Champions League games of the season: Which was your favourite?

The 2024/25 Champions League season has been full of twists, with 36 teams trying to plot their course from the inaugural league phase through to the showpiece in Munich.

We have picked out ten games that summed up the drama of European football's elite club competition, looking back at what went down in each. Vote for your favourite below.

Matchday 1: Bayern München 9-2 GNK Dinamo

Vincent Kompany's managerial debut in the Champions League was one to remember as he led his Bayern side to a resounding victory against GNK Dinamo. Harry Kane struck four and Michael Olise two as 11 goals were scored in Munich, the joint-second highest total of any game in the competition's history.

Matchday 3: Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund

Madrid roared back from 2-0 down at the interval to win here. Nuri Sahin's Dortmund were sitting pretty after goals from Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens, but Vinícius Júnior prodded home after Antonio Rüdiger had pulled one back, and Lucas Vázquez then fired Los Blancos ahead. A pair of slaloming dribbles and sublime finishes from Vinícius Júnior capped the win and his hat-trick.

Matchday 4: Sporting CP 4-1 Manchester City

Ahead of his move to become Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim enjoyed a glorious last dance at the Estádio José Alvalade, propelling unbeaten Sporting CP to second in the standings. A hat-trick from Viktor Gyökeres helped overhaul Phil Foden's early strike to dispatch the Premier League champions.

Matchday 7: Benfica 4-5 Barcelona

The Portuguese club led 3-1 after half an hour thanks to three Vangelis Pavlidis goals, but the Greek striker then became just the fifth player to score a hat-trick but end on the losing side in the Champions League era. Although Benfica were still 4-2 ahead with 12 minutes remaining, Robert Lewandowski's second penalty and an Eric García header drew Barça level, before Raphinha raced away to bury a 96th-minute clincher.

Knockout phase play-offs, first leg: Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid

Late turnarounds had been a feature of the season for Pep Guardiola's side and they were on the end of another here, having led 2-1 with ten minutes left through Erling Haaland's double. Brahim Díaz drew Madrid level and Jude Bellingham had the final say on his return to England with an added-time winner.

Knockout phase play-offs, second leg: Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge, agg: 2-5

The UEFA Europa League holders were heavy favourites – even after a narrow first-leg defeat – against the team that had finished 24th in the league phase. But Nicky Hayen's side blew the Italian outfit away before the break through Chemsdine Talbi's double and a thumping third from Ferran Jutglà. Simon Mignolet then denied Ademola Lookman from the spot after the forward had threatened a comeback.

Round of 16, second leg: Liverpool 0-1 Paris, agg: 1-1 – Paris won 4-1 on pens

Harvey Elliott's smash-and-grab goal at the Parc des Princes gave Arne Slot's side the edge as they headed back to Anfield, but Ousmane Dembélé quickly cancelled out the aggregate score. Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Luis Díaz brilliantly in normal time and then saved from Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones in the shoot-out to eliminate the team that would go on to win the Premier League title.

Quarter-finals, first leg: Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid

Having scraped past rivals Atlético de Madrid on penalties in the last 16, Carlo Ancelotti's side could not perform similar heroics in London. Declan Rice could, though. The midfielder rattled in two sensational free-kicks in the second half and Mikel Merino added a fine third goal. The Gunners would go on to cruise through 5-1 on aggregate against the holders.

Quarter-finals, second leg: Aston Villa 3-2 Paris, agg: 4-5

Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes seemed to have sewn up the tie inside 27 minutes for Paris by making it 5-1 on aggregate, but Youri Tielemans gave Villa hope. The second half was a pulsating end-to-end affair as John McGinn and Ezri Konsa brought Unai Emery's men within a goal of parity with more than half an hour still to play at a raucous Villa Park.

Semi-finals, second leg: Inter 4-3 Barcelona, agg: 7-6

Bettering their 3-3 first-leg thriller seemed impossible, but these sides somehow pulled it off. Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu had the Nerazzurri in charge at the break, but Eric García, Dani Olmo and then Raphinha, with three minutes left, put Barcelona on the verge of the final. The 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi forced extra time, however, and Davide Frattesi's winner completed the joint-highest scoring Champions League knockout tie ever.