The UEFA Champions League was created to allow domestic champions to battle to prove their supremacy. It was initially assumed that this competition would pit teams of similar calibre against one another, but 19 years later, we have seen that that is far from the truth.
We often get to see big teams having to play the underdogs in a David vs Goliath battle. Going into a game as the better side, there is always the pressure of winning. Most good sides are able to hold their nerve and still go on to win the game convincingly, but there are times when they get caught off-guard by minnows.
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Here are 5 times that David did manage to beat Goliath in the Champions League group stage.
#1 FC Barcelona 0-4 Dynamo Kyiv: 1997/98
When FC Barcelona lose 4-0 to any team, it can be considered as an upset; which is why the world was left in shock on the 5th of November, 1997, when Dynamo Kyiv stunned their hosts 4-0 in the 97/98 group stage match of the UEFA Champions League. Dynamo Kyiv is a top club in the Ukrainian league but weren’t known to many before this performance.
Coming into the game, Kyiv had already beaten Barcelona in Ukraine, but every football fan called it a lucky win and expected Barcelona to return the thrashing at Camp Nou. Hence, when a young Andriy Shevchenko took the lead in the 9th minute, everyone was left baffled, not knowing what to expect from the remainder of the game.
(Video Courtesy: Chouaib Kahoul YouTube Channel)
Shevchenko went on to add another goal in the first half, before converting a penalty in the 48th minute to complete his hat-trick. Rebrov added the 4th goal in the second half, to send Barcelona crashing out of the League.
#2 FC Bate Borisov 3-1 Bayern Munich: 2012/13
Ever heard of FC Bate Borisov? Nope? Neither had I, until the 2nd of October, 2012. FC Bate were the Belarusian champions of the 2011/12 season and managed to get past the Champions League qualifying rounds to make it into Group F. They had an amazing start to their campaign, winning their first match against Lille.
Their second game was at home against a solid Bayern Munich squad and we expected a one-sided match in favour of the Germans. Bayern did dominate most of the game, but Bate managed to steal the lead in the 23rd minute. The remainder of the match was quite monotonous until the 73rd minute, when Bate doubled their lead.
(Video Courtesy: Ciba175 YouTube Channel)
Bayern fought back till the very end and managed to break through with Ribery in the 91st minute, but just as the German fans began to become hopeful, Bate shut down their chances, scoring in the 94th minute of the game, effectively sealing a 3-1 win.
Sadly for the Belarusian club, they went on to lose all their remaining Champions League games and didn’t make the knock-out round. On the other hand, Bayern topped Group F and went on to lift the trophy.
#3 Celtic 2-1 Barcelona: 2012/13
Yet another FC Barcelona game to feature on this list, this was a more recent shock compared to the 1997 loss against Dynamo. Celtic had been far from impressive coming into this game and were expected to lose to Tito Vilanova’s side.
Before the game, anyone would have agreed that this was Barcelona’s easiest game in the group stage and it would be a comfortable win. Although, quite surprisingly, Kenyan national (and now Tottenham Hotspur player) Victor Wanyama opened the scoring in the 21st minute, with a well-guided header.
(Video Courtesy: Memorable Match YouTube Channel)
Substitute Tony Watt ensured that the home side went on to win by scoring again in the dying minutes. Lionel Messi did pick up a consolation goal for Barcelona in injury time, but it was too little, too late from the Argentine Maestro.
#4 Basel 2-1 Manchester United: 2011/12
Now, this is a match all Manchester United fans will want to forget. The Red Devils needed only a draw in this match to secure a knock-outs spot, and things were looking optimistic for Sir Alex’s men. Poor goalkeeping from a young David De Gea allowed FC Basel to take the lead, and for the next 60 minutes or so, they defended for their lives.
(Video Courtesy: Sp0rtHD's channel YouTube Channel)
Shaqiri often threatened to score but was unfortunate to not find the back of the net. However, his efforts finally paid off in the 83rd minute, when Frei headed in Shaqiri’s cross to make it 2-0. It took Manchester United only 5 minutes to respond when Phil Jones headed one past Jann Sommer to bring the difference down to only one goal.
The Red Devils couldn’t find the equaliser and were relegated to the Europa League.
#5 Barcelona 1-2 Rubin Kazan: 2009/10
This is the biggest upset in UEFA Champions League history, not only because of the difference in the calibre of both the teams, but also the fact that Barcelona fielded their best 11, while Rubin had a couple of players sidelined due to injury. With Zlatan, Messi, Pique, Iniesta, Xavi and Toure all starting, Barcelona was expected pick up an easy win over the Russia-based side, Rubin Kazan.
(Video Courtesy: carlos8583 YouTube Channel)
Ryazantsev shocked the world by scoring in just 2 minutes but in the second half, Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised and it stood at 1-1. Barcelona dominated the match, but the Russians managed to score in the 75th minute on the counter, to steal a 2-1 victory. Just two weeks later, these two sides met again in a game that ended in a goalless draw. Nevertheless, Barcelona went on to top their table, with Rubin Kazan finishing third.
