Many of Europe’s classic sides have been built upon a core trio of key players and Goal takes a trip down memory lane to recall some of those famous link-ups

By Miles Chambers

Real Madrid have the most expensive attacking trident on the planet this season following the €100 million signing of Gareth Bale. The Welshman has often played on the right flank, with €94m man Cristiano Ronaldo on the other, while Karim Benzema – who cost €41m in 2009 – marauds through the middle.

In the short space of time that the trio have played together they have already proven that they are a deadly combination, most notably scoring two goals apiece in their 6-1 Champions League drubbing of Bayer Leverkusen in the opening leg of their last-16 tie. They have since earned the nickname ‘BBC’ among Blancos fans and pundits alike.

Ahead of Madrid’s second leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, Goal looks at 10 classic trios that have starred in the European Cup or Champions League…

Di Stefano, Puskas & Gento (Real Madrid)

Alfredo Di Stefano (above pic, middle) was at the heart of the most all-conquering team in European history between 1955 and 1960 – a fantastic centre-forward who was also a deceptively brilliant midfielder. Francisco Gento (far right), one of football’s most iconic left wingers, remains the only player to have won the tournament a record six times. Ferenc Puskas (second from right) arrived later in their dominant era but, as an inside-left forward, scored 37 goals in 41 European Cup games.

Ahead of what many consider to be the greatest final in the cup’s history in 1960, when Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3, Puskas said: “Every man in our team is an attacker”. Those three led the way.

Best, Law & Charlton (Manchester United)

At the core of Manchester United’s 1968 European Cup-winning side were three European Player of the Year winners, nicknamed The Holy Trinity: George Best (1968), Denis Law (1964) and Bobby Charlton (1966).

Charlton’s inclusion in particular was an emotional one after he survived the Munich Air Disaster 10 years earlier, which had killed eight of his team-mates. Best remains one of the most gifted players to have ever played the game and Law, though injured for the final, remains one of the club’s iconic goalscoring machines.

Keizer, Cruyff & Rep (Ajax)

One of only three clubs to ever win three European Cups in a row, Ajax revolutionised how football was played en route to their wins in 1971, 1972 and 1973. At the centre of it all was Johan Cruyff (pictured) – part-conductor, part-orchestrator, part-magician – with Johnny Rep to his right and Piet Kiezer on his left.

The trio went on to shine for Netherlands at the 1974 World Cup but could not replicate their continental heroics and were denied victory by West Germany.

Hansen, Dalglish & Souness (Liverpool)

Liverpool enjoyed eight years among the world’s elite between 1977 and 1985 until the Heysel disaster saw English clubs banned from Europe for half a decade. At the centre of their victorious 1983-84 team were three super Scots: central defender Alan Hansen, prolific attacker Kenny Dalglish and midfield captain Graeme Souness.

Maradona, Giordano & Careca (Napoli)

The only trio on this list without a European Cup or Champions League winner, Napoli’s Diego Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca were nonetheless key in the club’s greatest period to date. They were famously known as Ma-Gi-Ca, meaning ‘Magic’ in Italian.

Following the Partenopei’s Scudetto win in 1987, they were unlucky in losing to Real Madrid at the first hurdle, then three years later made it just one round further. In between, however, they charged to Uefa Cup glory, although by that time Giordano had been replaced by Andrea Carnevale.

Van Basten, Gullit & Rijkaard (AC Milan)

Three Dutchmen were at the centre of AC Milan’s back-to-back European Cup wins in 1989 and 1990: Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit.

Van Basten and Gullit were the forward pairing which fired Arrigo Sacchi’s men to glory on both occasions, with Rikjaard marshalling the midfield ahead of what is generally considered to be the best defensive line-up ever and possibly the greatest club side.

Vialli, Ravanelli & Del Piero (Juventus)

Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli were crucial to Juventus as they lifted their second European Cup – now titled the Champions League – in 1995-96.

Their fluidity under future World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi was evident for all to see. Skipper Vialli was the centre forward in the 4-3-3 formation, with young attacker Del Piero to his left and Ravanelli, in the prime of his career, to his right. The 1996 final versus Ajax finished 1-1 before the Bianconeri triumphed on penalties.

