Man United’s Treble season epics with Barcelona, an Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ masterclass in the San Siro, Gareth Bale destroying Inter – and an iconic Steven Gerrard goal… The greatest Champions League group stage moments as the format changes

• This week sees the final group stage games under the current format
• Next season sees the Swiss Model come in with one huge 36-team group
• Back off Erik ten Hag! Insipid Man United performances are on the players – not the manager – Listen to why on It’s All Kicking Off 

It’s the end of the Champions League as we know it.

Farewell to the four-team groups which have been a feature of Europe’s top club competition for over three decades and between 1999 and 2003 were apparently so popular they had two phases.

Hello to the Swiss Model and one giant group consisting of 36 teams from next season, with the number of group games increasing for everyone from six to eight.

This week, therefore, will see the final round of Champions League matches in the group stage as we currently recognise it.

With that in mind, we celebrate some of the greatest matches and moments from recent years.

David Beckham celebrates after scoring a trademark free-kick against Barcelona in 1998

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Man United’s Treble season thrillers with Barcelona

Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were desperate to crack Europe after their nineties dominance in English football.

But when they were paired with Barcelona and Bayern Munich in a 1998-99 ‘group of death’, they needed to perform at their very highest levels to progress.

They served up two classic 3-3 draws with Barcelona which were the Champions League at its ding-dong best.

At Old Trafford on the first matchnight, early goals by Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, plus a trademark David Beckham free-kick, were cancelled out by a second-half Barca fightback.

If anything, the rematch in the Nou Camp two months later was even better.

Trailing inside the first minute to Sonny Anderson, United would lead 2-1 and 3-2 before twice being pegged back by Brazilian star Rivaldo.

The abiding memory for many was the super-slick passing between Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke for one of the goals.

In the end, United would finish above Barcelona and a point behind group winners Bayern, making the quarter-finals as one of two best runners-up alongside Real Madrid.

And that wouldn’t even be their most dramatic game in the Nou Camp that season…

Dwight Yorke in action against Michael Reizinger during the epic 3-3 draw in the Nou Camp

San Siro masterclass by Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’

In 2003-04, Arsenal were simply unbeatable in the Premier League but in Europe it was a different matter.

Their group campaign began with Inter Milan handing them a 3-0 pasting at Highbury, before a goalless draw away to Lokomotiv Moscow and a 2-1 loss at Dynamo Kyiv left them propping up their group.

Arsene Wenger’s team were clearly far better than this but they needed a late Ashley Cole winner to beat the Ukrainians at home.

Ahead of the San Siro return with Inter, they still faced a mountain to climb to make the knockouts. But they produced a majestic performance that was arguably the peak of the ‘Invincibles’ team.

Two for Thierry Henry, plus goals by Freddie Ljungberg, Edu and Robert Pires, saw the Gunners win 5-1.

A home win over Lokomotiv saw them through remarkably as group winners. An astonishing reversal of fortunes.

Thierry Henry delivered a masterclass as Arsenal thrashed Inter Milan 5-1 in the San Siro

The French star netted twice as Arsenal turned around their Champions League fortunes

https://youtube.com/watch?v=czFBu4n06kQ%3Frel%3D0

Gerrard’s stunner sets Liverpool on course for glory

Defeats to Olympiacos and Monaco left Liverpool with a fair bit of work to do ahead of their final group game in 2004-05.

They needed to beat the Greeks by two clear goals at Anfield to pip them into the last-16 on better head-to-head record, but a first-half goal by the ageing Rivaldo made their task trickier.

But Florent Sinama Pongolle equalised just after half-time to offer hope and when Neil Mellor netted with nine minutes left, Anfield sensed something special.

Step forward captain fantastic Steven Gerrard, on a one-man mission to take his team through, to lash home a stunning 25-yard goal with just a few minutes remaining.

They didn’t know it at the time but that goal catapulted Liverpool on to Champions League glory, with an even greater comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul.

Steven Gerrard lets fly with a dramatic late thunderbolt against Olympiacos at Anfield in 2004

The stunning goal took Liverpool through and they would go on to win the competition

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BBy29Tp3riQ%3Frel%3D0

‘Taxi for Maicon!’

Gareth Bale was simply unstoppable at his best, as reigning European champions Inter Milan discovered in the 2010-11 group stage.

The Welshman had scored a hat-trick in the San Siro on matchday three but Tottenham were four goals down at the time and they ended up being consolation goals.

Still, Inter might have known what to expect ahead of the White Hart Lane return three weeks later. Maicon certainly didn’t get the memo as Bale tore him to shreds time after time.

He didn’t get on the scoresheet but Bale’s devastating running and crossing announced him as the world class player who’d later join Real Madrid.

Goals by Rafael van der Vaart, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko set Spurs on course to finish top of the group on one of their best European nights ever.

