Alessandro Del Piero: 10 Wonder Goals from the Juventus and Italy Legend

He was already a well-known and highly regarded talent before it happened, but 20 years ago today Alessandro Del Piero unleashed the volley that catapulted him into the conscience of the global audience.

Having watched as two goals from captain Gianluca Vialli pulled Juventus level with a Fiorentina side who looked to have the game won, the young star would seize his chance to shine. With time running out and the game seemingly set to end in a stalemate, Alessandro Orlando punted a long ball into the Viola box, more in hope than expectation.

Del Piero would track its flight as he ran, always fully aware of where the ball was, waiting for the moment to showcase his ability to the world. Where most might have tried to control a ball travelling such distance and dropping over his shoulder, the Bianconeri striker executed a volley that was, in one instant, both utterly simple and breathtakingly brilliant.

The two defenders in close attendance stood no chance, opposing goalkeeper Francesco Toldo even less. On the Fiorentina bench, Claudio Ranieri wore the same look of resigned dignity he has since perfected, powerless to help as a legendary career was launched with one deft swing of the boot.

From there, Del Piero became Marcello Lippi’s preferred choice in attack, prompting the club to sell Roberto Baggio to Milan and hand the No. 10 shirt to the young apprentice. Some strikes do more than win three points, and for him and Juventus, this one gave birth to a legend.

In a 19-year career with the Turin giants, Del Piero scored some truly memorable goals and—ranked in order—over the following pages are his 10 best efforts.

Of course, no compilation of Del Piero goals would be complete without that strike against Fiorentina, so here it is for you to enjoy once again.

The Derby D’Italia has always been a hotly contested affair, and with Milan pushing the Bianconeri for the title, a win over Inter was crucial in this match. Del Piero would deliver, sending the ball arching over the wall and past Julio Cesar into the top corner.

After going over a year without a goal from open play, Del Piero would finally mark his return from injury—and the death of his father—with a stunning solo effort against Bari. The ball broke to him midway inside their half, out by the left touchline.

He ran directly at his marker, forcing him to backpedal all the way into box, where a step-over left the defender flat-footed. One touch later, the No. 10 chipped a left footed shot over the advancing goalkeeper from an acute angle to score a wonderful goal.

Juve had controlled the Intercontinental Cup Final against River Plate, creating a seemingly endless number of chances but unable to kill off the tie. With just nine minutes left on the clock, a corner from Angelo Di Livio was headed across the six-yard box by Zinedine Zidane.

Falling to a completely unmarked Del Piero, he would swivel and fire an unstoppable shot high into the roof of the net.

Like that goal against Fiorentina, a long ball was sent forward by the left-back—this time Gianluca Zambrotta—and Del Piero would do the rest. Leaping, he reached for the ball with the outside of his boot, lifting it beyond the Piacenza goalkeeper and into the net.

Left out of the starting line-up as Italy took on Germany in the 2006 World Cup semi-final, Del Piero would wait patiently for his shining moment. Thrown on by Marcello Lippi in place of central midfielder Simone Perrotta, he covered the defensive role perfectly before running the length of the pitch on an Azzurri counter attack.

Alberto Gilardino played him in and the Juventus captain hit a first-time curling shot into the top corner. It made the game 2-0 to Italy and sealed the tie, sending the Azzurri into the final for the first time since 1994.

One year on from winning the competition, Juventus returned to the Champions League Final in 1997, but they were unable to prevent a rampant Borussia Dortmund side from claiming victory. While the comprehensive nature of the German side’s 3-1 victory cannot be understated, Del Piero still found one moment of brilliance.

Alen Boksic cut the ball back to him from the left and Del Piero would pull off a wonderful back-heeled flick with his left foot that remains among his very best finishes.

Returning to the Champions League for the first time since Calciopoli, Del Piero would lead Juventus to a famous victory at the home of Real Madrid. Opening the scoring on 17 minutes, he curled home a beautiful left-footed effort into the bottom corner, before doubling the lead with a trademark free kick.

Just like they had with Ronaldinho in 2005, the Bernabeu would recognise his brilliance, giving him a standing ovation when he was substituted moments before the final whistle.

The Turin derby holds a place in the hearts of all Juventus fans, and in 2002 Del Piero would provide the fixture with a moment of brilliance. A Pavel Nedved free kick in the sixth minute curled into the box, seemingly misjudged by the captain, only for him to flick it into the net with his heel.

Del Piero’s best individual season was arguably 1997-98 when he netted 32 goals in 47 games in all competitions, finishing the campaign as the Champions League's leading goal scorer. In the semi final against Monaco he would net a superb free kick as part of a first-leg hat trick.

During the early years of his career, Del Piero became synonymous with a curled strike from outside the box, so much so that it became known as a Gol alla Del Piero. Perhaps the best example came during a Group Stage win over Borussia Dortmund in the 1995-96 Champions League.