While the Champions League is the pinnacle of European football, each and every year there are unheralded sides that manage to upset the continent’s big boys. Whether it’s Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto, who stunned everyone en route to glory back in 2004. Or Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, whose aggressive no-nonsense “in your face” style led them to two finals in three seasons.
This year, there are a number of teams who are already showing that they may well be 2023/24’s underdog. Both Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen have taken Group A by storm, both defeating Manchester United to set up a matchday six decider with a spot in the knockout stages on the line. Borussia Dortmund were expected by many to be the whipping boys of a heavyweight Group G, however, they are already through to the second round ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United and AC Milan.
Neither of those teams are the favourites though. However, the reigning champion, Manchester City have already qualified for the second phase, as Bovada betting has priced them at +200 to retain the trophy they won back in June with a nervy 1-0 victory against Inter Milan in Istanbul. The beaten Nerazzuri stunned everyone en route to the latter stages of the competition, and so have these five sides over the course of the last decade…
Villareal 2021/22
Villareal are no strangers to shocking the continent. Back in 2006, they defeated Scottish champions Rangers and Italian champions Inter Milan en route to the semifinals in the maiden foray to the most elite dining table in European football.
However, nearly two decades later under the stewardship of Unai Emery, they would take their exploits to the next level. They defeated Arsenal and Manchester United en route to a first-ever piece of major silverware as they won the 2020/21 Europa League. The following campaign, they would take their antics on to the grandest stage once more.
They may not have the most star-studded squad, but the Yellow Submarine battled their way through a tough group and defeated Atalanta in Italy to secure a 3-2 victory on the final day of the group stage. Then they would really step it up as they knocked out Juventus in the second round courtesy of a 3-0 victory in Turin, before narrowly edging out 2020 champions Bayern Munich. That was as good as it got, however, as they were soundly defeated by eventual champions Liverpool in the semifinals.
Lyon 2019/20
Lyon’s 2019/20 Champions League campaign can only be described as a fairytale. The French team finished seventh in their domestic league but still managed to eliminate the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus and then Manchester City – in shocking fashion at that, in the knock-out stages. They relied heavily on their talismanic striker, Memphis Depay, who scored six goals in the competition, including one against Pep Guardiola’s Blues in the quarterfinals. They too would be comprehensively defeated in the semifinals, with would-be-winners Bayern Munich winning out 3-0, but not before they had won the hearts of fans all over the continent.
Ajax 2018/19
Ajax’s run to the semi-finals is one of the greatest European football stories of the last decade. Their purist approach to football and the conveyor belt of young talent they produced stunned the world. The Amsterdam club had a young and exciting team, led by coach Erik ten Hag, and the likes of captain Matthijs de Ligt and midfield lynchpin Frenkie de Jong who were later sold for a combined fee of over 150 million euros.
They beat reigning Real Madrid back-to-back-to-back champions Real Madrid in the second round, including a 4-1 drubbing in the Bernabeu. They then eliminated Juventus in the quarterfinals. Their journey however was cut short by Tottenham in the most dramatic fashion with a 96th minute Lucas Moura strike securing a comeback from the dead victory and a spot in the Madrid showpiece.
Roma 2017/18
Roma’s rise to the last four of the competition was a surprise, to say the least. They overcame the mighty Barcelona in the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion. With Barca leading 4-1 from the first leg, the Giallorossi conjured up a miraculous comeback, winning 3-0 in the second leg to progress. Eusebio Di Francesco’s team faced Liverpool in the semifinals, but despite losing the first leg 5-2, they almost pulled off another historic comeback, winning the second leg 4-2 and ultimately exiting the competition.
Monaco 2016/17
Monaco’s run to the semifinals during the 2016/17 season was a sign of things to come. The French team had a young and exciting squad, led by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Radamel Falcao, and Bernardo Silva. They scored a remarkable 21 goals in the group stage, including winning their first three games 3-0. They defeated Manchester City in the Round of 16 before scoring six goals against Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals. Their journey was ended by Juventus in the semifinals thanks to the brilliance of striker of Gonzalo Higuain, but the world had taken notice of this Monaco team.
