Home leagues are sometimes thought of to be the toughest competitors to win.
To assert the title, golf equipment should present power, resilience and above all, consistency, throughout an extended season. Occasional excellence or moments of brilliance are usually not sufficient.
If profitable the league is tough, securing a title with out dropping a match is an achievement reserved for really particular sides.
Over time, a choose group of golf equipment have accomplished Invincible seasons. Right here, a take a look at a number of the groups that went unbeaten in a league marketing campaign…
16. Preston North Finish
Preston North Finish gamers, first winners of the English high flight and the unique Invincibles, pose for a workforce photograph in 1889. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Preston North Finish had been the winners of the inaugural English League Championship in 1888/89 and the Lilywhites took the title with out dropping a sport.
PNE racked up 18 wins and 4 attracts within the 22-game season, with 74 targets scored and 15 conceded, to complete 11 factors away from second-placed Aston Villa. The unique Invincibles .
15. Purple Star Belgrade
Purple Star Belgrade gamers have a good time after profitable the Serbian league championship in Might 2023. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Purple Star Belgrade gained the Serbian SuperLiga for a 3rd season in a row in 2022/23 and the capital membership did it in model with an unbeaten run to the title.
After 26 wins and 4 attracts within the common season, Crvena zvezda scored 4 extra victories and one other three ties within the championship spherical to complete with 97 factors in a memorable marketing campaign. Purple Star additionally gained the Serbian Cup with out defeat, however had been overwhelmed in a Champions League play-off by Israeli aspect Maccabi Haifa and went on to lose 4 of their six Europa League group video games.
14. Benfica
Eusebio poses for a photograph at Benfica in 1970. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Benfica went into the 1972/73 season as back-to-back Portuguese champions and made it three in a row in a first-ever unbeaten league season.
The Lisbon giants gained 28 of their video games, twice as many as second-placed Belenenses, and drew the opposite two. Eusébio netted 40 targets within the league alone and 42 in all competitions. The Eagles had been much less profitable within the knockout competitions, although, dropping to Leixões within the Taça de Portugal and to Derby County within the European Cup. Benfica additionally went unbeaten within the league within the 1977/78 season, however misplaced out on aim distinction to Porto.
13. Peñarol
Peñarol gamers have a good time after profitable the Uruguayan championship in October 1999. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Peñarol weren’t the primary Uruguayan membership to undergo a league season unbeaten. That was their Montevideo rivals, Nacional, in 1917.
However the Yellow and Blacks have achieved the feat seven instances since – in 1949, 1954, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1975 and 1978. The primary 5 of these had been 18-game seasons, with the latter two 22-match campaigns.
12. Beşiktaş
Besiktas followers cheer on their workforce throughout a Champions League sport towards Sparta Prague in October 2003. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Beşiktaş grew to become the primary Turkish workforce to win the league with out dropping a single match, beating Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe to the title in 1991/92.
Beneath former England midfielder Gordon Milne, the Black Eagles gained 23 video games and drew seven to say their tenth Turkish title and a 3rd in a row. Beşiktaş additionally gained the league in 1985/86, edging out Galatasaray on aim distinction after their Istanbul rivals had gone undefeated in a 36-game season.
11. Steaua Bucharest
Steaua Bucharest gamers have a good time profitable the Romanian league title in June 2005. (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Steaua Bucharest are Romania’s most profitable aspect and the Purple and Blues had been significantly sturdy within the late Nineteen Eighties, profitable the European Cup in 1986 and reaching the ultimate once more in 1989.
Between 1984 and 1989, Steaua gained 5 consecutive Romanian league titles. The final three of these – in 1986/87, 1987/88 and 1988/89 – had been all achieved with out dropping a sport and extra spectacular nonetheless, the capital membership additionally gained the Romanian Cup in every of the three campaigns.
10. Actual Madrid
Legendary former Barcelona and Actual Madrid goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora in motion within the mid-Nineteen Thirties. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
After the institution of the Second Spanish Republic in April 1931, Actual Madrid misplaced their “Actual” title, in addition to the royal crown from their crest, and went again to the title Madrid Soccer Membership.
However Los Blancos loved a particular season in 1931/32. With the legendary Ricardo Zamora in aim, the capital membership gained their first ever La Liga title, ending unbeaten in an 18-game marketing campaign which featured 10 wins and eight attracts – together with a 2-2 tie away to fierce rivals Barcelona at Les Corts on the ultimate day. Madrid additionally gained the Campeonato Regional Centro, with only one defeat, however had been overwhelmed by Deportivo La Coruña over two legs within the final 16 of the Copa del Presidente de la República. Two seasons earlier, Athletic Membership went unbeaten in La Liga throughout 18 video games and likewise gained the Copa del Rey.
9. PAOK Thessaloniki
PAOK Thessaloniki gamers have a good time their Greek Cup closing win over AEK Athens in Might 2019. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Greek soccer has historically been dominated by golf equipment from Athens, however northern outfit PAOK Thessaloniki upset the established order by profitable a league and cup double in 2018/19.
PAOK beat Olympiacos to the title courtesy of 26 wins and 4 attracts in an unbeaten season, conceding simply 14 targets alongside the best way, and added the Greek Cup due to a 1-0 victory over AEK Athens within the closing. Within the knockout competitors, PAOK overcame first-leg defeats to Panachaiki and Panionios within the final 16 and the quarter-finals, respectively. Their European season was tougher, although, with defeat to Benfica in a Champions League play-off after which 5 losses out of six within the Europa League group levels – two versus Chelsea and MOL Vidi, plus one other towards BATE Borisov.
