The UEFA Champions League 2014/15 season saw some of the most exciting games, unforgettable moments, and mesmerizing performances in football history. In a year that saw European powerhouses compete for the top honours this campaign, it included some of the best teams and subsequently, players few of which belonged to the manager delivering ever more thrilling encounters in its illustrious history. And so, with the help of our cup final and league season culprits, let’s look back at some of the matches that defined this term outright: absurdity
2014/15 UEFA Champions League Group Stage
September 2014 saw the start of group-stage matches, before a heart-stopping knockout round. The end of the season was on 6th June, when Juventus had to face FC Barcelona in Berlin in the final. The path to that final was chock-full of memorable contests, shockers, and flashes of brilliance.
Key Matches from the UEFA Champions League 2014/15
Paris Saint-Germain – Barcelona (Jornada de Liga)
In the group stage, one of my favorite matches was Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vs FC Barcelona. PSG beat Barcelona 3-2 at Parc des Princes in the first leg to earn a famous victory over the Spanish giants with an impressive display of attacking football. For PSG, David Luiz, Marco Verratti, and Blaise Matuidi struck while Lionel Messi ended as a Barcelona leader with his team-mate Neymar making that two for the visitors. A result that set the tone for what would be a tight group stage, although there was to be revenge further down the line in this tournament from Barcelona.
Champions League Round of 16
Current champions Real Madrid were comfortable in the Round of 16 draw against Schalke 04, winning the first leg away from home to seal a superb 2-0 victory. But the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu was a rollercoaster affair, with Schalke almost pulling off one of the sport’s great comebacks by running out 4-3 winners and winning far more admirers rapidly. Real Madrid won the tie 5-4 on aggregate, but that evening signaled a low base in their form and season.
Bayern Munich, Porto
But on one of the most extraordinary nights of this season, that was exactly what happened when Bayern Munich hosted FC Porto. Trailing on aggregate after a 3-1 loss to Porto in the first leg, Bayern Munich had some work to do at home heading into its second-leg clash. But Pep Guardiola’s men put in a footballing lesson, winning 6-1 at the Allianz and going through with an overall score of 7-4. Porto took the lead through Danilo Pereira from a corner in the fourth minute, but goals by Robert Lewandowski (22) and Thomas Müller (27), both created by Thiago Alcântara crosses after well-worked set pieces saw Bayern back on level terms.
Two more headed finishers — Xabi Alonso off Juan Bernat’s cross with 25 minutes to go for his first goal of this year’s knockout stages, then Thiago himself repaying Marco Reus’ hard work for number four — left Porto blown out as they have been just once before decades ago against Manchester United, making their task at home seem impossible when remembering that Bayer-1Cefiro remain unbeaten there since October of last season!
Real Madrid v Juventus (Semifinals)
The semi-final, between Juventus and Real Madrid, was a tale of two sides with different methods. Goals from Álvaro Morata and Carlos Tévez helped Juve to a 2-1 victory in the first leg Turin. A former Real Madrid player, Morata was the key man in this tie. In the second leg, Real Madrid only drew 1-1 at home as well — with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty being canceled out by Morata. Juventus came through with a 3-2 victory on aggregate, leaving the reigning champs high and dry.
Barcelona — Bayern Munich (of the semifinal)
The other semifinal pitted Barcelona against powerhouse Bayern Munich. In the first leg, at Camp Nou, Barcelona performed one of THE most memorable and iconic performances in Champions League history. Lionel Messi put it best, scoring two goals like the amazing dribble he made past Jérôme Boateng and his beautifully delicate chip over Manuel Neuer. Barcelona secured a 3-0 win thanks to an additional strike from Neymar. Barca eventually saw off Bayern Munich in the second leg, losing 3-2 on an adrenaline-fuelled night but going through by a more comfortable scoreline of 5-3 on aggregate.
Final: FC Barcelona vs Juventus
Date: June 6, 2015, UEFA Champions League final Venue: Olympiastadion in Berlin The champions were FC Baand Juventus, two of the most successful clubs in Europe. Coming into the game Barcelona, spearheaded by their three-pronged attack of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suárez, known as ‘MSN’, were favorites while Juventus had displayed impressive determination during the competition.
The game got off to an explosive start with Barcelona’s goals from Ivan Rakitić in the 4th minute, scoring first for the Catalans. Alvaro Morata fired Juve level with an expertly-taken finish in the 55th minute, getting on to Federico Bernardeschi’s pass before firing low beyond Astana goalkeeper Nenad Eric from a tight angle.
But this was not enough to resist the attacking power of Barcelona. Barcelona then went ahead in the 68th minute through a goal from Luis Suárez, and Neymar converted late on to make it 3-1 for them. BARCELONA’s second treble meant a win as normality was restored to European football.
Barcelona’s Path to Glory
The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League win for Barcelona was a shining example of their attacking verve and tactical nous. Under manager Luis Enrique, you had a team that fused Lionel Messi’s invention, Neymar’s pizzazz, and Suárez’s doggedness to create an attacking triumvirate unlike the world game has ever seen.
The Catalan club got their strategy spot-on throughout the tournament, with a perfect mix of possession-based football but at the same time never hesitating to hit teams on quickfire counterattacks. On their way to the final, they had vanquished strong adversaries like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain just as crushing Bayern Munich. The highlight of their season was the victory over Juventus in the final.
Conclusion: The Aftermath of the 2014/15 Season
The 2014Ð15 season of the UEFA Champions League will go down in history as one of the most riveting and entertaining campaigns to perspective. The tournament had memorable moments throughout, from Bayern Munich’s incredible comeback against Porto to Messi in the semifinals vs. Bayern; it was an enjoyable experience for all football fans. Not only did Barcelona win the Champions League to confirm their place at Europe’s top table, but they also enshrined the “MSN” (Messi-Suárez-Neymar) trident as one of footballing history’s most lethal attacking triumvirates.
To the millions of football fans around the globe, 2014/15 was a reminder that when it comes to the UEFA Champions League football is as beautiful and unpredictable as ever.
