Goals that made Euro memorable

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Goals are the lifeblood of football. Nothing gives fans more excitement and satisfaction than watching the ball hit the back of the net.

They may not remember a superb last-ditch tackle or a perceptive defence-splitting pass but they will never forget the guy who made their evening worthwhile by scoring a goal.

Euro 2012 has witnessed plenty of goals — ranging from the ridiculously easy to the sublime — in 30 matches. Here is our list of top 10 from the inaugural match to the second semi-final.

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Sweden may have failed to progress from Group D, but their captain left an indelible mark on the tournament with a goal of stunning beauty and geometric precision against France.

After adjusting his position in the blink of an eye to meet a right-wing cross on the edge of the box, the towering forward smashed the ball in with a thumping right-footer.

The goal, which has secured its place in Euro folklore, had Ibra magic written all over it. Ordinary mortals can’t even dream about scoring such a technically perfect goal.

2. Mario Gomez: Purists mock the German for lacking style in scoring goals. Gomez silenced them all with a fine brace against the Netherlands.

His first of the evening was special as he hoodwinked the entire Dutch defence by rotating with the ball at his feet before slotting it past the bemused goalie.

3. Danny Welbeck: The English rookie sent his team’s long-suffering fans into ecstasy with an imaginative winner against Sweden.

Realising that he was on the verge of letting a Theo Walcott cross from the right go past him, Welbeck somehow managed to guide the ball in with a deft flick of his right foot.

Cynics said it was a fluke, but replays proved that the forward knew what he was doing. It was a goal that would make a Brazilian proud.

4. Jakub Blaszczykowski: Poland were trailing old rivals Russia by a goal and time was running out. Captain Blaszczykowski stepped up to the plate and delivered.

The midfielder swept the ball home from the right with a cracking shot that gave no chance to the Russian goalkeeper. The Poles celebrated as if they had won the Euros.

5. Rafael van der Vaart: There is talk that Van der Vaart will be pushed into international wilderness for his petulance at Euro 2012.

If the rumour has substance, the Dutch midfielder can retire with the satisfaction of scoring a magnificent goal in his last match.

His wonderful curling effort against Portugal was a rare bright moment for the Netherlands in an otherwise disastrous campaign.

>6. Andrea Pirlo: Goals from direct freekicks are drying up fast in international tournaments. Pirlo showed what we all had been missing with a delightful effort against Croatia.

The custodian had no chance to make a save even though the ball went inside his near post because the spin Pirlo had imparted was deceptive.

7. Sami Khedira: A surprising second-half equaliser from Greece made German nerves taut in the quarter-final. Khedira, however, restored order with an acrobatic goal from the middle of the box.

When the ball came flying from the right, the midfielder instinctively booted it in with his right foot. He also had his other foot in the air for balance. Khedira may not score a better goal in his career.

8. Mario Balotelli: Super Mario was in the news for all the wrong reasons in the early stages of Euro 2012. But his effortless goal against the Republic of Ireland showed he wasn’t just a loudmouth.

Even though an Ireland defender had a measure of him in a corner, Balotelli had the time and guile to volley the ball in. Despite losing his balance, the Italian managed to meet the ball decisively.

9. Roman Pavlyuchenko: The lanky Russian forward scored one of the finest solo goals of the tournament as he cut in from the left to find the back of the net against the Czech Republic.

Pavlyuchenko buried defender after defender with the confidence of a gladiator and his final shot matched the build-up.

10. Andy Carroll: In a tournament punctuated by headed goals, Carroll’s gem against Sweden stood out. The England forward met Steven Gerrard’s probing right-wing cross with an impeccable header.

Everything was right about the goal, which should be preserved for training class manuals. Heading is probably the only area in football that the English are better than the others.