Tottenham Hotspur 1959-60
The pre-Double Spurs side stick in the mind because of the impact they had on an era dominated by the breathless, long-passing style of Stan Cullis's Wolves. The subtler, more-thoughtful football of Bill Nicholson's team gave the English game a new learning.
Real Madrid 1959-60
Even when seen on a tiny NAAFI screen, Real Madrid's performance in beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7‑3 at Hampden Park in the European Cup final shone out as one of the finest displays of attacking football ever seen. And amid all the colour and HD, it still does.
Real Zaragoza 1965-66
Don Revie's Leeds expected to beat Real Zaragoza in a Fairs Cup semi-final playoff at Elland Road but were given a lesson in passing, movement and pure skill by the Magnificent Five – Canario, Santos, Marcelino, Villa, Lapetra – and lost 3-1.
West Ham United 1966-67
Ron Greenwood's West Ham team met Leeds United in the League Cup and won 7-0 with a performance approaching perfection. An abiding image is of Johnny Byrne, with Jack Charlton up his back, bouncing the ball three times on an instep before volleying Geoff Hurst clear.
Brazil 1970
Brazil's performance in the World Cup final has never been surpassed and the last of their goals in the 4-1 defeat of Italy is widely regarded as the best ever scored. Perhaps, perhaps not, but if any team has bettered the build-up and Pelé's final pass to Carlos Alberto they have kept quiet about it.
Milan 1988-89
Four days after Hillsborough, the San Siro sang You'll Never Walk Alone and Milan beat Real Madrid 5-0 in a European Cup semi with a performance which was more about art than conflict and saw Ruud Gullit start, mould and execute a goal of sheer beauty.
