils and even at 1-0 down into stoppage time they had a chance. Teddy Sheringham's goal would have been dramatic enough, but Solskjaer made it even more so with an improvised finish even later on. There has not been a Champions League final quite like this one.
5. David Beckham - England vs. Greece, 2001
Qualification for the 2002 World Cup was at stake for England as David Beckham lined up a last-gasp free kick from some way out. They needed at least a draw to match Germany's result, but were currently 2-1 down to Greece. What happened in the 93rd minute was one of Beckham's very finest free kicks - and there are a few to choose from - to fire England into the tournament. The playoffs were avoided.
Matt Domm
