Lyon had by far the most unusual Champions League group stage qualification method this year, winning just one of their six games in group F.
However, the seven-time French champions also navigated all six games without suffering defeat, one of just five teams to do so this season, and pushed Manchester City close in both their group stage clashes, taking four points from Pep Guardiola’s side with an impressive win at the Etihad Stadium to boot.
But despite that win, Les Gones still only qualified with eight points, a pretty miserable total for a side looking to compete in the Champions League knockout rounds.
Lyon are certainly not the only team to qualify with such a low points total, though. In fact, there have been many teams in the past to make it to the knockout rounds of club football’s premier competition with even less than Lyon’s eight this season.
But who are they? Read on to find out.
Zenit St Petersburg – 2013/14
Points: 6
Wins: 1
Atletico Madrid dominated group G in 2013/14, taking 16 points from a possible 18. That left them 10 points clear of Zenit St Petersburg in second, but it was nowhere near as easy for the Russians as it was for their Spanish counterparts.
Zenit managed to qualify for the knockout rounds with just six points and one win, which came in the form of an impressive (and vital) 1-0 triumph away to Porto on matchday three, with Aleksandr Kerzhakov getting the goal. Zenit also took a point from Porto in their home tie, as well as drawing with Atletico Madrid and Austria Vienna, meaning the other two sides in the group could only manage five points.
What happened next?
That inconsistent form was a prelude to Zenit’s knockout stage campaign, as a 4-2 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the last-16 left them with too much to do. They ultimately went down 5-4 on aggregate to the German giants.
Roma – 2015/16
Points: 6
Wins: 1
Group E of the 2015/16 Champions League was pretty mental. Well, if you take away Barcelona doing their usual by going unbeaten and sweeping teams aside.
However, vying for that coveted second qualifying spot and all taking points from each other in equal measure were Roma, Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov. The Italians eventually managed to grab the qualifying spot via a 0-0 draw with BATE Borisov in the final group game.
An 80th minute Edin Dzeko penalty also give them a 3-2 win over Leverkusen earlier in the campaign and was a fitting tribute to a group that had seen a 4-4 draw between these two sides already, BATE beat Roma before the Giallorossi were humbled 6-1 at the Nou Camp.
What happened next?
In the last-16, Roma then met their fate, once again against Spanish opposition as eventual winners Real Madrid twice overcame them 2-0 to take a 4-0 aggregate win; Cristiano Ronaldo predictably bagged a goal in each game.
Rangers – 2005/06
Points: 7
Wins: 1
Rangers’ 2005/06 Champions League group stage campaign got off to the great possible start with a dramatic 3-2 win over Porto at Ibrox. They followed that with a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Inter Milan and from that point on, it was a slog for points for the Gers as they drew their four remaining games.
The Glaswegians confirmed their qualification in the final game, when Peter Lovenkrands’ goal cancelled out Adriano’s strike in a 1-1 draw with Inter. That was almost not enough to seal qualification, but Artmedia Bratislava could only manage a goalless draw with Porto in their final group game, meaning they finished a point behind their Scottish counterparts.
What happened next?
Rangers would go on to put in a brave effort against Villarreal, who had already knocked out Everton and finished above Manchester United in the groups, but went out on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw – Juan Roman Riquelme and Diego Forlan goals at Ibrox did the damage in the end.
Werder Bremen – 2005/06
Points: 7
Wins: 2
If you thought things were close in Rangers’ group that year, things were even tighter for Werder Bremen’s.
Barcelona were the runaway leaders and would eventually go on to win the competition, but Werder Bremen were really made to work for their qualification. After the first two games, the Werderaner were without a single point having lost to Barca and Panathinaikos, before getting off the mark in their third game with a 1-1 draw with Udinese.
Werder Bremen then played out a stunning 4-3 victory over the Italian side in their next game to give themselves real hope of reaching the last 16.
A 3-1 away defeat to Barcelona followed, but the Germans finally secured passage to the knockout rounds with an emphatic 5-1 win over Panathinaikos in the final group game, with Barcelona downing Udinese 2-0 in the other game, meaning both sides finished on seven points with Werder Bremen having the superior head-to-head record over the Serie A side.
What happened next?
The unenviable task of Juventus then followed – one which proved too much for Werder Bremen as they went out on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw. Hardly a humiliating effort against the Old Lady, though.
Galatasaray – 2013/14
Points: 7
Wins: 2
Galatasaray were drawn into Group B of the 2013/14 Champions League with the mammoth task of overcoming both Real Madrid and Juventus. Few gave the Turkish side a chance before the group kicked off, and even less so after 6-1 mauling at home to Real in the first game.
The Turkish side got back on track in the second game though, saving a point with a brilliant 2-2 draw in Turin, followed up by a 3-1 home win over FC Copenhagen. Galatasaray suffered defeat away to the Danes in the next game, and were once again smashed by Real in matchday five; this time 4-1.
However, former Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder saved the day for Galatasaray against his old rivals in the final game, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 home win over Juventus to seal qualification to the knockout rounds, a point ahead of the Old Lady.
What happened next?
Galatasaray came up against Chelsea in the knockout round, sparking a reunion for Didier Drogba, and drew the first leg 1-1 in Istanbul. The second leg, however, saw Samuel Eto’o and Gary Cahill put the Blues 3-1 up on aggregate, eliminating Galatasaray.
FC Basel – 2014/15
Points: 7
Wins: 2
When FC Basel drew Real Madrid and Liverpool in the 2014/15 Champions League group stage, they probably weren’t sure whether they should laugh or cry at the prospect of facing two of Europe’s biggest clubs.
However, anybody who thought they would merely be fighting for third place were greatly mistaken. The Swiss side went down 5-1 to Real Madrid in their first game but then things got interesting with a 1-0 win over Liverpool on matchday two. Basel lost 1-0 to Ludogorets in their third game, but exacted revenge on the Bulgarians in the next tie with a 4-0 thrashing.
A 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid left things looking bleak for Basel with only a trip to Anfield to go. However, Fabian Frei put them 1-0 up after 25 minutes, meaning Steven Gerrard’s 81st-minute equaliser was not enough to push Basel from second spot, eliminating Liverpool to the Europa League.
What happened next?
Basel drew Porto in the last 16 and played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but were thrashed 4-0 in Portugal in the return leg, sending them crashing out of the competition.
The post What happened next? The worst teams to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages appeared first on Squawka News.
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