The hole between Europe’s elite and the remaining appears to widen by the yr, however the Champions League has remained fertile floor for a very good outdated upset.
From the group stage proper as much as the ultimate, the competitors has seen its justifiable share of shock outcomes through the years.
Right here, we’ve picked out the largest of the lot, spanning virtually 20 years of Champions League historical past.
Ajax 0-1 Panathinaikos (1995/96 semi-final first leg)
Goalscorer Krzysztof Warzycha in motion for Panathinaikos in opposition to Ajax within the first leg of their 1995/96 semi-final tie (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Ajax got here agonisingly near retaining their Champions League crown in 1996, dropping on penalties to Juventus within the last – however they needed to win their semi the exhausting approach, after dropping the primary leg 1-0 at house to shock bundle Panathinaikos.
Krzysztof Warzycha’s late purpose clinched victory in Amsterdam, giving the Greek facet actual hope of reaching their first Champions League / European Cup last since 1971 (when, by the way, they have been overwhelmed by Ajax) – just for the holders to take the second leg 3-0.
Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 Actual Madrid (1998/99 quarter-final second leg)
Andriy Shevchenko scored all three of Dynamo Kyiv’s targets of their 3-1 mixture win over Actual Madrid (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Having been topped European champions for the primary time in 32 years the earlier season, Actual Madrid should have been assured of going all the best way once more in 1998/99. Dynamo Kyiv had different concepts…
Coached by the legendary Valeriy Lobanovskyi, the Ukrainians have been in a powerful place after drawing the primary leg of their quarter-final conflict on the Bernabeu 1-1 because of a purpose from a younger Andriy Shevchenko – who was at it once more within the second leg, bagging a brace to ship Dynamo into the final 4.
Monaco 3-1 Actual Madrid (2003/04 quarter-final second leg)
Fernando Morientes celebrates after scoring Monaco’s equaliser in opposition to Actual Madrid (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Porto profitable the entire thing was an upset in itself, however the greatest one-off upsets within the 2003/04 Champions League got here on the quarter-final stage, starting with Monaco’s elimination of Actual Madrid.
Los Blancos held a 4-2 lead going into the second leg in Monaco and prolonged that to 5-2 by way of Raul’s opener, however Les Rouge et Blanc didn’t cave, scoring three targets themselves – two by Ludovic Giuly and one by Fernando Morientes (who was on mortgage from Madrid on the time!) – to advance on away targets.
Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 Milan (2003/04 quarter-final second leg)
Juan Carlos Valeron celebrates after scoring Deportivo La Coruna’s second purpose in opposition to Milan (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One other extraordinary comeback within the final eight of the 2003/04 Champions League noticed Deportivo La Coruna overcome a 4-1 first-leg deficit in opposition to Milan – the reigning champions, no much less.
Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Albert Luque (who made it 4-4 on mixture and had his facet forward on away targets) and Fran have been on the scoresheet as Depor – who had knocked out one other Italian large, Juventus, within the earlier spherical – reached the semi-finals of the competitors for the primary time of their historical past.
Liverpool 3-3 Milan – Liverpool gained 3-2 on penalties (2004/05 last)
Steven Gerrard lifts the trophy after Liverpool’s victory over Milan within the 2005 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)
No impartial anticipated Liverpool to win the 2005 Champions League last – the Reds had simply completed fifth within the Premier League, virtually 40 factors off prime spot – and when Rafael Benitez’s facet trailed Serie A high-flyers Milan 3-0 at half-time, such expectations regarded sure to be met in Istanbul.
Then certainly probably the most unimaginable restoration within the historical past of the competitors occurred: captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso had Liverpool on phrases by simply after the hour mark – earlier than Jerzy Dudek made himself the hero on penalties, replicating Bruce Grobbelaar’s legendary shootout antics of 1984.
Villarreal 1-0 Inter (2005/06 quarter-final second leg)
Villarreal gamers rejoice mixture win over Inter (Picture credit score: Alamy)
In simply their third season in a serious European competitors, and their first within the Champions League, Villarreal went all the best way to the semi-finals, getting there by knocking out Inter.
The Spaniards misplaced the primary leg on the San Siro 2-1, however that away purpose made all of the distinction in the long run, after defender Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s second-half header clinched a 1-0 house second-leg victory for Manuel Pellegrini’s Yellow Submarine.
Barcelona 1-2 Rubin Kazan (2009/10 group stage)
Rubin Kazan gamers rejoice after beating Barcelona on the Camp Nou (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Had this outcome come on the finish of the group stage with Barcelona already safely by way of and resting gamers, it wouldn’t have been such a shock – nevertheless it occurred simply three video games in, with Pep Guardiola’s defending champions at their star-studded full energy.
Rubin Kazan tried solely three pictures to Barca’s 22 on the Camp Nou – however two of them ended up at the back of the web, Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Gokdeniz Karadeniz registering both facet of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s equaliser to seal a well-known triumph for the Russian outfit.
Inter 2-5 Schalke (2010/11 quarter-final first leg)
Edu scores for Schalke in opposition to Inter (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Schalke have been struggling within the Bundesliga however had managed to succeed in the final eight of the 2010/11 Champions League. Certainly they’d come unstuck in opposition to holders and Serie A high-flyers Inter on the San Siro, although?