8. Dynamo Kyiv
Dynamo Kyiv gamers have a good time a aim towards Everton within the Europa League in March 2015. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Managed by their former striker Serhiy Rebrov, Dynamo Kyiv secured a home double in 2014/15 with out dropping a single match.
Dynamo claimed the Ukrainian Premier League title, ending 10 factors forward of Shakhtar Donetsk after 20 wins and 6 attracts from their 26 video games. The Blue and Whites additionally beat Shakhtar on penalties to win the Ukrainian Cup closing. Rebrov’s aspect did lose 4 video games in Europe, although, ultimately bowing out to Fiorentina within the Europa League final eight.
7. Celtic
Celtic gamers have a good time with the Scottish Premiership trophy in Might 2017. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic started with a 1-0 defeat to Gibraltar’s Lincoln Purple Imps in a Champions League qualifier, however the Northern Irishman led the Hoops to the Scottish Premiership title with out dropping a sport after 34 wins and 4 attracts.
Celtic additionally went on to win the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup to finish a home treble with out defeat, however the Bhoys did lose twice to Barcelona and as soon as to Borussia Mönchengladbach within the Champions League, ending backside of Group C.
6. AC Milan
AC Milan gamers have a good time their Serie A title win by parading the membership’s flag on the finish of the 1992/93 season. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
AC Milan had been a formidable power within the early Nineties and the Rossoneri gained three Serie A titles in a row between 1992 and 1994.
The primary of these got here after an unbeaten season as Fabio Capello’s aspect claimed the Scudetto with 22 wins and 12 attracts. Milan had completed second the earlier season, however had been banned from collaborating in European competitors after refusing to renew their 1990/91 European Cup quarter-final match away to Olympique Marseille. The membership’s solely defeat within the 1991/92 marketing campaign was a 1-0 loss to Juventus within the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, following a 0-0 draw at San Siro.
5. Juventus
Juventus gamers have a good time with the Serie A trophy after a sport towards Atalanta in Might 2012. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Having completed seventh in Serie A the earlier season, Juventus gained the primary of 9 straight Scudetto titles in 2011/12 – and the Bianconeri didn’t lose a single match.
Antonio Conte’s aspect gained 23 and drew 15 of their 38 video games to take the title forward of AC Milan by 4 factors. Not enjoying in Europe resulting from their poor marketing campaign in 2010/11, Juve additionally reached the Coppa Italia closing, dropping their solely match of the marketing campaign in a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
4. Porto
Porto gamers have a good time their Europa League closing win over Braga in Might 2011. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Porto gained 4 out of 4 trophies in an unprecedented 2010/11 marketing campaign beneath André Villas Boas.
The Dragons cruised to the Primeira Liga title with 27 wins and three attracts and beat Vitória de Guimarães to win the Taça de Portugal, having defeated the identical aspect to say the SuperTaça again in August. Porto’s solely two defeats of the season got here within the Europa League – towards Sevilla and Villarreal – however neither mattered as Villas Boas’ aspect got here via each ties and beat Braga within the closing to cap a exceptional season. Two seasons later, Porto went unbeaten once more within the league, with Vitor Pereira’s aspect ending with 24 wins and 6 attracts to edge out Benfica by a single level.
3. Arsenal
Arsenal gamers have a good time with the Premier League trophy after their Invincible season in 2003/04. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Arsenal gained the Premier League title in 2003/04 with 90 factors, ending 11 away from second-placed Chelsea after 26 wins and 12 attracts.
That workforce, managed by Arsène Wenger, grew to become generally known as The Invincibles and acquired a particular gold trophy for the achievement of finishing the Premier League season unbeaten. The Gunners did lose six video games in different competitions, although – towards Dynamo Kyiv, Inter and Chelsea within the Champions League; dwelling and away to Middlesbrough within the League Cup semi-finals; and versus Manchester United within the FA Cup.
2. Bayer Leverkusen
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Bayer Leverkusen had by no means gained the Bundesliga, however the German membership modified that in a exceptional 2023/24 marketing campaign.
Xabi Alonso’s aspect ended 11 years of Bayern Munich dominance by profitable the Bundesliga and the Black and Reds claimed the title with out dropping a single sport, with 28 wins and 6 attracts. Leverkusen additionally gained the DFB-Pokal with six successive victories and went inside a sport of not dropping in any respect, ultimately happening 3-0 to Atalanta within the Europa League closing in Dublin – their sole defeat in 53 aggressive matches.
1. Ajax
Ajax gamers have a good time their Champions League closing win over AC Milan in Might 1995. (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Ajax gained 27 of their 34 Eredivisie video games in 1994/95 and drew the opposite seven, scoring 106 targets and conceding 38.
Louis van Gaal’s aspect additionally gained the Champions League with out dropping a sport, beating AC Milan within the closing, and thrashed Feyenoord 3-0 within the Dutch Supercup. Actually, the Amsterdam membership misplaced just one match in your complete season as they had been overwhelmed 2-1 by Feyenoord within the quarter-finals of the Dutch Cup – and even that defeat got here in additional time.
