5 most unexpected winners of the UEFA Champions League
It is safe to say that UEFA Champions League is the most coveted trophy in club football. It is so important to the European top-flight clubs in all aspects that qualifying for the UEFA Champions League is one of their main agendas for the season.
The UEFA Champions League is undoubtedly a stage for winners and most often, the team that goes on to win would have, over the course of the tournament, proven why they are a cut above the rest. After all, it's a round-robin tournament and luck can only get you so far over the length of a season.
That being said, there have been quite a few teams who were initially given no chance but went on to prove everyone wrong on their way to glory. Let's take a look at 5 teams that went on to do the unthinkable.
5 most unexpected winners of the UEFA Champions League
#5 Borussia Dortmund (1996/97)
Borussia Dortmund had won back to back Bundesliga titles and though they had some big names on their side, they were not given a chance against some of the absolute juggernauts they slayed on their way to winning the UEFA Champions League.
Dortmund did not top their group either. They came second to Atletico Madrid and qualified for the quarter-finals where they took on Auxerre. They defeated the French club 4-1 on aggregate. Dortmund would then come up against Ferguson's United side brimming with talent.
Dortmund then won both the legs and qualified for the final where they would take on Juventus. Quite admirably, Borussia Dortmund walked into the Olympiastadion in Munich against a Juve side that featured players like Deschamps, Zidane, Vieri and Del Piero and grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck.
Karl-Heinz Riedle scored twice in the first half to give Dortmund a 2-goal advantage. Del Piero pulled one back in the 64th minute before Lars Ricken restored Dortmund's 2 goal cushion in the 71st.
Juventus tried but a comeback eluded them. Their opposition was simply unstoppable on the night. It was a fairytale end to Borussia Dortmund's season.
#4 Liverpool (2004-05)
Liverpool's incredible comeback win in the 2004 UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul warrants its own chapter in the history book. The Reds came back from being 3-0 down in the first half to make it even and then win the game in a shootout.
The Reds who qualified for the UEFA Champions League by finishing 4th on the Premier League table in the 2003/04 season, 15 points behind 3rd placed Manchester United, were not exactly considered a proper contender for the title.
However, under the guidance of Rafa Benitez, Steven Gerrard and company tore through Bayern Munich, Juventus and Chelsea in the knockout stages to then make history against AC Milan in the final.
Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Vladimir Spicer scored the 3 goals on the night for Liverpool and their heroic performances are still a source of inspiration for players and fans alike and will continue to be for years to come.
Also check out: the Champions League Winners by season