Were these the most dramatic Champions League group stage/league phase finishes?
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
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UEFA.com delves into the UEFA Champions League archive to unearth some memorable encounters from the last matchday of the group stage/league phase.
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There is no shortage of drama and tension in the UEFA Champions League group stage/league phase at the best of times, but the final game often takes things to another level.
UEFA.com takes a look back through the years at some of the matches which have lived long in the memory.
Porto 5-3 Shakhtar, 13 December 2023
This straight head to head for a place in the last 16 went the way of the Portuguese side, with Galeno's first-half double giving the hosts a 2-1 lead at the break. Mehdi Taremi extended the advantage, but Stephen Eustáquio's own goal kept the Ukrainian side in it. Enter 40-year-old Pepe, who became the competition's oldest scorer when he prodded in Porto's fourth, with Francisco Conceição confirming progress for Sérgio Conceição's charges.
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 for OM was cancelled out by Clément Lenglet and, as the home side pushed for a winner, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's 95th-minute strike won the group for Tottenham. Spurs' position changed six times during an astonishing evening, while Frankfurt occupied all four places at various moments and three of the four clubs topped the section at some stage.
Porto 1-3 Atlético de Madrid, 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 two teams 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 a pair of 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 Becker's goalkeeping heroics helped them stay the course. "This game was just amazing,” said exhausted Reds boss Jürgen Klopp. On the same night, Tottenham hit a dramatic late equaliser at Barcelona to progress. They would ultimately meet Liverpool 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 into contention late on. However, Naldo's late finish ultimately sent the three-time winners out of the competition and put Dieter Hecking's side in 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 for Manuel Pellegrini's side, but Joe Hart tipping a Kostas Manolas header onto 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, Bayern 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 the visitors 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
Rafa 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, 13 November 2002, first group stage
Newcastle became the first side in 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 a 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 Timothée Atouba. Although 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 had stunned San Siro, but Vegard Heggem had the final say 20 minutes from time, sending the Norwegian club into the last eight at the expense of their storied hosts.