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UEFA Champions League

Champions League final – path, past winners, odds

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Real Madrid will seek to win Europe’s biggest club prize for the record 15th time when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.

Here is how the two teams reached the final.

REAL MADRID

Group C – first place

Real 1 Union Berlin 0

Napoli 2 Real 3

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Braga 1 Real 2

Real 3 Braga 0

Real 4 Napoli 2

Union Berlin 2 Real 3

Round of 16

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RB Leipzig 0 Real 1

Real 1 RB Leipzig 1

Quarter-final

Real 3 Manchester City 3

Manchester City 1 Real 1

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(3-4 on penalties)

Semi-final

Bayern Munich 2 Real 2

Real 2 Bayern Munich 1

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

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Group F – first place

Paris St Germain 2 Dortmund 0

Dortmund 0 AC Milan 0

Newcastle United 0 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 2 Newcastle United 0

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AC Milan 1 Dortmund 3

Dortmund 1 Paris St Germain 1

Round of 16

PSV 1 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 2 PSV 0

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Quarter-final

Atletico Madrid 2 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 4 Atletico Madrid 2

Semi-final

Dortmund 1 Paris St Germain 0

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Paris St Germain 0 Dortmund 1

List of past European Cup/Champions League winners

 
SEASONWINNERSSCORERUNNERS-UPVENUE
1955–56Real Madrid4–3ReimsParis
1956–57Real Madrid2–0FiorentinaMadrid
1957–58Real Madrid3–2*AC MilanBrussels
1958–59Real Madrid2–0ReimsStuttgart
1959–60Real Madrid7–3Eintracht FrankfurtGlasgow
1960–61Benfica3–2BarcelonaBern
1961–62Benfica5–3Real MadridAmsterdam
1962–63AC Milan2–1BenficaLondon
1963–64Inter Milan3–1Real MadridVienna
1964–65Inter Milan1–0BenficaMilan
1965–66Real Madrid2–1PartizanBrussels
1966–67Celtic2–1Inter MilanLisbon
1967–68Manchester United4–1*BenficaLondon
1968–69AC Milan4–1AjaxMadrid
1969–70Feyenoord2–1*CelticMilan
1970–71Ajax2–0PanathinaikosLondon
1971–72Ajax2–0Inter MilanRotterdam
1972–73Ajax1–0JuventusBelgrade
1973–74Bayern Munich1–1 (4-0 on replay)Atletico MadridBrussels
1974–75Bayern Munich2–0Leeds UnitedParis
1975–76Bayern Munich1–0Saint-EtienneGlasgow
1976–77Liverpool3–1Borussia MoenchengladbachRome
1977–78Liverpool1–0Club BruggeLondon
1978–79Nottingham Forest1–0Malmo FFMunich
1979–80Nottingham Forest1–0Hamburger SVMadrid
1980–81Liverpool1–0Real MadridParis
1981–82Aston Villa1–0Bayern MunichRotterdam
1982–83Hamburger SV1–0JuventusAthens
1983–84Liverpool1–1 (4-2 on penalties)AS RomaRome
1984–85Juventus1–0LiverpoolBrussels
1985–86Steaua Bucharest0–0 (2-0 on penalties)BarcelonaSeville
1986–87Porto2–1Bayern MunichVienna
1987–88PSV Eindhoven0–0 (6-5 on penalties)BenficaStuttgart
1988–89AC Milan4–0Steaua BucharestBarcelona
1989–90AC Milan1–0BenficaVienna
1990–91Red Star Belgrade0–0 (5-3 on penalties)MarseilleBari
1991–92Barcelona1–0†SampdoriaLondon
1992–93Marseille1–0AC MilanMunich
1993–94Milan4–0BarcelonaAthens
1994–95Ajax1–0AC MilanVienna
1995–96Juventus1–1 (4-2 on penalties)AjaxRome
1996–97Borussia Dortmund3–1JuventusMunich
1997–98Real Madrid1–0JuventusAmsterdam
1998–99Manchester United2–1Bayern MunichBarcelona
1999–2000Real Madrid3–0ValenciaSt Denis
2000–01Bayern Munich1–1 (5-4 on penalties)ValenciaMilan
2001–02Real Madrid2–1Bayer LeverkusenGlasgow
2002–03AC Milan0–0 (3-2 on penalties)JuventusManchester
2003–04Porto3–0MonacoGelsenkirchen
2004–05Liverpool3–3 (3-2 on penalties)AC MilanIstanbul
2005–06Barcelona2–1ArsenalSt Denis
2006–07AC Milan2–1LiverpoolAthens
2007–08Manchester United1–1 (6-5 on penalties)ChelseaMoscow
2008–09Barcelona2–0Manchester UnitedRome
2009–10Inter Milan2–0Bayern MunichMadrid
2010–11Barcelona3–1Manchester UnitedLondon
2011–12Chelsea1–1 (4-3 on penalties)Bayern MunichMunich
2012–13Bayern Munich2–1Borussia DortmundLondon
2013–14Real Madrid4–1*Atletico MadridLisbon
2014–15Barcelona3–1JuventusBerlin
2015–16Real Madrid1–1 (5-3 on penalties)Atletico MadridMilan
2016–17Real Madrid4–1JuventusCardiff
2017–18Real Madrid3–1LiverpoolKyiv
2018–19Liverpool2–0Tottenham HotspurMadrid
2019–20Bayern Munich1–0Paris St GermainLisbon
2020–21Chelsea1–0Manchester CityPorto
2021–22Real Madrid1–0LiverpoolSt Denis
2022–23Manchester City1–0Inter MilanIstanbul

