5 times clubs from a single league dominated the UEFA Champions League
The Champions League is a competition meant for the elite clubs across Europe. Each country depending on their league’s rank in the UEFA standings will be allowed to a certain number of representatives to participate in the competition.According to the current rankings Spain, England and Germany are all given three automatic qualification spots in the Champions League and one playoff spot for the team that finishes fourth. Usually, every season there is an even mix of teams from the top three leagues of Europe participating in the latter stages of the competition. But sometimes we see teams from a single league dominating the tournament with at least two teams from the same country reaching the finals. Here are five such instances when clubs from a single league dominated the Champions League
#5 Germany - 2012/13
Bayern Munich are normally the only German team that do well in the Champions League. The likes of Schalke, Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen haven’t made too much of a mark in the competition with the teams progressing only up to the quarter-finals on most occasions.
But this year was an exception. Borussia Dortmund had slowly become a major force in German and European football. They had broken Bayern’s monopoly in the Bundesliga by winning it twice in 2011 and 2012.
in 2013 three German sides namely Dortmund, Munich and Schalke had made it to the round of 16 stages of the competition. Schalke despite facing relatively easy opposition in Galatasaray did not manage to qualify for the quarter-finals. Dortmund though did progress after beating Shakhtar 5-2 on aggregate
Bayern on the other hand, had a tougher assignment as they faced Arsenal. The German giants squeezed past the Gunners after going through on away goals.
Bayern comfortably disposed of Juventus in the quarters while Dortmund went through practically in the last minutes of the game in a thriller against Malaga.
The semis proved to a mouthwatering prospect as Bayern faced Barcelona and Dortmund played Real Madrid. In a two-way battle of Germany vs Spain the Germans were far superior asMunich dismantled Barcelona winning 7-0 on aggregate and Dortmund won 4-3 over the two legs.
So for only the fifth time in the Champions League, we saw two teams from the same nation playing out a final which Bayern ultimately won in dramatic fashion scoring in the 88th minute to seal a 2-1 win.