Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich and the 10 Most Unlikely Triumphs in Football History

Everyone loves an underdog.

After all, what is more satisfying or memorable than the inspiring story of David overcoming all odds to take down Goliath when the entire world gives the minnows no chance of achieving victory.

Nobody makes movies about Barcelona winning the Champions League or Brazil winning the World Cup. When the result is expected, it's just less fun.

Upset victories remind us of the glorious unpredictability of sports and bring back that wonderful child-like feeling that anything is possible if you just hope hard enough. When Crystal Palace take down Manchester United, we know that one day, our team will have its moment of glory, even if times are unbearably tough.

Let's take a look at some of the most unexpected wins in the history of football.

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich (2012)

Let us begin with the incredible match that contributes to the title of this article, and which is fully deserving of such an honor.

Chelsea were not even supposed to be in the final in the first place. Their squad was old, they finished sixth in the Premier League and they had to go through the mighty Barcelona in order to make it to Munich.

Somehow, and I have no idea how, the Blues did.

Despite missing many of their best players (including their captain and defensive stalwart John Terry) to suspension, they pulled out a win through desperate defence, luck and some trademark Didier Drogba magic.

USA vs. Colombia (1994)

Even as a proud Yank, I wish this titanic upset victory had never happened.

Widely regarded as one of the best teams in the world, Colombia needed to secure a result against the USA to keep their group-stage fate in their own hands.

Facing an American side that barely qualified, the Colombians were expected to brush the hosts aside with ease, but a critical Andres Escobar own goal gave the U.S. the impetus to secure a stunning 2-1 win.

After returning to Colombia following his nation's hugely disappointing last-place finish in their group, Escobar was tragically shot and killed by a drug cartel for his one mistake—a tragedy that will forever haunt Colombian football.

Liverpool vs. AC Milan (2005)

The 2005 Champions League final is often mentioned as one of the greatest football matches of all time, and rightly so.

When Milan entered halftime leading by the incredible score of 3-0, everyone thought the match was over. Never had such a comeback been accomplished, and to win a game of this magnitude after facing such an incredible deficit was unimaginable.

And yet, in just six minutes near the start of the second half, Liverpool achieved the impossible.

First, it was Steven Gerrard's rousing header. Then, two minutes later, Vladimir Smicer scored—hold on, we might actually have something here. To complete the comeback in just the 60th minute was Xabi Alonso, putting in the rebound from his own penalty.

The match eventually went to a penalty shootout, but there could only be one winner with all the momentum Liverpool had.

USA vs. England (1950)

America definitely has the right to beat England in basketball or baseball or hockey. But football? The kind that the Brits invented with the round ball? That sport should be wholly under English control.

That was true especially in the 1950 World Cup, when England was widely considered to have one of the best teams in the world, and the Americans were a hastily composed group of amateurs who lacked any sort of footballing skill.

Legend has it that the English papers prematurely reported a 10-0 victory due to the assumption that the scorekeepers misplaced a couple of ones and zeroes in the scoreline.

But, alas, this was not the case.

Somehow, this ragtag bunch of Yanks scrapped out a 1-0 win against their old colonizers thanks to Joe Gaetjens' glancing header out of nowhere. It remains one of US soccer's proudest moments.

Manchester Untied vs. Bayern Munich (1999)

You really have to feel for Bayern Munich due to their recent heartbreaking Champions League capitulations. For the second time, they appear as on the wrong side of this list due to some utter magic from Manchester United in the 1999 final.

If you're leading 1-0 in the 91st minute, the very least you can expect is extra time, and you would obviously hope for a victory. Boy, were Bayern in for a rude surprise.

Stunningly, two lightning-quick goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer off of corners gave United one of the more improbable victories in the history of the Champions League.

Greece Win Euro 2004

Greece winning Euro 2004 is perhaps the single most incredible event to transpire in international football for the past 20 years.

After barely qualifying for the tournament, the Greeks, tipped to exit at the first hurdle, scraped through ahead of Spain on goals scored, and promptly cobbled together wins against France and the Czech Republic to somehow get into the final.

This alone was utterly stunning to the entire football world, but getting past hosts Portugal a second time after winning the tourney's opening match by a 2-1 score was surely out of the question. No amount of solid defending and careful counterattacking could stop a Portuguese side that were hungry for revenge. Right?

The score was 1-0 to Greece this time, and the Cinderella story was complete.

Sunderland vs. Leeds (1973)

In certainly the biggest upset in the history of the FA Cup, second-division Sunderland knocked off Don Revie's legendary first-division champion Leeds United to take home the trophy.

It was the first time in 42 years that a lower-league side won the prestigious trophy, and the final hurdle that Sunderland had to overcome was just stunning in strength.

Leeds in those days were unbeatable, and Revie's side contained a staggering 11 internationals in the days when most domestic players were of English nationality.

Sunderland can look down on the Lilywhites now from their safe perch in the Premier League, but their 1-0 victory 39 years ago shocked English football.

Once Caldas vs. Boca Juniors (2004)

Apparently, 2004 was a banner year for shocking football victories.

If you want to talk about coming out of absolutely nowhere, Colombia's Once Caldas kept surprising South America more and more as they kept progressing through the Copa Libertadores ahead of more well-known teams like Santos and Sao Paulo that perennially challenge for the cup.

Unbelievably, they made it all the way to the final, where nobody gave them a chance against Boca Juniors, who were expected to thrash the Colombians en route to their sixth Copa Libertadores trophy.

After two draws in two matches, the final went to penalties, which was unbelievable in itself. There, Once Caldas defeated Boca 2-0 to claim the greatest triumph in the club's history. Oops.

Italy vs. North Korea (1966)

Italy just don't get knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage. It just doesn't happen. Okay, maybe they do—but North Korea, of all countries, is never the country to hand out the beating.

Actually, on one incredible occasion, they were.

Needing only one point to clinch their place in the quarterfinals against a team everyone expected them to beat, the Italians somehow contrived a way to lose 1-0 to a first-half goal from Pak Do-Ik and finish third in their group.

While Pak got a shiny new car from the government upon his return home, the Italian team got showered in eggs and tomatoes.

Uruguay vs. Brazil (1950)

What could be better than a massive upset in the deciding match of the World Cup on one team's home soil in front of 170,000 fans?

The tournament was structured a bit differently back in 1950, and there was no defined "final." But, as it turned out, this match would decide the winner of the tournament. Brazil needed only a draw, but Uruguay required a win to secure the trophy.

After winning their first two matches 7-1 and 6-1, respectively, it is quite easy to see why Brazil were such favorites, and the overzealousness of the contemporary press is understandable.

Unfortunately for the hosts, a rousing pregame speech by captain Obdulio Varela and some rather unusual motivational tactics spurred Uruguay to a stunning 2-1 victory, shaming the entire Brazilian people, driving some to ruin their own or others' careers and even inspiring Brazil's football federation to change their kits to the iconic yellow and green of today.