10 Teams Who Blew Champions League Qualification in Final Game
Another frenetic Champions League group stage has come to an end, and the identities of the 16 teams who will continue in the tournament during the knockout stages have come to light. While many sides knew their fate after four or five games, others were left to sweat it out right up to the final day.
This tension made for some fantastic clashes to see out the groups. Manchester City supporters were delighted by an accomplished win to see off Roma and make the next round, while north-west England neighbours Liverpool suffered a timid collapse to go out to Basel.
In honour of Liverpool's final-day retreat, here are 10 of the most infamous group stage definitions which have caught out even the best European teams since the competition format changed back in 1992.
10. Juventus 2000/01
1 of 10So dominant in Serie A, Juventus' record in the Champions League over the last 15 years has rarely lived up to their domestic strength. Even possessing the likes of Filippo Inzaghi, David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero and Edwin van der Sar in 2000, the Old Lady collapsed on the last day to go out at the first group stage.
A draw would have been good enough to go through against Panathinaikos, and Inzaghi's equaliser 24 minutes in put Juve back on track after a difficult start. But a contentious penalty decision against Van der Sar, and a red card to boot for the Netherlands international, turned the course of the game.
The kick was converted by Angelos Basinas, and Polish striker Krzysztof Warzycha scored seven minutes later to put the Greek team 3-1 ahead. Juventus had no way back, and Darko Kovacevic's late dismissal rubbed salt into the wound as the Italians made an early exit.
9. Manchester City 2011/12
2 of 10Manchester City have been transformed over the past few years. Backed up by extremely generous transfer funds, the side has become one of England's top football institutions. The same improvement, however, is yet to manifest itself on the continental level, as the Citizens struggle to find their feet in the Champions League.
This year's group stage may have ended in joy, but back in 2011, City experienced the disappointment of final-day elimination. Facing Napoli, Bayern Munich and Villarreal, the club were sure to have a tough test in their first-ever appearance in the competition since the European Cup changed name and format.
City at least went out in style. Bayern Munich were downed 2-0 in the City of Manchester Stadium, giving the club a fighting chance of making the next stage. Napoli had different ideas, though, and their 2-0 reverse of Villarreal ensured that it would be the Italians who joined Die Roten in the last 16.
8. Napoli 2013/14
3 of 10
The 2013/14 Champions League was a disaster for Serie A teams. Only Milan managed to make it past the group phase, while Napoli and Juventus were both consigned to elimination thanks to collapses on the final day of matches.
To be fair, the exit was harsh on Napoli. With 12 points, they actually bettered the Rossoneri, and in almost any other group would have gone through with ease. A series of enthralling matches between the southern Italians, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund left all three fighting for one of two places in the next round. Marseille had already been eliminated.
Napoli struggled to break down Arsenal in a game they needed to win, but after Gonzalo Higuain's goal, they spent 14 minutes in a qualification position.
However, Kevin Grosskreutz struck to put BVB 2-1 up against Marseille in the other game, but there was still an outside chance Napoli could go through.
A 3-0 win would have seen Arsenal knocked out, but despite Jose Callejon's late goal, Napoli could not advance on the 2-0 scoreline and went out dignified losers.
7. Manchester United 2005/06
4 of 10
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United generally had an excellent record when it came to the Champions League. Occasionally there were blips, however, with the Red Devils' failure to make the knockout stage in 2005 a bitter reverse for the club.
A draw away to Benfica would have been plenty to take United into the next round, but goals from Beto and Geovanni lit up the Estadio da Luz, sending Fergie's men packing as they fell to rock bottom in their group.
6. Milan 1999/2000
5 of 10Milan's group of players at the turn of the 21st century perhaps was not as strong as their heyday five years earlier, but there was still talent to burn in the San Siro ranks. That made it even harder to take when, as in the 1999/2000 Champions League, the Rossoneri machine broke down.
An away day at Galatasaray is no player's favourite task, but the Italians seemed to be making a decent fist of it on the last day of the first group stage. Goals from George Weah and Federico Giunti put Milan 2-1 up after Capone's opener, in a result that would have taken them to the second group stage along with leaders Chelsea.
But in an awful end to proceedings, the Turkish giants hit twice in the last three minutes to take the victory, consigning Milan to the foot of the group table with the 3-2 reverse.
5. Ajax 2011/12
6 of 10Football has changed a great deal since that wonder generation of Ajax youth team graduates took the Champions League by storm in 1994/95. In the 19 tournaments that followed Louis van Gaal's victory as coach of the Dutch side, only once has the winner come from outside the big four nations of England, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Still, in 2011, the Amsterdam club appeared to have a fighting chance of making the knockout stages. Ajax went into the last round of games sitting pretty in second, with only Real Madrid defeating them in the first five games.
But their dreams went up in smoke against Los Merengues. A 3-0 loss left them level with Lyon on points, when a draw on home soil would have been sufficient to take them through outright. What's more, an incredible 7-1 win by the French side saw them take the spot, completing a nine-goal swing on goal difference on the final day to pip Ajax.
4. Dynamo Kiev 2004/05
7 of 10
Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev were drawn a real "Group of Death" in the 2004 Champions League group stage. Ahead of the club were the fearsome Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, with Roma thrown in for good measure.
The underdogs, however, did brilliantly to arrive at the final day with an excellent chance of qualifying. A draw away to Leverkusen would have secured Dynamo a place in the next round, as would Madrid's failure to beat Roma who languished at the bottom.
But after matching the Germans for the first 45 minutes, a collapse after the break saw Kiev crash out of the tournament. Juan, Andriy Voronin and Marko Babic struck in the space of 35 minutes to seal their fate, while Madrid also ran out 3-0 winners to complete the team's drop from first to third.
3. Juventus 2013/14
8 of 10
For all their continental reputation, Italian clubs have a fairly unenviable record when it comes to fighting for a Champions League knockout place. With two entries each on this list, Juventus and Milan have racked up their fair share of European failures alongside their trophies.
A tame collapse on the last day to Galatasaray was the last time Juve failed to make the last 16, following a group campaign where the Italians rarely looked comfortable. Wesley Sneijder did the damage with a goal five minutes from the end, as the Old Lady made an early exit home.
2. Liverpool 2014/15
9 of 10
Delighted at having reached the Champions League after a spell in the wilderness, Liverpool's stay in 2014/15 was rather short-lived. A pitiful five points from a conquerable group meant that Brendan Rodgers' team were consigned to the consolation prize of Europa League football.
On the last day, a win over Basel would have guaranteed a place in the knockout phase of the competition. However, Fabian Frei became the latest to take advantage of typically absent-minded defending, putting the Swiss side ahead and into the last 16.
Captain Steven Gerrard struck back, but in spite of a packed Anfield, Liverpool could not raise their game and prepared for their exit.
1. Milan 1996/97
10 of 10It should have been a walk in the park for all-star Milan. The Italians boasted the likes of Roberto Baggio, George Weah, Demetrio Albertini and Zvonimir Boban in the 1996/97 Champions League, not to mention defensive titans Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Franco Baresi.
But the Rossoneri were to bow out in one of the biggest upsets the tournament's group stage has ever witnessed. Unheralded Rosenberg were the executioners at the San Siro, shocking Milan 2-1 to take their place in the last eight.
The Norwegians took the lead through Harald Brattbakk, but normality appeared to have resumed when Christophe Dugarry restored equality, putting Milan in the driving seat. There was time for one more twist, however; Vegard Heggem wrote himself into Champions League folklore with the winner that condemned the Serie A giants to humiliation in front of their own fans.
