5 biggest upsets in the group stage of the Champions League
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.
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.