Lyon host Barcelona almost 10 years on from one of the most stunning free-kicks in Champions League history.
The match, live on talkSPORT 2 at 8pm, reminded us about the technique of Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Júnior – Juninho to his postman – in dead ball situations.
On 24 February, 2009, Lyon took the lead through the Brazilian’s extraordinary effort from the left, which sailed over a helpless Victor Valdes.
Fortunately for Barca, Thierry Henry to rescue what was the first leg of the last 16 tie and the Spanish side sailed through to the Champions League quarter-finals thanks to a 5-2 second leg win.
Joining Lyon from Vasco da Gama in 2001, in eight seasons at the club Juninho scored 44 goals from free-kicks and 75 in total during his career.
He was also a source of inspiration for Italy’s free-kick master, Andrea Pirlo, who used his book to reveal he studied the walking YouTube compilation.
“That man made the ball do some quite extraordinary things,” he wrote in I think therefore I play.
“He’d lay it on the ground, twist his body into a few strange shapes, take his run-up and score. He never got it wrong. Never.
“I checked out his stats and realised it couldn’t just be chance. He was like an orchestra conductor who’d been assembled upside down, with the baton held by his feet instead of his hands. He’d give you the thumbs up by raising his big toe – somebody at Ikea was having a good laugh the day they put him together.”
Lyon vs Barcelona is live on talkSPORT 2 at 20:00 on Tuesday 19 February