Gareth Bale destroyed Maicon when Tottenham played Inter Milan in the 2010-11 group stage

The Welshman celebrates with Peter Crouch after setting him up in the White Hart Lane win

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Dortmund and Legia serve up a 12-goal thriller

The Champions League has never seen more goals scored in a single match than the dozen scored by Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw in the 2016-17 group stage.

A bonkers game saw the German club win 8-4, with six scored inside the opening half-hour after Legia took the lead.

Maybe at 6-3 or 7-4, Legia might have launched a fightback but Dortmund always had another goal in them as the defences took a night off.

Dortmund ended up topping the group ahead of Dortmund, while Legia finished third with an unenviable goal difference of minus 15!

Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw served up a 12-goal classic in the 2016-17 season

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hAK_c8jzLBA%3Frel%3D0

Drogba earns Chelsea a Nou Camp draw

Chelsea and Barcelona have played out some famous and infamous knockout games but their 2006-07 group meeting in the Nou Camp offered pure entertainment.

Drogba’s goal had split the teams at Stamford Bridge on the previous matchday and he’d deny Barcelona two points right at the death in a stormy game of 10 yellow cards.

Deco gave Barca a third-minute lead, only for Frank Lampard to level after the break with a delightful chipped finish from near the byline.

Eidur Gudjohnsen restored the hosts’ lead against his former club and Barcelona were seconds from victory when Drogba scored.

The Blues would go on to top the group ahead of Barcelona but would lose to Liverpool in the semi-finals.

Didier Drogba celebrates scoring Chelsea’s last-gasp equaliser in the Nou Camp in 2006

It came after Frank Lampard scored from this seemingly-impossible angle earlier in the game

Hamburg and Juventus serve up eight-goal epic

Hamburg’s first Champions League game was, fittingly, a rematch of the 1983 European Cup final when they beat Juventus in the high point of the club’s history.

The September 2000 encounter at the Volksparkstadion was just brilliant, the first 4-4 draw in Champions League history.

A madcap night features Leeds icon Tony Yeboah scoring, goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt making it 3-3 with a penalty and Juve’s Filippo Inzaghi bagging a hat-trick.

The group phase didn’t get a lot better for the Italian giants, who finished bottom, below Hamburg, with Deportivo La Coruna and Panathinaikos making it through.

Nico Kovac puts Hamburg 4-3 ahead during their epic against Juventus in 2000-2001

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VT9lb9COf_M%3Frel%3D0

Asprilla’s hat-trick just perfect for Newcastle

It’s remarkable to think the hat-trick Tino Asprilla scored in Newcastle’s legendary 3-2 win over Barcelona in 1997 would be his last for the club.

On an evening never to be forgotten on Tyneside – even if they have many more Champions League adventures ahead – the Colombian put one of Europe’s best teams to the sword.

Barcelona may have boasted Rivaldo and Luis Figo, but they were blown away as Asprilla’s hat-trick put Newcastle three-up inside a raucous St James’ Park.

Although Luis Enrique and Figo goals threatened a late fightback, Newcastle clung on. Asprilla, though, would be sold back to Parma just a few months later after the Toon finished third in their group.

Another noteworthy result in that group was a Dynamo Kyiv side inspired by 21-year-old Andriy Shevchenko recording a 4-0 win in the Nou Camp en route to topping the pool.

Tino Asprilla leaps above the Barcelona defence to head Newcastle’s second goal back in 1997

The Colombian’s brilliant hat-trick made for an unforgettable European night on Tyneside

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qVE316eqqXE%3Frel%3D0

Ten Hag-ball as it’s meant to be

Erik ten Hag is enduring a difficult time as Man United manager with a lack of identity just one criticism levelled at the beleaguered Dutch boss.

That’s probably because United fans expected their team to play just like his superb Ajax side of a few years ago.

In 2019, they were within seconds of beating Tottenham to make a final against Liverpool before having their hearts broken.

Later that year, despite losing stars Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, they remained pretty handy, as shown by a vintage 4-4 draw away to Chelsea.

It featured Ajax surging into a 4-1 lead before red cards for Daley Blind and Joel Veltman allowed Frank Lampard’s Chelsea scope to mount a comeback to draw, with Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Reece James scoring.

Of note was Donny van de Beek’s goal for Ajax, before his career took a dramatic downturn after signing for Man United.

Donny van de Beek scored Ajax’s fourth goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2019

Reece James and his Chelsea team-mates celebrate after pulling the game back to 4-4

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Messi magic shows Man City how far they have to go

Lionel Messi could have a number of entries here but he delivered an absolute masterclass by scoring a hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Man City 4-0 in the 2016-17 group stage.

Pep Guardiola’s return to his former club was thoroughly miserable but even he had to acknowledge that the Argentine wizard is just unstoppable in this kind of form.

