There was plenty on offer for the purists too, grueling ties with heartbreak at every corner as they played their role in delivering yet another spellbinding season of football across Europe. 2018 UEFA Champions League: Final destination Kiev- For further details click here Advertised as the best club tournament in Europe, this season of Champions League did not fail to keep fans excited from day 1. The teams survived grueling group stages, and knockout rounds, and in the end, Real Madrid was crowned champions for a third time consecutive sealing their dominance long over European football.
Group Stage Drama
Eight groups started with 32 teams and the top two in each have now progressed to their first knock-out round. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United all ranked amongst the favorites but there were numerous surprises as well.
Manchester United – Group A
UCL elimination of the day: Manchester United returned to the UEFA Champions League 2017/18 after spending last season in the Europa League, topping Group A with ease. Under José Mourinho, the Red Devils topped a group containing FC Basel, CSKA Moscow, and Benfica. Romelu Lukaku — who bagged four goals in the group stage to help send United through seamlessly to the last-16.
Group B: PSG’s Dominance
Group B: French powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) installed fear across Europe thanks to their high-powered, attack with Neymar joining Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani. PSG topped the group, breaking a record by scoring 25 times and finishing ahead of Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich were one of the draws Dortmund would have been hoping for, even though PSG hammered Bayern 3-0 in Paris back in September.
Group C: The Vexing Quest for Chelsea
On paper, Chelsea had drawn into one of the better groups: an actively competitive group with Atlético Madrid and AS Roma as actual rivals for supremacy along with Qarabağ FKnobodies. Chelsea scraped in at second place behind Roma, but it was a shock group-stage knockout for Atlético Madrid as they could only finish third and drop into the Europa League.
Group D: Messi’s Magic
Barcelona was much more successful and Lionel Messi was on a different level as Barca finished above Juventus, Olympiacos, and Sporting CP in Group D. Despite losing every away game, Messi had singlehandedly helped put Barcelona into the knockout rounds.
Knockout Stage Highlights
The UEFA Champions League 2017/18 stages of the Champions League knockout were some memorable football. Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich cruised to wins over their rivals meanwhile Manchester City and Juventus were both caught off guard.
Round of 16 Upsets and Headlines
There were some fantastic games in the Round of 16. PSG v Real Madrid This was the most awaited fixture of this Gameweek. It was a showcased Real Madrid who notched up at the expense of PSG, despite their great form. A Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick over two legs saw them eliminated by an aggregate score of 5-2.
In the last round, Liverpool thrashed Portuguese side Porto 5-0 on aggregate in their two-legged tie. Manchester City strolled past FC Basel as well, winning their tie 5-2 on aggregate,s and Juventus put out Tottenham Hotspur in a hard-fought series that saw the Italians go through with 4 away goals to Spurs’ three.
Quarterfinal Shocks
The quarterfinals were drama-filled. Roma pulled off one of the great Champions League comebacks by coming back from a 4-1 first-leg defeat to Barcelona, winning 3-0 in Rome and reaching the semifinals on away goals. The remarkable turnaround sent shockwaves through the European footballing world, not to mention saw Roma secure a place in Champions League folklore.
It was an all-English affair with Liverpool showing their quality and keeping up what has been a masterful season by facing Manchester City. While Jürgen Klopp’s side were the comfortable victors — 5-1 on aggregate, huge contributions from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino notwithstanding.
Semifinals: East Meets West
Semifinals have been announced forUEFA Champions League 2017/18 and it involves some of the more prestigious clubs in continental play. Real Madrid/Bayern Munich—in each other’s path yet again Madrid led 2-1 after the first leg, then drew Tuesday’s second leg but still held on to beat Bayern Munich and reach its seventh straight semifinal with a 4–3 aggregate victory. Cristiano Ronaldo was less deadly over the two legs but a menace throughout.
The other semifinal pitted Liverpoolagainst Roma and the first leg also produced a goal galore at Anfield. And Liverpool, 5-2 winners this time with Salah and Firmino to the fore yet again. Roma responded with a 4-2 win in the second leg, but it was not enough as Liverpool reached their first final since 2007 thanks to a 7-6 aggregate scoreline.
Real Madrid vs Liverpool ( The Final)
In 2017/18 the Champions League final was between two of European football’s grandest names —Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine. Real Madrid were in their third final on the bounce, aiming for a 13th European crown and Liverpool was seeking number six.
The final was dramatic and incredibly heartbreaking. With the game poised at 0-0 in the 30th minute, Liverpool’s Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah was brought down by Real captain Sergio Ramos. It was a huge setback for Liverpool and Madrid made them pay.
Benzema opened the scoring in farcical style, intercepting a throw from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius. Sadio Mané did level things up shortly thereafter but Madrid’s quality told. Gareth Bale came off the bench to score one of the greatest goals in Champions League history. Garath’s audacious overhead kick sent fans and players alike into raptures. Bale doubled up in the later stage and an error from Karius gave Real Madrid a 3-1 win.
Atletico’s biggest achievement in this season until now was held for just four minutes, as it demolished Real Madrid’s historic unbeaten run.
The win saw Real Madrid make history as the first team to go on and defend the UEFA Champions League title of a modern era. In the quarter-finals, Didier Zidane had already announced himself as a coach at the highest level and Cristiano Ronaldo finished top scorer of this edition with 15 goals.
And as much of a heartbreak for Liverpool, their run to the final was a testimony to some fine attacking football and ringmaster work by Jürgen Klopp. Sign in The experience they picked up from this campaign would of course play a part in helping them win the Champions League two years later.
Conclusion
What a season to remember for the UEFA Champions League 2017/18. And with Roma’s stunning fightback and Real Madrid winning their third title on the trot, pride of place will go to one of the strongest seasons in the history of this competition. As football fans, we are continuously held hostage to the drama and magic that is the Champions League, season after season after 2017/18 did not disappoint.
