Whatever your favourite type of goal the result is always the same; the ball nestles in the back of the net, the stadium erupts and you have a moment of pure ecstasy.
In a sense it doesn’t matter how the ball gets there but some goals are more spectacular than others. The fast passing move that cuts a defence open and results in a clinical finish is one for the purists. That’s the favourite method for the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City. A goalmouth scramble with feet and mud flying as the ball skids over the line is great fun to watch, if it’s your team doing the scoring.
But the type of goal which gets commentators screaming and fans leaping to their feet, or even staring in disbelief is the 30 yard howitzer which flies into the net beyond the despairing dive of the keeper. There are plenty of players around who possess the long range strike but, here at SBOTOP, we’ve picked our favourite five. There are two seasoned stars we simply can’t ignore and two from the emerging Saudi Pro League.
So here are our Fantastic Five, the men who take aim and deliver.
Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr
Who else can we start with than the legendary CR7, the man who captured the hearts of Manchester United fans as their best long range hitter since the late, great Bobby Charlton. I’ve lost count of the number of times I watched Ronaldo lining up a free kick from 20, 25 or 30 yards. He had the look of a rugby kicker sizing up a conversion, precise and focused and then… with wicked dip and swerve Ronaldo delivered the ball onto a sixpence in one of the top corners.
And Ronaldo is still at it, as the pioneer of football in the Saudi Pro League. He’s top scoring in with 15 goals and has been in impressive form for Portugal too. He loves a headline grabbing goal and Ronaldo is the king of the scorcher, certainly in Saudi and maybe even the world.
Lionel Messi: Inter Miami
Ronaldo’s nemesis is another superb exponent of the long range goal. Messi has made a spectacular start to his Inter Miami career and while his trademark play is a mazy run, stop start with an unworldly change of pace, he can also ping into the back of the net without having to get so close. He’s scored a whopping 72 goals from distance for club and country with a personal record of a 32 yarder from open play.
Messi is a magician and when he gives the goalie the eyes you can expect the net to ripple.
Christian Eriksen: Manchester United
He had a terrible medical scare when he suffered an on-pitch cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 but one of the most likeable players in football has made a heart-warming recovery, rehabilitating with Brentford and then signing for Manchester United. Christian Eriksen is one of the best free kick takers in the business.
The Red Devils have made an underwhelming start to the campaign but their Premier League 2023 results had picked up until they lost to Newcastle United on Saturday. Not only is Eriksen a superb free kick taker he has great ball control which allows him to drift in from the left and curl a shot into the far corner. Manchester United have been in the doldrums for a few seasons now and they need a bit of Eriksen magic to make things happen.
Paulo Dybala: Roma
Another dead ball specialist, Paulo Dybala has one of the cleverest shots in football. Able to bust a net from 20 yards or more, he has a real understanding of how to use the ball well, either setting up a team-mate or finding the net himself. The Argentine hitman has hit long range strikes 34 times in his career including a famous 30 yarder for Juventus against AC Milan back in 2018.
He has 15 goals from 34 games with I Giallorossi and the latest Serie A 2023 betting odds make Roma the fifth favourites to win the league. Head coach Jose Mourinho would love to gatecrash the top four, and if Dybala hits a rich vein of form he may get his wish.
Ruben Neves Al-Hilal
We’ll finish where we started, in the Saudi Pro League where former Wolves playmaker Ruben Neves is doing his thing for Al-Hilal. When he played in the Premier League Neves scored nine of his 21 goals from outside the penalty area and he is still one of the best long range shooters in the world. His right foot is a hammer blow and when lets loose the goalkeeper is often left standing, and Neves is a genius when it comes to choosing the right time to strike.
If you love a spectacular goal…keep watching these five goal getters.
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