Once in a long while you witness a ridiculous goal that captures the imagination with its stunning technique or simply vicious power. Rapid Wien's Philipp Schobesberger has provided us with a mesmerizing goal that defies all of those precedents.
Rapid Wien midfielder Schobesberger, a 22-year-old Austrian, was sent racing through on goal during Wien's Europa League encounter with Viktoria Plzen. What he does next is either the luckiest, worst goal in the history of the game or a piece of ingenious improvisation.
With the scores level in the 77th minute, Schobesberger provided his team with this stunning winner.
His first touch is composed. Setting himself up immaculately, he has time to look up, see the goalkeeper racing out and formulate his next move. In what looks like an attempt to push the ball around the keeper, Schobesberger’s motor skills seem to absolutely desert him.
Diving head first towards the ground, arms and legs flailing like a fish out of water, Schobesberger somehow manages to get the ball across the line in agonizing fashion. The defender is not pleased, throwing a temper tantrum that Philip Rivers would approve of.
For Rapid Wien fans, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Schobesberger won’t care, I mean, they all count the same, don't they? The win also saw Rapid Wien clinch their place in the Europa League's knockout rounds. In the timeless words of Alan Partridge, ”Boof! Eat my goal!”
The Europa League never fails to provide us with moments of magic like this one.
