Ranking 5 greatest clubs in Champions League history based on stats
The Champions League is club football's biggest tournament, with clubs of the highest caliber competing to get their hands on the trophy. Fans are treated to spectacular matches that involve top teams across Europe's top leagues. Reaching the tournament in itself is no mean feat, and winning it is even more laborious.
The Champions League round of 16 is underway
The much-anticipated round of 16 began this week with blockbuster matchups across Europe. Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Liverpool were on the winning side while Bayern Munich endured a frustrating 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg.
Let the hype begin! 🕺
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Real Madrid are the kings of the Champions League with the most title wins (13). But several other clubs have also managed to find recognition and glory in the Champions League. They might not have won the most number of titles. But these clubs on the list are the most successful in terms of total matches won in the history of the tournament.
Let's now take a look at the five teams that have the won the most number of games in the Champions League.
#5 Juventus
While Juventus have always been title-winning giants in Serie A, they have fallen short often in the Champions League. They have lost twice in the finals in the last decade. The Bianconeri have been knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16 in the past two seasons. They will hope to break the cycle this time around when they take on Villarreal.
Juve have won the Champions League title twice: in the 1984-85 and 1995-96 editions of the tournament. They have played 293 matches, out of which they have won 152. Juventus’ leading goalscorer in the competition is Alessandro Del Piero, who has scored 43 of the 469 total goals. They have conceded close to one goal per game on average, letting in 284 so far.
Much to the bewilderment of fans, Juve’s form in Europe is in stark contrast to their domestic competition this season. The Bianconeri topped their group and only lost to Chelsea once in the group stages. While in Serie A, they are fighting for a Top 4 spot.
#4 Manchester United
Manchester United are the second-most successful English team in the competition. The Red Devils have been a fairly regular feature in the tournament and have won the title on three occasions. Their most recent title success was in the 2007-08 season.
The Red Devils have played in 291 UCL games and won 160 of them. The United forwards have scored a total of 532 goals and let in 282. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney have scored the majority of these, with 35 and 30 goals respectively.
Although United have been lackluster in the Premier League, they managed to top their group in the group stages. This was largely due to the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has proven to be their saving grace on multiple occasions, scoring six goals. United will travel to Madrid later this month on Februayr 23rd where they face a rugged Atletico Madrid side.