20 years ago today, Rivaldo scored what may well be the greatest hat-trick in football history at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona played Valencia on the final day of the 2000/2001 La Liga season, with both sides vying to seal the final Champions League qualification spot.
The hosts won 3-2 in a thrilling contest in front of 85,000 fans and it was Rivaldo who stole the show. The Brazilian maestro dropped a complete and utter masterclass, delivering a collection of goals that still live long in the memory.
His first, in the third minute, was a gloriously whipped 30-yard free-kick that went in off the post before he hit a low driven effort from similar range on the stroke of half-time, putting Barca back ahead following Ruben Baraja's equaliser.
Baraja levelled matters again immediately after the restart and so Rivaldo had to come up with something even more spectacular.
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He rose to the occasion. In the 88th minute, the Ballon d'Or winner received the ball on his chest from a Frank De Boer lofted pass.
In one swift motion, Rivaldo produced the most outrageous bicycle kick from outside the box - his acrobatic effort beating goalkeeper Santiago Canizares for the third time.
As the Blaugrana faithful were sent into raptures, Rivaldo rapidly removed his shirt in celebration - having just completed a truly unbelievable hat-trick.
"In the moment that De Boer passed the ball, I was aware that I was a good distance away from the goal, so I knew that when I struck the ball it would have to be very hard," Rivaldo reflected on the spectacular third goal in an interview with The Independent.
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"And, as soon as I touched the ball to control it, I knew that the shot was going to be nice and on target."
While technically it wasn't a "perfect" hat-trick because all three goals were scored with that wand of a left foot, this was an absurd trio of strikes in a crunch clash.
"It is a day that I will never forget," Rivaldo continued.
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"We needed to beat Valencia to qualify for the Champions League and so it became even more special for that reason.
"I had other great matches and scored some important goals - like in the World Cups - but this was a special game. Not only for my overhead kick, but also because of the repercussions it had around the world."
Topics:Β valencia, Football, Rivaldo, Barcelona, La Liga