Something however… Jose Mourinho’s Nerazzurri led inside 25 seconds by way of Dejan Stankovic’s gorgeous volley over a stranded Manuel Neuer from close to the midway line – however Ralf Rangnick’s underdogs battled again in astonishing style, an Edu brace amongst their 5 targets, earlier than profitable the second leg 2-1 to progress 7-3 on mixture.
Basel 2-1 Manchester United (2011/12 group stage)
Basel gamers rejoice victory over Manchester United (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Regardless of an underwhelming group marketing campaign, Manchester United knew {that a} level from their last match away to Basel would see them by way of to the final 16 in 2011/12.
However Sir Alex Ferguson’s crew, who had claimed one more Premier League title the earlier season, couldn’t handle it, Marco Streller and Alexander Frei getting the job accomplished for the Swiss facet and rendering Phil Jones’ late purpose nothing however a comfort.
APOEL 1-0 Lyon – APOEL gained 4-3 on penalties (2011/12 final 16 second leg)
APOEL gamers rejoice their mixture win over Lyon (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
APOEL made historical past in 2012 as they turned the primary Cypriot facet to succeed in the Champions League quarter-finals, beating Lyon on penalties after a 1-1 mixture draw.
The Nicosia-based outfit took this tie to a shootout by way of Brazilian Gustavo Manduca’s purpose 9 minutes into the second leg and didn’t falter beneath the final word stress, changing all 4 of their spot-kicks to advance to the final eight.
Celtic 2-1 Barcelona (2012/13 group stage)
Tony Watt celebrates after scoring Celtic’s second purpose of their win over Barcelona (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Celtic’s Champions League file has not been nice on the entire, however the Outdated Agency giants loved certainly one of their higher campaigns in 2012/13, defeating the mighty Barcelona en path to the final 16.
Lionel Messi scored late on for Barca at Celtic Park, however targets from Vincent Wanyama and Tony Watt had already accomplished the harm for the hosts – who triumphed regardless of having a mere 27% possession, finishing 303 passes to their opponents’ 999.
Roma 3-0 Barcelona (2017/18 quarter-final second leg)
Kostas Manolas celebrates after scoring the decisive purpose for Roma in opposition to Barcelona (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Trailing 4-1 from the primary leg, Roma had hope as they ready to host Barcelona within the 2017/18 quarter-finals – however solely a glimmer of it.
Because it turned out, a glimmer was all of the Giallorossi wanted on a memorable night time on the Stadio Olimpico, as targets from Edin Dzeko, legendary captain Daniele Rossi and – within the 82nd minute – Kostas Manolas shocked the a number of European champions and despatched Eusebio Di Francesco’s crew into the semis on away targets.
Actual Madrid 1-4 Ajax (2018/19 final 16 second leg)
Ajax gamers rejoice after beating Actual Madrid on mixture (Picture credit score: Alamy)
The 2018/19 Champions League noticed various exceptional comebacks, certainly one of them coming as Ajax upset holders Actual Madrid to ebook their place within the quarter-finals.
Having misplaced the primary leg in Amsterdam 2-1, Erik ten Hag’s underdogs romped to a 4-1 win on the Bernabeu to triumph 5-3 on mixture – Hakim Ziyech, David Neres, Dusan Tadic and Lasse Schone getting on the scoresheet.
Younger Boys 2-1 Manchester United (2021/22 group stage)
Younger Boys rejoice their late profitable purpose in opposition to Manchester United (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Manchester United have been humbled in Switzerland as soon as once more in 2021, blowing a 1-0 result in lose away to Younger Boys of their opening group match.
Jordan Pefok gained it for the hosts within the fifth minute of stoppage time, sparking delirium within the Swiss capital of Bern. United finally gained the group whereas Younger Boys completed backside, however this was no much less momentous a outcome.
Actual Madrid 1-2 FC Sheriff (2021/22 group stage)
FC Sheriff rejoice their late profitable purpose in opposition to Actual Madrid on the Bernabeu (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Actual Madrid ended up profitable one more Champions League in 2021/22, however they didn’t get by way of the marketing campaign with out struggling a monumental upset – by the hands of Moldovan minnows FC Sheriff, making their debut within the competitors.
A Karim Benzema penalty cancelled out Jasurbek Yakhshiboev’s opener within the Spanish capital, however Sebastian Thill’s thumping 90th -minute strike secured the largest win in Sheriff’s historical past. Cue bedlam in a single nook of the Bernabeu.
Maccabi Haifa 2-0 Juventus (2022/23 group stage)
Omer Atzili celebrates after scoring for Maccabi Haifa in opposition to Juventus (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Maccabi Haifa had sprung a Champions League shock earlier than, beating a weakened Manchester United facet 3-0 in 2002 – however downing a full-strength Juventus facet represented a significantly greater achievement for the Israeli membership.
Omer Atzili’s brace did the harm in opposition to the previous European champions – who, regardless of being in one thing of a rut on the time, nonetheless boasted stars equivalent to Leonardo Bonucci, Adrien Rabiot and Angel Di Maria – and left them on the point of elimination from the competitors.