Ronaldo, Rooney & Tevez (Manchester United)

Manchester United made two consecutive Champions League finals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez at their core.

Ronaldo brought the terrifying pace and threat from set pieces, Rooney’s selflessness and intelligence gave United fluidity, while Tevez’s tenacity and goal threat added to the Red Devils’ intimidating firepower.

All three started in their victorious final win over Chelsea on penalties, while Tevez came on at half-time during their 2-0 loss to Barcelona the following season.

Iniesta, Xavi & Messi (Barcelona)

Barcelona went from strong to mind-blowingly brilliant under Pep Guardiola and that was thanks to the emergence of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. The former two of that trio were already established stars when the introduction of tiki-taka and the brilliant Argentine took their game to the next level.

Two Champions League titles during Guardiola’s stint at Camp Nou was a team effort but the excellence of the Catalans’ terrific trio was frequently the difference between them and any other team on the planet.

Bale, Benzema & Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid have a rich history of capturing the best players on the planet and the summer signing of Bale has helped complete a formidable trio. Ronaldo’s performances in a Blancos shirt won him the Ballon d’Or in January and surely it is just a matter of time before his Welsh team-mate is in contention for the accolade too.

Benzema’s sudden propulsion in form has perfected a three-man attack which is unrivalled in the world right now and sees Carlo Ancelotti’s men considered Champions League favourites.

Correspondent column: Brendan Rodgers has extracted the maximum from his squad and they are well-placed for a first title in 24 years after another highly impressive display

Manchester United were so bad on Sunday it was inevitable that the story would be about them first and Liverpool second. Whether the deficiencies are with the manager David Moyes or in the minds of the players no longer matters. There is only one way this appointment is going to turn out.

Moyes has had fair backing from the Stretford End faithful who defiantly belted out “20 times Man United” long after the final whistle and even on the trams back into town from Exchange Quay. The patience now, however, is about to be severely tested. Had United turned Liverpool over and gone on to beat Olympiakos and Manchester City then the season, and by extension Moyes’ stewardship, would have looked all the rosier.

After this dispiriting home defeat, the games against Olympiakos and City are being approached with United fans watching from between their fingers. The Liverpool match might not have been the final nail in the Moyes coffin but it felt like the first. Being at Old Trafford these days is an unpredictable business. Eighteen points have been snaffled by visiting teams this season. Last season that total stood at nine. There is chaos; a sense of unravelling there and winning away to United seems no longer a landmark event.

This then, for Liverpool, was a relatively straightforward away win although there is an historical context which makes it all the sweeter for Reds fans. Three away matches in a row have been won by Brendan Rodgers’ side and, after Chelsea’s defeat at Aston Villa, the victory at United puts them within the title race whether Rodgers would like to admit it or not. “I don’t lose sleep over it,” he said to the press on Sunday regarding the prospect of a first league win in 24 years.

A Premier League title win would be fitting reward for Rodgers, who endured an indifferent start to his Liverpool days but has converted an admittedly limited squad into the finest football team in all of Britain.

“The quality of our training, the intensity of our training… there won’t be many teams worker harder than us on a day-to-day basis on the training field to improve players and develop players,” said Rodgers. There can be no denying that the Irishman’s methods are working.

He has coaxed the best football out of Luis Suarez in the entirety of the Uruguayan’s career. Laughable as it was only a few months ago, Suarez’s professional ambitions are probably now best served at Anfield. That said, his improvement under Rodgers this season – and his all-round rehabilitation – has probably added £15 million to his transfer value should Liverpool be pressed into cashing in.

There have of course been a few ‘work in progress’ results this season. All in all they have failed to win about a third of their games. The Christmas period losses against Manchester City and Chelsea rankled because those are the type of matches that the big teams win. Worse so that they took the lead in both. To have positioned his side back into the title race even after those two defeats to direct rivals speaks volumes about Rodgers and his squad’s redoubtableness. “We played a number of systems this year but our style remains the same,” he said.

What Rodgers has in abundance that Moyes currently does not is a group of players across the ability and experience spectrum who have all collectively yielded to what their manager has asked. No Robin van Persie-like sulking from his equivalent in the Liverpool squad, Suarez. No moaning from Steven Gerrard about a new position and a new role. “We’ve got hungry players at the club who want to improve, who want to develop, who want to learn,” said Rodgers. “We just get on with coaching the players to be better.”

Two bogeymen in the shape of Manchester City and Chelsea loom on the horizon of the run in. But unlike at Christmas these Liverpool players will go into those matches believing they can win the title, despite the manager’s assertions to the contrary.

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Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have dismantled Everton in the derby, destroyed Arsenal and taken United apart at Old Trafford. Those are significant results, even in isolation, but strung together they form the pattern of Rodgers’ Liverpool blueprint.

They are not spoiling their way towards a title, a la Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, nor are they reliant on the individual contributions of a world class player like City can be.

They are the only team in the title race with an attractive, collective purpose that flows from the manager through to the players. Liverpool are what happens when the right manager fits the right club and is given the space he needs to work.

Wouldn’t it be good if that sort of thinking was rewarded with a trophy?

MLS MOVE POSITIVE FOR ENGLAND AND DEFOE

Take it from an Irishman – if a striker is scoring goals regularly, even if it is MLS, there is no reason to leave him out of the national team. Robbie Keane, Ireland’s record goalscorer, started playing his club football for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011. Since going to California he has scored 11 goals in 23 internationals.

Keane’s former Tottenham team-mate Jermain Defoe started his MLS career with a bang as he scored twice for Toronto FC in their impressive away win at Seattle Sounders. Clint Dempsey’s team, for the record, are regarded as one of the favoured teams to lift the MLS Cup this year.

Defoe’s move has been viewed very much as a backwards step for the England striker coming as it does so close to the World Cup in Brazil. But the benefits of playing in MLS can certainly outweigh the negatives for a European international.

Fewer matches and a less intense tempo of play mean that the likes of Keane and Defoe will be all the fresher while national team rivals run themselves into the ground as the season draws to a close across the Atlantic. And what is better for a striker’s confidence than regular goals? Nothing. While Defoe could no longer command a start for Spurs, like Keane, he will be top man in Toronto and will score plenty. That will, in turn, lift his self belief.

“The England thing is obviously going to be in the back of my mind, but I’m sure if someone said to Roy Hodgson, ‘If you haven’t seen Jermain scored two goals…’ then maybe he won’t be surprised,” Defoe told the press after his debut victory.

The striking position is a confidence position. The move to MLS could work out very well for Defoe and very well for England should Roy Hodgson decide to take him to Brazil.

Many of Europe’s classic sides have been built upon a core trio of key players and Goal takes a trip down memory lane to recall some of those famous link-ups

By Miles Chambers

Real Madrid have the most expensive attacking trident on the planet this season following the €100 million signing of Gareth Bale. The Welshman has often played on the right flank, with €94m man Cristiano Ronaldo on the other, while Karim Benzema – who cost €41m in 2009 – marauds through the middle.

In the short space of time that the trio have played together they have already proven that they are a deadly combination, most notably scoring two goals apiece in their 6-1 Champions League drubbing of Bayer Leverkusen in the opening leg of their last-16 tie. They have since earned the nickname ‘BBC’ among Blancos fans and pundits alike.

Ahead of Madrid’s second leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, Goal looks at 10 classic trios that have starred in the European Cup or Champions League…

Di Stefano, Puskas & Gento (Real Madrid)

Alfredo Di Stefano (above pic, middle) was at the heart of the most all-conquering team in European history between 1955 and 1960 – a fantastic centre-forward who was also a deceptively brilliant midfielder. Francisco Gento (far right), one of football’s most iconic left wingers, remains the only player to have won the tournament a record six times. Ferenc Puskas (second from right) arrived later in their dominant era but, as an inside-left forward, scored 37 goals in 41 European Cup games.

Ahead of what many consider to be the greatest final in the cup’s history in 1960, when Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3, Puskas said: “Every man in our team is an attacker”. Those three led the way.

