5 club rivalries which originated in the Champions League
Champions League is the tournament, where the elite of European football meet for the grandest prize. On this stage with so much at stake, controversies and rivalries are bound to be ignited. These rivalries breathe life into football and make it more than a game. Here are the top five rivalries which have originated in the Champions League.
PSG have a score to settle against Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona's European rivalry basically started after Ronaldinho joined Barcelona from PSG. The two clubs have faced each other 11 times, with Barcelona winning five matches and PSG winning three, and the rest ending in draws. The epic 6-1 battle in 2016-17 between the two clubs has gained an iconic status. Recently, PSG picked up Neymar by paying his buy-out clause.
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid- An encounter of the giants
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have met 26 times at the Champions League, with each match proving to be more intense than the previous one. The most infamous moment in this clash of giants was the 2017 quarter-finals where Arturo Vidal was controversially sent off. The biggest defeat in this rivalry is Bayern's, where, under Guardiola, they lost 4-0 to the Madridistas in 2014.
Inter Milan and Barcelona: One man starts a rivalry
Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan met Barcelona, the club which rejected him, in the 2009-10 UCL group stages. Barca won the group but the two clubs met again in the semi-finals that year itself. Inter won the semis, but a Sergio's play-acting would controversially send off Thiago Motta. The two clubs are set to clash in the ongoing edition's group stages.
Manchester United and Juventus have been UCL rivals for long
Sir Alex Ferguson and Marcello Lippi were two great tacticians who meetings were awaited all across Europe. The most dramatic encounter between the two clubs took place during the semi-finals of the 1998-99 season, where, despite losing at Old Trafford, United triumphed over the Old Lady to reach, and ultimately win the final. The two will again meet this term in a group encounter.
Barcelona and Chelsea have a bitter history
Barcelona and Chelsea have a history that is quite controversial, and it all began in 2005 after Chelsea triumphed over Barca in the round of 16. The rivalry reached its zenith in 2009 after a series of fouls by Barcelona were allegedly ignored by the referee. Chelsea got their revenge in 2012 when Torres scored a dramatic goal to take Chelsea to the final.
