UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 classics: Were these the best ever final-day group stage games?
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Article summary
With the last set of group games almost upon us, UEFA.com delves into the UEFA Champions League archive to unearth some memorable Matchday 6 encounters.
Article top media content
Article body
There is no shortage of drama and tension in the UEFA Champions League group stage at the best of times but Matchday 6 often takes things to another level.
UEFA.com takes a look back through the years at some of the matches which lived long in the memories.
Marseille 1-2 Tottenham, 1 November 2022
All four teams in Group D – Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting CP were the others – were in the qualification hunt. Chancel Mbemba's header was cancelled out by Clement Lenglet and, as the home side pushed for a winner, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's 95th-minute strike saw Tottenham win the group. Spurs' position changed six times during an astonishing evening while Frankfurt occupied all four places at various times and three of the four clubs topped the section at some stage.
Porto 1-3 Atlético, 7 December 2021
Bottom of their group and without three key defenders, Diego Simeone's side lost striker Luis Suárez to an early injury but dug deeper than ever to secure a 3-1 win, and a place in the knockout phase. "When we have to dig our heels in we do it," marvelled keeper Jan Oblak. The Marca headline the following morning read: "Believe. Fight. Suffer. Resist. Win. Qualify. That's Atleti for you."
Leipzig 3-2 Manchester United, 8 December 2020
The sides were competing for a knockout round slot on the final day, but it was Julian Nagelsmann's Leipzig who ultimately wanted it more, taking a 3-0 lead before two late goals for the visitors ratcheted up the drama. "The boys fought hard," said a proud Nagelsmann as his side progressed at the Red Devils' expense. "I said before the game that [Leipzig] are machines and they showed that again tonight."
Ajax 0-1 Valencia, 10 December 2019
A draw in Amsterdam would have been enough for Ajax, but Valencia ultimately secured the win that took them through at their hosts' expense, holding firm for a round of 16 place after Rodrigo put them ahead. "This side doesn't get tired of working miracles and we've worked another tonight," said the goalscorer at full time; "It's so bitter because all we needed was one goal," countered Ajax's Daley Blind.
Liverpool 1-0 Napoli, 11 December 2018
Having lost three of their first five Group C games, 2018 finalists Liverpool were vulnerable but a Mohamed Salah goal and Alisson's goalkeeping heroics helped them stay the course. "This game was just amazing,” said exhausted Jürgen Klopp. On the same night, Tottenham hit a dramatic late equaliser at Barcelona to progress. They would ultimately meet the Reds in the final.
Wolfsburg 3-2 Manchester United, 8 December 2015
Needing a draw to reach the last 16 for the first time, Wolfsburg led 2-1 for much of the match only for an own goal to bring Louis van Gaal's United back in to contention late on before Naldo's late finish sent the three-time winners out of the competition and put Dieter Hecking's side into dreamland. "The team delivered a great performance tonight," beamed Naldo. "Ours was a deserved victory."
Roma 0-2 Manchester City, 10 December 2014
Having taken just five points from their first five games, City needed a win and a CSKA Moskva loss to progress. It worked out, Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta scoring, but Joe Hart tipping a Kostas Manolas header on to the upright with 18 minutes left was a crucial moment. "We did it the hard way and it's a kind of a miracle, considering where we were after four games," said Nasri.
Juventus 1-4 Bayern München, 8 December 2009
Third at kick-off behind their opponents, the Bavarians were heading out when David Trezeguet gave Juve a 19th-minute lead. Keeper Hans-Jörg Butt equalised from the spot and, early in the second half, Ivica Olić put Bayern in front. Mario Gomez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk added more goals to eliminate the Bianconeri, for whom this defeat equalled their record European home loss.
Benfica 2-1 Manchester United, 7 December 2005
Goals from Geovanni and Beto stunned United and enabled Benfica to reach the knockout rounds for the first time since 1994/95. The result also meant that the Red Devils, who could not build on the early advantage given them by Paul Scholes, failed to advance from the group stage for the first time in ten years; by finishing bottom of Group D they did not even have a UEFA Cup berth for consolation.
Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos, 8 December 2004
Rafael Benítez's Reds came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties in the 2005 final, having demonstrated their powers of recovery five months earlier. Needing a two-goal victory to pip their visitors on head-to-head record, they headed into the last four minutes still needing one more goal, Steven Gerrard powering in a 25-metre drive to spark scenes of jubilation at Anfield.
Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle United, 13 November 2002, first group stage
Newcastle became the first side in UEFA Champions League history to lose their first three matches and still progress. The Magpies landed in Rotterdam with hope renewed after back-to-back wins, but were still reliant on Dynamo Kyiv slipping up and were going out until Craig Bellamy (back from suspension) hit their winner in added time, his second goal of the night.
Basel 3-3 Liverpool, 12 November 2002, first group stage
Liverpool needed to win to edge out the Swiss group stage debutants, but found themselves three down within the first half-hour following a textbook display of quick one-touch football which resulted in goals for Julio Rossi, Christian Giménez and Thimothée Atouba. Though Ballon d'Or holder Michael Owen capped an exhilarating second-half comeback by the Reds, it was not enough.
AC Milan 1-2 Rosenborg, 4 December 1996
A side featuring Paolo Maldini, Zvonimir Boban and Roberto Baggio were heavily fancied to gain the point they needed against a team they had beaten 4-1 in Trondheim. Christophe Dugarry equalised after Harald Brattbakk's opener stunned San Siro but Vegard Heggem had the final say 20 minutes from time, send the Norwegian club into the last eight at the expense of their storied hosts.