This video can not be played
‘Like Lionel Messi’ – Frank stunned by Van de Ven goal
A goal is truly special when it draws comparisons to Lionel Messi.
Even more so when the scorer is a centre-back.
With Tottenham leading 2-0 but reduced to 10 players and facing pressure from Copenhagen, Micky van de Ven could have simply cleared the ball to safety from the edge of his own penalty area.
However, the Netherlands defender had other ideas.
He embarked on a remarkable run, sprinting past one, two, three players, navigating through another two near the halfway line, and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to break through on goal as the Spurs fans rose in anticipation.
The finish was equally impressive, with Van de Ven calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, before being swarmed by his jubilant teammates after scoring a goal that could be considered among the Champions League’s finest.
“It seemed like Lionel Messi transformed into Micky van de Ven, running from his own goal to the other end to score,” said Spurs boss Thomas Frank after his side defeated Danish side Copenhagen 4-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to their Champions League campaign with two wins and two draws from their four games.
Van de Ven, 24, joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg in August 2023 for £34m and has recently added goals to his game.
He scored in the Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain in August, with further goals coming in the 3-0 win at West Ham, the 2-2 Champions League draw at Bodo Glimt and then two in the 3-0 victory at Everton last month.
However, none of those can compare to his goal on Tuesday.
“I started dribbling and thought I would see if they would catch up and they didn’t,” Van de Ven told TNT Sports.
“I was feeling good, and I felt amazing in the sprint, I felt like I could keep going.”
UCL Debrief: Liverpool beat Real Madrid, Arsenal continue perfect start, Messi van de Ven’s wonder goal
Spurs support Udogie after alleged gun threat
Van de Ven’s goal came when Tottenham were 2-0 ahead against Copenhagen, but down to 10 men
While Van de Ven remained composed about the quality of his goal, others were more effusive.
“It’s one of the best goals you will ever see, ever,” said former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports.
“He runs past players like they’re not even there. To stay strong and then to finish, that’s ridiculous. Goal of the season, game over.”
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking on Match of the Day: Champions League added: “It’s top. Really, really good.
“It’s like when he assisted at Old Trafford last season [when he ran more than half the length of the pitch before setting up Brennan Johnson in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United].
“When defenders go on those runs, it’s hard to understand who should stop them. With the size and the speed he has, we actually saw a player on the other side of the pitch who wanted nothing to do with him.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Premier League defender Curtis Davies added: “He kind of stepped out looking for a pass and nothing was on. Once he saw the space ahead of him he knew nobody was catching him. He was at full tilt, full pace.”
The goal has also drawn comparisons to Son Heung-min’s effort against Burnley in 2019, a winding run which earned the ex-Tottenham forward the 2020 Puskas award.
This video can not be played
Relive Son’s Puskas-award-winning goal v Burnley
Van de Ven’s stunning solo effort will almost certainly be remembered as one of the finest goals ever scored by a central defender.
While defenders are typically recognized for their defensive abilities, there is a noteworthy collection of goals from down the years from those primarily tasked with preventing them.
BBC Sport highlights some of the best goals ever scored by centre-backs and invites you to rank them.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City v Leicester): Needing a win to overtake Liverpool at the top of the table, Kompany unleashed a 25-yard strike into the top right corner, securing a 1-0 victory for City.
Pep Guardiola’s side ultimately edged out Liverpool by a single point to claim the Premier League title.
Anton Ferdinand (West Ham v Fulham): Ferdinand only scored seven league goals in over 400 professional appearances, but his remarkable volley contributed to a 2-1 win for the Hammers over Fulham in 2005-06.
Nedum Onuoha (Sunderland v Chelsea): Onuoha’s solitary goal during his season-long loan at Sunderland came against then league leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where he evaded three players and placed a low shot past Petr Cech into the corner of the net.
David Luiz (Brazil v Colombia): When it comes to spectacular goals, Luiz boasts his own personal highlight reel. This particular effort for the hosts at the 2014 World Cup was a long-range free-kick that soared into the top corner of the Colombia net, followed by an iconic celebration at the corner flag.
Ronald Koeman (Barcelona v Sampdoria): Long before managing teams, Koeman was known for scoring incredible goals from distance. Barcelona’s first European Cup triumph in 1992 was secured by the Dutch defender’s 25-yard strike.
Philippe Mexes (AC Milan v Anderlecht): Former France defender Mexes scored his first goal for Milan with a stunning bicycle kick from 18 yards out in a Champions League group match at Anderlecht during the 2012-13 season.
Philippe Albert (Newcastle v Manchester United): On a memorable day for Newcastle supporters during the 1996-97 campaign, Albert capped off a 5-0 victory over the reigning English champions with a sublime chip.
Daniel Agger (Liverpool v West Ham): Agger’s first Liverpool goal was a moment of brilliance. With his side trailing 1-0, the Dane received a pass near the centre circle, took two touches, and then unleashed his third into the top left corner, sparking a turnaround.
Virgil van Dijk (Celtic v St Johnstone): Celtic were on course for their 45th Scottish title in 2013-14 when Van Dijk demonstrated his quality at St Johnstone. After collecting the ball inside his own half, the Dutch defender weaved past five players before finding the bottom corner with the outside of his right foot.
For Tottenham and Frank it was a much-needed victory after his side had been booed off the pitch at the end of their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday.
That extended a run of only one point from three successive home Premier League matches, even though they had picked up five points from their opening three games in the Champions League.
Frank urged the fans to back the team and the supporters responded as they, along with a passionate following from the visitors, helped create a superb atmosphere.
The home mood was helped when Tottenham took a 19th-minute lead through Brennan Johnson, before Wilson Odobert added a second soon after the restart to put Spurs in control.
That threatened to change when Johnson was sent off, after Belgian official Erik Lambrechts had been sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee to review the Welshman’s sliding challenge on to the ankle of Marcos Lopez.
But Van de Ven’s moment of magic quickly ended any hope of a fightback as Copenhagen, despite having a man advantage, crumbled with Joao Palhinha adding a fourth. There was almost a fifth but Richarlison hit the crossbar with a penalty in added time.
“We’re progressing forwards, but we are not where we want to be,” admitted Frank afterwards. “I saw a good performance, which I’m happy with. We talked about bounce-back mentality and there will be setbacks in football, it’s how you react after a bad spell. We controlled the game from minute one.”
For Van de Ven, it has been a mixed few days.
After the game against Chelsea, television footage showed him and team-mate Djed Spence appearing to snub Frank, when the Dane had gestured for them to go and acknowledge the home supporters.
Both players apologised after the incident, with Frank drawing a line under the matter in Monday’s news conference.
Following Van de Ven’s goal, which will be talked about for years to come, Frank joked about the Dutchman: “He can keep walking past me if he is angry if he delivers like that.”
Tottenham are seventh in the Champions League standings with eight points from four games
Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan views
Ask about Tottenham – what do you want to know?
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser