WATCH: Lionel Messi, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the 21 best goals of the 2022-23 Champions League season - ranked

This was all about technique from Real Madrid midfielder Valverde, who was having the time of his life in the first half of 2022-23. The Uruguay international didn't even require a touch as he swept home this sumptuous first-time finish in Los Blancos' group stage rout of Celtic.

A study in how to manipulate space when you seemingly have absolutely none to work with. With Real Madrid two goals down and in dire need of a response at Anfield, Vinicius combined cutely with Karim Benzema on the edge of the box before jinking inside and curling a wonderful finish into the bottom corner, despite being surrounded by defenders.

While Darwin Nunez's debut Liverpool season didn't exactly go entirely to plan, he demonstrated his elite potential in certain moments. His opener against Real Madrid in the last 16 was a good example of that, as he dashed onto Mohamed Salah's pass and produced an instinctive flick to send the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois and Anfield into raptures.

Marcus Edwards was a man possessed in both group-stage clashes with Spurs as he looked to prove a point against his former club. What better way to do that, then, than a wonderful individual goal back in north London? The Sporting star drove from close to the halfway line before picking out the bottom corner from range with a low drive. Perfection.

Based on his debut against Copenhagen, you would have thought that Isco would go on to become a superstar for Sevilla, but ultimately it was a case of what might have been. The former Real Madrid man was at his silky best against the Danish giants, marking his bow for the Rojiblancos with this inch-perfect curled effort from the edge of the box.

The first of three Mbappe goals against Juventus to feature on this list, with the French superstar running riot against the Bianconeri in the group stage. This goal (the second in the video above) is all about the combination play with his good mate Achraf Hakimi; the pair exchange pinpoint passes inside the penalty area before the forward fires a volley into the corner.

Ramos has placed himself firmly in the shop window courtesy of a stellar individual season, but performing in the Champions League is a true marker of a player's potential. This strike was a clear demonstration of his ability, as he cut inside in the box, left multiple defenders for dead and crashed home a low strike.

Mbappe vs Juventus, part two. Once again, this was all about the link-up with his team-mates, the timing of his run and his finishing ability. In this case, he plays the ball to Neymar before darting into space, and the Brazilian executes an audacious scoop pass to play him in behind. The goalkeeper got fingers to Mbappe's angled volley, but he was never keeping it out.

It wasn't a vintage Champions League season for Messi by any stretch of the imagination, but he still made his mark with a trademark finish. After some very neat build-up play involving Mbappe and Neymar, Messi ran onto the latter's pass and swept a sumptuous curling finish beyond the goalkeeper and into the top corner. *Chef's kiss*.

Calhanoglu has made a name for himself as a deadeye from long-range, and he struck again here with a crucial goal in the 'Group of Death'. Taking aim from range, the Inter star picked out the bottom corner with unerring accuracy for what proved to be the match-winner.

Without this goal, the Nerazzurri may never have made it to this season's showpiece in Istanbul, with the Serie A side finishing three points ahead of Barcelona in Group C.

Choupo-Moting was one of the unlikely success stories of Bayern's season before an injury, showing some of his best form in the Champions League group stage. The pick of his goals came against Inter as he fizzed an unerring rocket straight into the top corner - the kind of hit that looked like it would never come back down to earth.

You can always rely on Alexander-Arnold for a moment of Champions League magic - just ask Divock Origi! Liverpool's assist king turned goalscorer against Rangers in the group stage, bending a free-kick into the top corner from all of 25 yards.

What a way to score your first-ever Champions League goal! Rodri is usually a high-functioning cog in Pep Guardiola's brilliant machine, but he neglected the dirty work to score this beauty in the statement rout of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

Finding a pocket of space and stepping away from Jamal Musiala on the edge of the box, the Spaniard wrapped his so-called weaker left foot around the ball to send it soaring into the top corner.

One of those goals from this season's competition that you may have missed unless you enjoy trawling through each and every group-stage highlight. Left-back Grimaldo got on the scoresheet in both group-phase encounters with Maccabi Haifa, but this is the strike that will live long in the memory. The Spaniard sent this ridiculous effort dipping, swerving and spinning into the back of the net in the home instalment.

Giroud will go down in the record books as the goalscorer, but this was all about the assist from flying winger Rafael Leao. Picking up the ball in his own half, the Portugal international bombed forward, leaving three Napoli defenders in his wake before supplying a perfect pull-back into Giroud's path. The Frenchman couldn't miss.

The definition of 'postage stamp' from Chelsea's mercurial German. There is no doubting Havertz's ability, but he shows it all too infrequently. However, some of his best moments for the Blues have come in the Champions League, and this was another very memorable moment. The technique to whip the ball in off the crossbar is quite exquisite.

Kevin De Bruyne is increasingly Man City's man for the big occasion, and this strike went some way to helping them reach the Champions League final as Guardiola's side secured a draw in the Bernabeu in the semi-final first leg.

De Bruyne's equaliser was a peach, with the Belgian arriving on the edge of the 'D' just in time to crash in an emphatic low drive.

One of the tantalising glimpses that fans outside Ukraine got of Mudryk at his flying best, and a goal that probably went some way to convincing Chelsea to shell out £88.5 million ($108m) on the winger back in January.

Running from his own half against Celtic in the group stage, the former Shakhtar man showed searing pace and ridiculous composure to thunder a devastating shot into the roof of the net.

If there is a goal that encapsulates everything that Mbappe is about, it's this one. The PSG superstar drops a shoulder and nips the ball between the defender's legs, then somehow evades his rugby-esque attempts to haul him down, skips inside Manuel Locatelli's desperate lunge and thumps a bending strike in off the post. Skill, dynamism, pace and precision all rolled into one.

A moment to rip the lid off the Bernabeu, prior to the aforementioned De Bruyne spoiling the party. Vinicius has emerged as the man at Real Madrid in recent times, and this was another huge contribution on the biggest stage.

After controlling Eduardo Camavinga's pass on the run in the semi-final, Vini Jr unleashed an unstoppable drive from range that was past his international team-mate Ederson before he even knew it.

Guardiola is not far off achieving perfection in the form of his latest iteration of Manchester City, and that was reflected in Haaland's ridiculous goal against his former club in the group stage. Joao Cancelo's audacious, inswinging, outside-of-the-boot cross was inch-perfect, and the towering goal machine rose majestically to acrobatically guide the ball into the back of the net with the outside of his own boot.

A thing of beauty.