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The UEFA Champions League will return this week, with football's top superstars looking forward to getting back to business. As always, the battle promises to go down the wire, as European heavyweights prepare for an intense tussle to decide who goes home with the coveted trophy.
Premier League giants Chelsea won the last edition of the tournament in May. The Blues upset the odds, slaying clubs like Atletico Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid on their way to establishing themselves as kings of Europe. With that triumph, Thomas Tuchel's men wrote a beautiful chapter in the history of the competition.
However, they don't go far when compared to other iconic Champions League-winning teams in history. Without taking anything away from their amazing achievement, it goes without saying that there have been more inspiring Champions League triumphs than the Blues' over the years.
From mesmerisers to odds-defiers to total dominators, here is a look at five of the greatest UEFA Champions League teams of all time:
#5 Manchester United 2007-2009
Manchester United enjoyed a successful outing in the Champions League during the 2007-2008 campaign. A young Cristiano Ronaldo made the difference in attack, supported by Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.
The Red Devils dispatched opposition teams with elan on their way to the final, where they faced Premier League rivals Chelsea. An all-English final in Europe's elite tournament was highly hyped, and the game didn't disappoint.
Both teams played out a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, sending the game into a shootout, where United emerged triumphant to win their third Champions League crown.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men also ran riot in the subsequent season, securing back-to-back final appearances. This time though, they were upended by Pep Guardiola's brilliant Barcelona side.
#4 Liverpool 2017-2019
Mohamed Salah was the driving force for Liverpool, bagging ten goals in 12 games to lead the Reds to the 2018 Champions League final. They edged past Porto, Manchester City and Roma to set up an epic clash with Real Madrid in the title decider.
Unfortunately, the Reds lost their key man to injury midway through the first half of the final. That apparently killed their morale, enabling the Spanish giants to run away with a 3-1 victory.
However, there was no stopping Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp's men appeared at the same stage of the tournament the next season.
After beating Porto, Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the knockout phase, Liverpool faced Tottenham Hotspur in the final. A 1-0 victory ensured they won their first title in the competition since 2005.
#3 Ajax 1994-1996
Ajax made history in the Champions League during the 1994-95 campaign. By winning that year, they became the youngest team to claim the continental crown, with all their players except Frank Rijkaard aged under 25.
With their Total Football style of play, the team enthralled football aficionados. They faced defending champions AC Milan three times during the tournament - twice in the group stage and once in the final.
They recorded victories in all three games without conceding a goal. After claiming the coveted trophy that season, Ajax also appeared in the final of the tournament in the next campaign. However, they lost 4-2 to Juventus on penalties.
#2 Barcelona 2008-2011
Pep Guardiola's Barcelona is arguably the greatest football team in history. The team played an attractive brand of football. They dominated opposition teams with ease and claimed victories in style during the 2008-09 Champions League campaign.
They edged past Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to meet Manchester United in the decider. A 2-0 victory over the defending champions helped Barcelona secure their third European crown. That was made even more beautiful by the fact that they won a whopping six trophies that term.
Although they crashed out to Inter Milan in the 2010 semi-finals, Guardiola's men returned to steal the shine from Manchester United once again in 2011. They beat the Red Devils 3-1 in the final to make it two triumphs in three years.
#1 Real Madrid 2015-2018
Real Madrid are well known as the most successful team in Champions League history. The Spanish giants proved just why they are well respected in the tournament when they made history in 2017. That year, they became the first team to successfully defend their title in the Champions League era.
With legendary superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos running riot, Los Blancos outclassed opposition teams with ease. By the end of the 2017-18 campaign, Zinedine Zidane's men made it three triumphs in a row.
The team dispersed at the end of the season, with manager Zidane and Ronaldo being the first set of people to leave. Nevertheless, what they achieved in the Champions League during those three years will be remembered forever in the rich annals of the competition's history.
