New Delhi: With the first season of the UEFA Champions League featuring 36 teams moving towards the knockout stage playoff, the competition maintained excitement and sprung surprise through the league stage. The final day witnessed more spotlight on Manchester City’s stay in the competition as did Paris Saint-Germain’s stay in the competition.
However, many unexpected teams have earned themselves automatic qualification into the round of 16 stage. While it may be true that the new format has helped many of the underdogs, there is little doubt that these sides were able to seize the right opportunity as the big teams faltered from time to time.
Teams that no one expected to finish in top eight
Lille are a side that fought their hardest throughout their qualification into the Champions League. The French side started with a 2-0 loss to Sporting CP and it came as a big surprise when they managed to hand Real Madrid a 1-0 loss. Lile followed this performance with a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid, taking a relatively young side. They ended their campaign with a 6-1 win over Feyenoord, taking 16 points, placing themselves at seventh place.
Aston Villa made their first appearance in the Champions League in 42 years. They were expected to deliver consistent and strong performances, but no one gave them a chance to finish eighth with 16 points, from five wins and one draw. Their final game was an easy 4-2 win over Celtic as they marched into the final 16 round.
Bayer Leverkusen were making a comeback in the competition after two seasons and hadn’t gone past the round of 16 in their last appearance. Booking their round of 16 appearance this season with five wins and one draw was something very few would have expected at the start of the season.
The biggest surprise has to be Brest, Celtic and Club Brugges booking a place in the knockout playoffs. Brest finished 18th while Celtic finished 21st, while Club Brugges losing to Manchester City meant they drew very close as they finished 24th. Both teams had tough games with Brest managing a 1-0 win over PSV while Celtic handed RB Leipzig a 3-1 loss.
The new UEFA Champions League format handed the top eight teams a direct qualification to the knockout stage. Here’s a look into the sides that very few expected to get automatic qualification. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
