What links Leicester with Milan, Paris, Juve and Málaga?
Thursday, October 27, 2016
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Leicester City have become only the fifth UEFA Champions League group stage debutant to win their first three games – but how did the season pan out for the previous four?
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1992/93: AC Milan (runners-up)
Milan conceded just once in winning all six of their group games in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Champions League, posting two victories each against Göteborg (4-0, 1-0), PSV (2-1, 2-0) and Porto (1-0, 1-0). The final proved a step too far though, Basile Boli's header enough for Marseille to lift the trophy.
1994/95: Paris Saint-Germain (semi-finalists)
Paris beat Bayern München (2-0, 1-0), Spartak Moskva (2-1, 4-1) and Dynamo Kyiv (2-1, 1-0) twice apiece to reach the quarter-finals in emphatic style. There they ousted Barcelona, yet Luis Fernandez's team were ultimately undone by holders Milan in the last four.
1995/96: Juventus (winners)
The Bianconeri had a perfect record from their opening four fixtures, comprehensively dispatching Rangers twice (4-1, 4-0) as well as Borussia Dortmund (3-1) and Steaua (3-0). They picked up only a point from their last two group matches but subsequently recovered from a 1-0 first-leg loss to knock out Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Juve then overcame Nantes in the semis and Ajax – on penalties – in the Rome decider.
2012/13: Málaga (quarter-finals)
The start was serene – successes over Zenit (3-0), Anderlecht (3-0) and Milan (1-0) – but three consecutive draws followed. Manuel Pellegrini's men nevertheless topped their pool before ousting Porto in the round of 16 despite falling 1-0 in Portugal. They were pitted against Borussia Dortmund in the quarters and, after a goalless draw at home, were 2-1 up in Germany entering stoppage time. Marco Reus and Felipe Santana then struck in dramatic fashion to curtail Málaga's memorable campaign.