Best, Law & Charlton (Manchester United)

At the core of Manchester United’s 1968 European Cup-winning side were three European Player of the Year winners, nicknamed The Holy Trinity: George Best (1968), Denis Law (1964) and Bobby Charlton (1966).

Charlton’s inclusion in particular was an emotional one after he survived the Munich Air Disaster 10 years earlier, which had killed eight of his team-mates. Best remains one of the most gifted players to have ever played the game and Law, though injured for the final, remains one of the club’s iconic goalscoring machines.

Keizer, Cruyff & Rep (Ajax)

One of only three clubs to ever win three European Cups in a row, Ajax revolutionised how football was played en route to their wins in 1971, 1972 and 1973. At the centre of it all was Johan Cruyff (pictured) – part-conductor, part-orchestrator, part-magician – with Johnny Rep to his right and Piet Kiezer on his left.

The trio went on to shine for Netherlands at the 1974 World Cup but could not replicate their continental heroics and were denied victory by West Germany.

Hansen, Dalglish & Souness (Liverpool)

Liverpool enjoyed eight years among the world’s elite between 1977 and 1985 until the Heysel disaster saw English clubs banned from Europe for half a decade. At the centre of their victorious 1983-84 team were three super Scots: central defender Alan Hansen, prolific attacker Kenny Dalglish and midfield captain Graeme Souness.

Maradona, Giordano & Careca (Napoli)

The only trio on this list without a European Cup or Champions League winner, Napoli’s Diego Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca were nonetheless key in the club’s greatest period to date. They were famously known as Ma-Gi-Ca, meaning ‘Magic’ in Italian.

Following the Partenopei’s Scudetto win in 1987, they were unlucky in losing to Real Madrid at the first hurdle, then three years later made it just one round further. In between, however, they charged to Uefa Cup glory, although by that time Giordano had been replaced by Andrea Carnevale.

Van Basten, Gullit & Rijkaard (AC Milan)

Three Dutchmen were at the centre of AC Milan’s back-to-back European Cup wins in 1989 and 1990: Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit.

Van Basten and Gullit were the forward pairing which fired Arrigo Sacchi’s men to glory on both occasions, with Rikjaard marshalling the midfield ahead of what is generally considered to be the best defensive line-up ever and possibly the greatest club side.

Vialli, Ravanelli & Del Piero (Juventus)

Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli were crucial to Juventus as they lifted their second European Cup – now titled the Champions League – in 1995-96.

Their fluidity under future World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi was evident for all to see. Skipper Vialli was the centre forward in the 4-3-3 formation, with young attacker Del Piero to his left and Ravanelli, in the prime of his career, to his right. The 1996 final versus Ajax finished 1-1 before the Bianconeri triumphed on penalties.

Ronaldo, Rooney & Tevez (Manchester United)

Manchester United made two consecutive Champions League finals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez at their core.

Ronaldo brought the terrifying pace and threat from set pieces, Rooney’s selflessness and intelligence gave United fluidity, while Tevez’s tenacity and goal threat added to the Red Devils’ intimidating firepower.

All three started in their victorious final win over Chelsea on penalties, while Tevez came on at half-time during their 2-0 loss to Barcelona the following season.

Iniesta, Xavi & Messi (Barcelona)

Barcelona went from strong to mind-blowingly brilliant under Pep Guardiola and that was thanks to the emergence of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. The former two of that trio were already established stars when the introduction of tiki-taka and the brilliant Argentine took their game to the next level.

Two Champions League titles during Guardiola’s stint at Camp Nou was a team effort but the excellence of the Catalans’ terrific trio was frequently the difference between them and any other team on the planet.

Bale, Benzema & Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid have a rich history of capturing the best players on the planet and the summer signing of Bale has helped complete a formidable trio. Ronaldo’s performances in a Blancos shirt won him the Ballon d’Or in January and surely it is just a matter of time before his Welsh team-mate is in contention for the accolade too.

Benzema’s sudden propulsion in form has perfected a three-man attack which is unrivalled in the world right now and sees Carlo Ancelotti’s men considered Champions League favourites.