* Denotes after extra time

– –

The following clubs have won the European Cup:

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14 – Real Madrid

7 – AC Milan

6 – Bayern Munich, Liverpool

5 – Barcelona

4 – Ajax Amsterdam

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3 – Manchester United, Inter Milan

2 – Benfica, Juventus, Nottingham Forest, Porto, Chelsea

1 – Celtic, Hamburg SV, Steaua Bucharest, Olympique Marseille, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star Belgrade, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City

The European Cup became the Champions League in 1992

Here are the latest betting odds

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bet365:

Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 5/2

Skybet:

Real Madrid 2/7

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Borussia Dortmund 5/2

Paddy Power:

Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 12/5

William Hill:

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Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 12/5

The website Oddschecker says 68% of all bets on the final have been placed on Real Madrid winning.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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UEFA Champions League

Osimhen and Aubameyang: Africa’s First Men of the Match in 2025/26 Champions League

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Osimhen and Aubameyang: Africa’s First Men of the Match in 2025/26 Champions League

The Champions League has barely started and already African fans have something to be proud of.

Two of the continent’s biggest names, Victor Osimhen from Nigeria and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Gabon, have become the first African players this season to be named Man of the Match.

For Osimhen, it was a night to remember in Istanbul. Galatasaray were up against Liverpool, a team with a European pedigree and needed someone to step up. Osimhen did just that.

 His goal gave Galatasaray a 1-0 win but it was more than just the goal. His energy and how he kept Liverpool’s defenders on their toes all night made him the best player on the pitch.

So his winning of the UEFA Man of the Match award. Galatasaray fans had proof they have a striker who can change games at the highest level.

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Meanwhile, on the same night in Marseille, Aubameyang was showing why he has been Africa’s most reliable goal scorer for over a decade.

At 36, some wondered if he still had it on nights like this. His answer was a thunderous “YES.”

Marseille tore Ajax apart in a 4–0 demolition that saw Aubameyang seal his stature as the orchestrator and heartbeat of the French club’s attack.

His movement, his composure and his leadership stood out. So much so that he too was rightfully awarded the Man of the Match.

The fact that these two happened on the same night made it even more special for African football fans.

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Osimhen represents the new generation: quick, hungry and with still a few years ahead to make history.

Aubameyang is the veteran still out there to prove – even though he really has nothing to prove anymore – that experience and class don’t fade easily.

Together, they gave African football fans a double reason to smile.

For Nigeria and Gabon, these awards are more than individual trophies. They are ultimately a reminder of how much African players contribute to the Champions League season in, season out.

And the tournament is still in its early stages. So there’s every chance more players from the continent will follow in their footsteps before the Budapest finale in 2026. Only good omens for the 2025 AFCON that starts in a few months.

