Champions League Shocks: The Most Unexpected Results of the Season So Far

On 17^th September, history was made as the revamped Champions League format was given its opening night premiere. Not only is it the first time in the competition’s history that 36 teams are involved from the beginning, but it is also the first time that a single league-style format has been implemented, replacing the traditional group stage.With four more teams included, and eight league matches instead of the previous six group stage matches with the guarantee of playing teams of varying seeding, the Champions League season was set up nicely for plenty more shocks and surprises. And we have certainly witnessed a few already.

Aston Villa 1-0 FC Bayern Munich, 2nd October 2024

Since the competition was renamed in 1992, Aston Villa had never competed at the highest level of European football. That was until Unai Emery’s side finished 4^th in the 2023/24 Premier League season, earning them a direct passage to compete amongst Europe’s elite. And The Villains were handed a grand welcome to the Champions League on Matchday 2 as six-time Champions League winners FC Bayern Munich arrived in Birmingham.

However, Aston Villa did anything but roll out the red carpet for Bayern, who boasted the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Manuel Neuer in their starting line-up. After holding the 32-time Bundesligsa champions at bay for 79 minutes, substitute Jhon Duran latched onto a through ball from Pau Torres, before sublimely lobbing Manuel Neuer from outside the penalty area.

A fitting goal to cap one of Aston Villa’s finest nights in European football and an announcement to the rest of Europe that Aston Villa belonged on the Champions League stage. Incredibly, the scoreline also emulated the one in the European Cup final win in 1982, over, you guessed it, FC Bayern Munich.

Lille 1-0 Real Madrid, 2^nd October 2024

Perhaps the 2^nd of October was the evening for shocks. Along with Aston Villa’s stunning win over FC Bayern Munich, French team Lille pulled off an equally Europe-shattering victory over the Champions League record-winners, Real Madrid. The 15-time winners arrived in the north of France with new signing and French hero, Kylian Mbappe, on the bench, but even his introduction could not prevent the French side claiming their biggest Champions League scalp in the nine seasons competing in the competition.

A Jonathan David penalty on the stroke of half time was the difference in the end with a stoic defensive effort contributing massively to another Matchday 2 shock. Lille have never progressed beyond the Round of 16 in the competition, but with more unpredictability than ever created by the revamped format, UEFA Champions League odds on Lille might have to be reconsidered once the league stage concludes.

The French side sit nicely in the top eight, which guarantees automatic qualification to the Round of 16, with two matches against Liverpool (away) and Feyenoord (home) to round off their league stage efforts.

Manchester City 3-3 Feyenoord, 26^th November 2024

On the face of it, the result itself might be considered a shock, but it was the nature of an uncharacteristic Manchester City capitulation that was the most shocking element of this entertaining draw. Seemingly cruising with a 3-0 lead through goals from Erling Haaland (2) and Ilkay Gündoğan, Pep Guardiola’s charges were pegged back by the Dutch outfit in the space of 15 minutes. Goals from Anis Hadj-Moussa (74’), Santiago Gimenez (82’) and David Hancko (89’) gave Feyenoord a famous draw to leave the Etihad Stadium stunned.