City didn’t help themselves, with Fernandinho slipping over to present Messi with his first, then Kevin De Bruyne losing the ball for his second.

Keeper Claudio Bravo was sent off for handling outside the box and Messi duly completed his treble before Neymar rounded things off.

Two weeks later, however, and City won the return fixture at the Etihad 3-1 and have since overtaken Barcelona in European stature, lifting the trophy for the first time last season.

Lionel Messi’s hat-trick put Manchester City to the sword in the Nou Camp back in 2016

The Argentine star was just too hot for City to handle as Barcelona ran riot in the Nou Camp

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2gXYX3Iwl9E%3Frel%3D0

Rooney announces himself on the European stage

Everyone knew the teenager was a bit special and here was the proof.

Wayne Rooney, who’d just completed a £27million move to Man United from Everton, enjoyed the kind of debut every players dreams of by smashing a Champions League hat-trick against Fenerbahce in 2004.

Ryan Giggs opened the scoring and then Rooney merrily took over, getting off the mark following Ruud van Nistelrooy’s pass and then rifling home a second from 20 yards.

While United’s slightly lax defending would have annoyed Fergie, they had so much firepower, with Rooney completing his hat-trick after the break and Van Nistelrooy and David Bellion rounding off a 6-2 romp.

United would end up finishing second to Lyon in the group and duly went out to AC Milan in the next round.

Wayne Rooney announced himself on the Champions League stage with a hat-trick in 2004

The 18-year-old had just moved from Everton for £27m and destroyed Fenerbahce in a 6-2 win

https://youtube.com/watch?v=aiYioCRuSRM%3Frel%3D0

Leeds’ magical Champions League adventure

If you were to cherry-pick a European tour, it might look something like Leeds United in 2000-01.

In the two Champions League group stages, David O’Leary’s exciting young team played in the Nou Camp, San Siro, Bernabeu and Stadio Olimpico, before going on to reach the semi-finals.

Following the inauspicious start of a 4-0 thrashing away to Barcelona, Leeds beat AC Milan at Elland Road thanks to Lee Bowyer’s dramatic late goal.

They were moments away from beating Barcelona at home, too, before Rivaldo (him again) equalised, but Dominic Matteo’s goal in the San Siro put them through.

In the final two games of the second group phase, they went down 3-2 to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu before drawing 3-3 at home to Lazio.

Just brilliant, thrill-a-minute stuff.

Lee Bowyer scores for Leeds against Barcelona during their 2000-01 European adventure

Dominic Matteo scores for Leeds United to earn a draw with AC Milan in the San Siro in 2000

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Brutal Bayern clobber Spurs

Bayern Munich simply don’t make mistakes in the group stage. They’re unbeaten in 39 matches dating back six years, which doesn’t augur well for Man United on Tuesday night.

One of those came in October 2019 against a Mauricio Pochettino Spurs side who’d lost in the final just a few months earlier.

Bayern smashed them 7-2, with Serge Gnabry almost unplayable as he netted four times, with Robert Lewandowski getting two and Joshua Kimmich the other in an absolute exhibition.

That had come after Son Heung-min put Spurs ahead. Harry Kane, who scored a penalty consolation, could only look on in awe as Bayern steamrollered his team.

Pochettino was sacked shortly afterwards, unable to rekindle the previous season’s magic.

Brutal Bayern Munich smashed Tottenham 7-2 during the 2019-2020 group stages

Serge Gnabry was Spurs’ tormentor-in-chief as he scored four times during the rout

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xFTtxKevOrY%3Frel%3D0

Moldovan minnows stun the Bernabeu

Sheriff Tiraspol, from the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, made their Champions League group stage debuts in 2021-22 and would have been thrilled to draw Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Few gave them much hope when they headed to the Bernabeu on matchday two but Jasurbek Yakhshiboev opened the scoring.

After Karim Benzema levelled from the penalty spot, Sheriff would have been more than satisfied with a draw. But then something magical happened.

Sebastien Thill raced onto a loose ball and leathered a 25-yard stunner past Thibaut Courtois into the top corner. It was a once-in-a-lifetime strike that silenced this famous ground.

In the end, Real recovered to top the group and Sheriff finished third.

Minnows Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova celebrate their famous 2021 win over Real Madrid

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2GZSOA9eSV4%3Frel%3D0

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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Bressan gets on his bike

Not only was Fiorentina’s 3-3 draw with Barcelona in the 1999-2000 first group stage a classic, it featured arguably the greatest-ever Champions League goal.

Midfielder Mauro Bressan did what most players wouldn’t think to do and attempted an audacious bicycle kick from fully 30 yards out.

Amazingly it went in, an instant highlight in what was a journeyman career.

It was voted No 2 in an ITV list of the greatest-ever Champions League goals behind Zinedine Zidane’s famous volley to win the 2002 final.

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