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-Morocco World News

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UEFA Champions League

‘Special One’ Mourinho makes low-key, losing return to Chelsea

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UEFA Champions League - Chelsea v Benfica - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - September 30, 2025 Benfica coach Jose Mourinho reacts alongside Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

In his glory days, Jose Mourinho celebrated dramatic goals from his teams by sprinting down the touchline, sometimes sliding on his knees for extra euphoric effect.

On Tuesday, back at his former club Chelsea as the new coach of Benfica, Mourinho’s most eye-catching intervention was down the touchline again, but this time his run was to urge his team’s fans to stop hurling objects onto the pitch.

Benfica under Mourinho, in his fourth game in charge, were defeated 1-0 by an under-strength Chelsea side in the Champions League after a fist-half Richard Rios own goal.

The self-declared “Special One” was lauded by the home fans with a few choruses of “Jose Mou-rin-ho” in recognition of his successes – three Premier League titles and four other trophies – which no other Chelsea manager has come close to matching.

Mourinho, 62, acknowledged the chants with a gentle wave, got a cheer when he ventured onto the pitch to clear a spare ball and quickly vanished down the tunnel at the final whistle after shaking the hand of Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.

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It was all a far cry from the fervour of 20 years ago when Mourinho – having led Porto to an unlikely Champions League triumph – turned Chelsea into English champions for the first time in 50 years in 2005 and won the title again a year later.

After a collapse of form, Mourinho departed in 2007 but he won the Champions League again, this time with Inter Milan in 2010, knocking out the Londoners on the way to the final.

He went on to manage Real Madrid before returning to Chelsea where he claimed a third English title and then had spells at Manchester United, London side Tottenham Hotspur – an unforgivable move for many Chelsea fans at the time – and Roma.

As the big offers dried up, Mourinho went on to coach Fenerbahce in Turkey where he lasted little more than a year before his return to Portuguese football with Benfica.

Asked after Tuesday’s defeat by Chelsea if he still had the drive of the early days of his career, Mourinho insisted he felt more motivated.

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“If I am in a job it’s because I like to put myself on the line every day,” he told reporters. “I am desperate to win the next match.”

Mourinho said he thought Benfica had deserved more from the game. “We started well, we controlled well. I don’t know if I can say big chances but we had chances for sure.”

Chelsea’s Maresca said he was relieved to secure a win – albeit a scrappy one – after two consecutive defeats in the Premier League and a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich in the his side’s Champions League opener.

“Sometimes you need to learn to win in another way,” he said of Chelsea’s improved defensive performance. “At least we learned how to win a game with a red card.”

Striker Joao Pedro was dismissed for a second yellow card after coming on as a substitute, the third time in four matches that Chelsea have finished with 10 men

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-Reuters

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UEFA Champions League

Osimhen-less Galatasaray crumble miserably at Frankfurt

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Hosts Eintracht Frankfurt scored four times in 29 minutes to bounce back from a goal down and hammer Galatasaray 5-1 in their Champions League opener on Thursday.

The Turkish sides are without their talismanic striker, Victor Osimhen who was injured while on international duty with Nigeria.

The Turks had hit Frankfurt on the break with Yunus Akgun completing the move from a Leroy Sane assist in the eighth minute. Germany international Sane, who joined from Bayern Munich this season, became the only player in Champions League history to play for four or more clubs and score or assist on his debut for each of them.

Frankfurt, competing for only the second time in the Champions League main round, struggled to break through Galatasaray’s defence until a defensive error from Akgun in the 37th. Ritsu Doan pounced, charged into the box and Davinson Sanchez deflected the Japanese winger’s shot in for an own goal.

The hosts took the lead in first-half stoppage time when 19-year-old Turkey international Can Uzun scored a superb goal on his Champions League debut after fine control and a quick turn in the box. The hosts netted again before halftime with Jonathan Burkardt’s well-timed glancing header putting them 3-1 up.

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With the visitors forced to take more risks after the break, Frankfurt found space and Burkardt completed his dream Champions League debut with another header in the 66th for his second goal of the evening. Ansgar Knauff completed the rout in the 75th.

Frankfurt next travel to Atletico Madrid on September 30 when Galatasaray host Liverpool.

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