Top 5 individual Champions League performances of the decade
The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of club football. It is a competition that is reserved for the greatest.
Unsurprisingly, it has been graced by some of the best footballers of all time. And with that, come some incredible individual displays. In the 64 years since its inception, UCL has seen many examples of individual brilliance that managed to win games single-handedly.
As this decade comes to a close, it's worth mentioning some of the most stunning UCL performances that came along with it.
Here's a look at the five best individual performances in the Champions League in the last decade:
5 - Robert Lewandowski vs Real Madrid - Semifinal 1st leg (2012/13)
Polish star Robert Lewandowski single-handedly dismantled Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in the first leg of their semi-final tie back in 2013.
As the two European giants locked horns to see who reached the final, Real had no idea what was in store for them.
A neat finish from the Pole after a smart run at the far post opened the scoring for Die Borussen, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to equalize for Real just before half-time.
It was, however, in the second half that Lewandowski unleashed his wrath on Real's helpless defense.
A brilliant turn gave him just enough room in the box to toe-poke the ball beyond Diego Lopez to snatch the lead.
He then completed his hattrick with what was the goal of the night.
A lucky deflection off Luka Modric saw the ball land at his feet. Within seconds, he smashed a thunderous strike into the top corner.
Lewandowski then added a fourth with a penalty to complete an outstanding performance
The young BVB side would go on to lose to Bayern Munich in an all-German final later that year. That, however, takes nothing away from Lewandowski's brilliance that night.
A forward masterclass, Lewa's performance against Real will go down in history as one of the best in the Champions League.
Also check out: Champions League Schedule Champions League table Champions league top scorers