Ranking the most unlikely Champions League winners: Chelsea, Liverpool make the list

Nobody expected Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League final, where they will face Real Madrid on Saturday. In a true clash between David and Goliath, the Auri-Negros would become one of the most unlikely winners of a Champions League title ever if they managed to defeat Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium in the biggest game of the year.

Before that final, let’s take a look at some of the most unlikely teams to win a title over the years:

5. Nottingham Forest 1978-79, 1979-80

We are taking a time machine back to the times when the European Champions Cup was Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, promoted from Division Two in 1976-77, won Division One the following season before winning the European Cup over Malmo. Scoring just one goal in that match in the first half, it was enough to lead Tricky Trees to victory. But they didn’t end up with three consecutive titles, they followed it up with another, as in the 1979-80 season, Forest managed to defeat Hamburg in the final by another 1-0 score. While this was a team respected for their second title, coming straight from the second division to this kind of glory should put Forest on our list.

4. Liverpool 2004-05

Liverpool had to overcome Bayern Munchen, JuventusIt is Chelsea to reach the final in Rafael Benítez against Milan. The journey to get there is one of the reasons Liverpool made this list, but that’s also how the final went. Trailing 3-0 at the end of the first half, the Reds responded with goals from Steve Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Vladimir Spicer. They would still need a penalty shootout victory to secure the Champions League title, but after coming back like that, all the momentum was on their side. Qualifying for this Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League the previous season, the Liverpool team in terms of strength, is close to where Dortmund would be considered today.

3. PSV Eindhoven, 1987-88

Here comes another deep cut like Guus Hiddink oversaw one of the strangest European Cup victories we have ever seen. After the quarter-finals, PSV did not win any more games, advancing on away goals over the two Bordeaux and Real Madrid. Although this rule has disappeared from the Champions League, the Dutch used it to their advantage to avoid a penalty shootout, but even when they had to resort to it in the final against Benficathis was not a problem as they won 6-5 in Stuttgart.

two. Harbor 2002-03

Although it is difficult to determine which José Mourinho title should make the list, his first title with Porto was a work of art. Arriving with a less favored team, Porto is one of the teams on this list that absolutely dominated the final. Facing Monaco in the final after passing Manchester UnitedOlympic Lyon and Deportivo La Coruña on the way, it would become a Porto party. Winning 3-0, Poerto would announce themselves as one of the best teams in football, while Mourinho would also announce himself as one of the best managers in all of football.

1.Chelsea 2011-12

It’s another Premier League team on the list, but for Chelsea, a team in shambles after parting ways with Andre-Vilas Boas mid-season to sign Roberto di Matteo, the Blues have moved on. Reverse a first leg deficit against the Naples in the knockout stage, Chelsea passed Barcelona surviving the second leg with just 10 men. Chelsea then faced Bayern Munich in the final and looked dead afterwards Thomas Müller scored in the 83rd minute, but a draw from none other than Didier Drogba was able to force penalties before Chelsea won the shootout.

How to watch the Champions League final and odds

• Date: Saturday, June 1st | Time: 3pm ET
• Location: Wembley Stadium – London, England
• TELEVISION: CBS | Live broadcast: Paramount+
• Chances: Borussia Dortmund +420; Draw +330; Real Madrid -165

Champions League final broadcast schedule

All times US/East

• Morning Footy, 11am (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• We Need to Talk, 12:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
• UEFA Champions League today, 1pm (CBS Sports Golazo Network, Paramount+)
• UEFA Champions League Pre-game today, 1:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
• CBS Sports Golazo Day, 1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• Borussia Dortmund x Real Madrid, 3pm (CBS, Paramount+)
• UEFA Champions League Today post-game, 5:30pm (CBS Sports Network, Paramount+)
• Result, 5:30 pm (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
• The Champions Club, 6:30 pm (CBS Sports Golazo Network)