European wonder goals: Bressan vs. Barcelona, 17 years ago today

On the continental stage, with much of the world tuned in to escape midweek malaise, dazzling goals are scored from nothing, and heroes are made from fleeting moments.

Occasionally, those goals come from the world-class, like Mesut Ozil, who on Tuesday in Bulgaria against Ludogorets etched his name in Champions League lore with an 88th-minute match-winning lesson in patience and finesse.

Related - Watch: Ozil does best FIFA Street impression to score obscene late winner

Others, like Paris Saint-Germain second-choice full-back Thomas Meunier, assume the role of unexpected saviour when those tasked with carrying the goal-scoring duties come up short.

Related - Watch: Meunier's sweet first-time volley nicks last-ditch PSG win

And then there are players like Mauro Bressan.

The Champions League makes heroes of the unlikely. A squad player on the fringes of first-team football can wondrously purchase mystical powers and earn swift legend status before abating to idle domestic duties.

Bressan arrived at Fiorentina from Bari in 1999 as exactly that: a footballer in search of a consistent first-team gig. Instead, he wandered on the cusp of the starting XI, feeding off the scraps of substitute appearances and European and cup play under manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

One of his three continental starts was 17 years ago today at the Artemio Franchi against Barcelona. That match provided a moment for which Bressan is forever remembered.

Louis van Gaal's lot arrived in Florence as the class of Group B, boasting a lineup that featured the likes of Pep Guardiola, Patrick Kluivert, Luis Figo, and Rivaldo. It was a stacked squad that also witnessed substitute appearances from budding academy breakthroughs Carles Puyol and Xavi.

The occasion was set for a tutorial from the continent's best. Instead, a player who scored just twice in 59 run outs for La Viola was the star.

With the score level 0-0 in the 14th minute, Barcelona's attempted clearance was intercepted by Jorg Heinrich, who subsequently battled with Rivaldo as Bressan's eyes were glued to the ball no more than a yard away.

Back to goal, Bressan opted for the sensational, and Francesc Arnau could do little but leap in vain to stop the perfectly-struck rocket.

"It probably seemed a bit crazy at the time," Bressan told Four Four Two in 2012, "but I wanted to try it because I had attempted it a few times in training with not much success.

"It all came down to the way I hit it, and that came about through co-ordination, then connecting cleanly with the ball."

An ITV programme ranking the top Champions League goals had it second behind Zinedine Zidane's stunner in the final against Bayer Leverkusen, and Sky Sports had it eighth on a similar list. UEFA also features it among a collection of the tournament's greatest finishes.

Amazingly, the acrobatic finish wasn't Bressan's only moment of brilliance during the 3-3 draw, after his sublime back-heel flick was slotted home as one of Abel Balbo's two goals on the day.

Nevertheless, Bressan will always be remembered for the goal, and for the well-travelled midfielder, it could be worse, especially after arrest in 2011 as part of the match fixing scandal that sullied Italian football.

"I have wonderful memories of my goal in Florence," Bressan admitted. "When I got back onto my feet I just started screaming."

Seven years on from a career that fizzled out in Italy's lower tiers, and 17 years detached from the goal against Barcelona, Bressan acknowledges that he is apotheosised for a split-second moment of grandeur. He doesn't seem to mind it either.

"A lot of people remember the goal," says the Italian, "and remind me of it when they meet me."