The 2021 Champions League final could have been it. Kevin De Bruyne was at the top of his game but instead he was withdrawn after an hour with an injury. Manchester City lost that final, and are still searching for that European triumph. This year, with Inter Milan to come in the final, it feels like their biggest opportunity so far. A chance they simply cannot miss.
It’s also a chance for Kevin De Bruyne to cement his legacy as one of the greatest we have seen in the Premier League. For all the titles, world class passes and goals, we are still yet to see a truly defining moment from KDB. A moment that wins a game single-handedly. A moment that will put him alongside the true greats.
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes all get their hands on European football’s biggest prize. They all played major roles in their team’s successes and are remembered by the wider footballing public for those special moments. For Gerrard, who never got his hands on the Premier League, his career is arguably defined by two moments in finals.
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Firstly, Istanbul 2005. It was his header that pulled the scores back to 3-1. His celebration that made the Liverpool fans believe. His driving run that earnt the penalty that led to Xabi Alonso’s equaliser. He even played right-back in extra-time before lifting the trophy. It’s the first memory that comes to mind for Gerrard.
The second is probably the FA Cup final that is now named after him. He’d already scored one brilliant equaliser but it was his thunderbolt in the 91st minute that is still regarded as one of the very best FA Cup final goals. He was the reason Liverpool won those two trophies. And that is what separates the great from the good.
@Carra23 thinks Gerrard's #UCL win in Istanbul just might give him the edge. 🤔
Frank Lampard had those moments too. Even though they ended up losing on penalties, he scored in the 2008 Champions League final. But in 2012 he did get his European trophy. And the journey to the final was immense. He scored in the comeback against Napoli. He did the same at Stamford Bridge from the spot in the quarter-final against Benfica.
He was the beating heart of the side that beat the great Barcelona side over two legs and then, as captain, he went to Munich and won the trophy in Bayern’s backyard. It was one of the great Champions League stories, and Lampard was at the heart of it all. He has now won all there is to win at club level and still remains the sixth highest goalscorer in Premier League history.
So onto De Bruyne. He’s had big moments in his career for sure, but when it comes down to the crunch times in finals, in big matches, how often is it him that steps up to deliver? He may have scored in the away leg at the Bernabeu but it was Bernardo Silva that stepped up to put City into the final. Last season, it was Ilkay Gundogan that scored twice on the final day to win them the title.
De Bruyne, for all his incredible ability, still needs THAT moment. The moment that leaves your jaw on the floor and your heart throbbing out of your chest. The biggest finals are made for players like this. This year’s finale in both the league, FA Cup and Champions League could see the Belgian cement himself as one of the greatest we have ever seen.
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