The UEFA Champions League: where the best of the best battle it out, and sometimes, the underdogs steal the show. If you’re a fan of football—or soccer, for my American friends—you know the thrill of a good upset. And we might be in for another one, with the Schwarzgelbe having an unexpected run in the tournament - we’ll see in just a couple of weeks.

Let’s dive into five of the biggest upsets in recent Champions League history. Buckle up, because these stories are wild.

Dortmund vs. PSG (2023-24 Semifinals)

Let’s start with the freshest shocker on our list. Borussia Dortmund pulled off a jaw-dropping victory against PSG in this year's UCL semifinals. Paris Saint Germain, with their star-studded lineup including Mbappé, were the clear favourites. But Dortmund didn’t read the script.

Their defence was nothing short of heroic, and lady luck was on their side as PSG hit the post more times than I hit snooze on a Monday morning. Mats Hummels, the old warhorse, scored a crucial goal off a corner kick, and the rest was history. PSG fans were left crying into their croissants as Dortmund marched on to the final.

Lyon vs. Manchester City (2019-20 Quarterfinals)

Remember when Lyon made Manchester City look like a Sunday league team? That was fun. In the 2019-20 quarterfinals, Lyon shocked the football world with a 3-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. City, stacked with talent and expectations, was supposed to breeze through.

But Lyon had other plans. They played with grit, determination, and a sprinkle of magic. Moussa Dembélé’s late brace sealed the deal, and City’s dreams of European glory were dashed yet again. Pep was left scratching his bald head, and the football world was reminded that money can’t buy you everything.

Ajax vs. Real Madrid (2018-19 Round of 16)

If you love a good underdog story, Ajax’s 4-1 thrashing of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2019 is a classic. After losing 2-1 at home, nobody gave Ajax much of a chance. But this young team, brimming with talent and fearless energy, stunned the defending champions.

Dusan Tadic danced through Madrid’s defence like it was a Sunday stroll in the park, and before you knew it, Ajax had scored four. Real Madrid, with their galaxy of stars, were left in the dust. It was a masterclass in fearless football and a reminder that youth and vitality can conquer experience and reputation.

Roma vs. FC Barcelona (2017-18 Quarterfinals)

Who could forget Roma’s unbelievable comeback against Barcelona? After losing 4-1 in the first leg, Roma needed a miracle. And they got one. In the return leg at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma played like men possessed.

Edin Džeko opened the scoring early, and the belief started to grow. Daniele De Rossi added a second from the penalty spot, and then Kostas Manolas sent the home crowd into delirium with a header that made it 3-0. Barcelona, one of the most formidable teams in the world, were out. It was football at its most dramatic and a night that will live long in the memory of Roma fans.

Chelsea FC vs. FC Bayern Munich (2011-12 Final)

Alright, this one’s a bit older, but it’s too good to leave out. Chelsea’s victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 final is the stuff of legends. Bayern, playing in their stadium, were the overwhelming favourites. But Chelsea, under interim manager Roberto Di Matteo, had a different idea.

Bayern dominated the game, but Didier Drogba’s late header forced extra time. Petr Čech saved an Arjen Robben penalty, and the match went to a shootout. Drogba, in his final kick for Chelsea, sealed the victory. It was a fairy-tale ending for the Blues and a heartbreaker for Bayern.

So, there you have it—five of the biggest upsets in recent Champions League history. These matches remind us why we love football: for its unpredictability, its drama, and the sheer joy of seeing the underdog triumph.

Got any other epic upsets we missed? Drop them in the comments and let’s relive those shocking moments together. And hey, if you’re feeling inspired, why not check out some classic matches? You never know when the next big upset will happen. Game on!

Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona Starkid has yet again shown his prowess during FC Barcelona's LaLiga 2024-25 encounter against Atletico Madrid last night. 

The 17-year-old Spanish forward scored a winner for Barcelona in the second minute of injury time to hand a crucial three points to the Catalan giants. 

AURA.

17 year-old Lamine Yamal doing things that only legends have done in their prime!

A goal in the added time to hand Barcelona full points against Atletico Madrid! #LamineYamal #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/UiShcXsGCe

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Barcelona proceeded to win the match 4-2 over Atletico, and Lamine was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance throughout the game.

Read Also | Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona LaLiga 2024 - 25 Highlights: Yamal's late goal gives Barcelona full points; ATM 2-4 FCB

However, just as quite a few times before, Lamine Yamal has broken the headlines and is already considered the best footballer in the world by many. 

Lamine Yamal's 11 career goals are now tied for the most by a player before turning 18 years old in LALIGA history 😲

Starboy 🤩 pic.twitter.com/UZUXUPBVI6

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 16, 2025

At the age of 17, Lamine Yamal already holds some prestigious silverware, team achievements, and personal accolades. Compared to the renowned footballers who stormed into the headlines while being at the age of 17, Lamine has been showing immense potential day in and out for FC Barcelona and Spain.

Convincingly, Lamine is frequently compared to the footballers who started to prove their potential at the young age of 17, footballers who went on to be all-time greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Neymar Jr. 

This article delves into the discourse of whether Lamine Yamal is the best 17-year-old footballer ever.

Lamine Yamal: Compared to the greatests of the game

When compared to the greatests to ever grace football, Lamine Yamal possesses some outstanding numbers and accolades than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were aged 17.

According to FOX Sports, here are his stats compared to Messi and Ronaldo's by their age 17 seasons, accounting till March 17, 2025.

Lamine Yamal is DIFFERENT. 🇪🇸⭐️

Here are his stats compared to Messi and Ronaldo's by their age 17 seasons 👀 pic.twitter.com/w5ybqKdIrX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 11, 2025

Lamine Yamal: Achievements so far

So, by the age 17 season, Lamine Yamal has already overtaken Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of stats and importance in the first-team squad for their respective clubs.

Lamine's international career is even more impressive, whereas Messi and Ronaldo both got their national call-ups at the age of 18. On the contrary, Lamine has already won the Euros with Spain at the age of 16, proving himself crucial for the senior Spanish national football team as well. 

Here are Lamine's personal and team achievements in Club football for Barcelona so far:

• LaLiga Champion 2022-23
• Supercopa De Espana Champion 2025
• La Liga U23 Player of the Season 2023-24
• Golden Boy 2024
• Kopa Trophy 2024
• IFFHS World's Best Men's Youth (U20) Player 2024
• Globe Soccer Award Emerging Player 2024

Here are the personal and team achievements of Lamine for Spain:

• UEFA Euro 2024 Champion
• Euro Young Player of the Tournament 2024
• UEFA Euro 2024 top assist provider 2024 (4 assists)
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship top scorer 2023 (4 goals)

Along with the numbers and accolades, Lamine already holds some breathtaking records to his name, which can be felt unbelievable considering his age. 

Here are the major records the Barcelona youngster is currently holding:

There are plenty of other achievements in different awards, and nominations that Lamine has earned by this age.

To add more context, at the age of 17, Neymar Jr. was taking Brazil by storm while playing for Santos; whereas Kylian Mbappe just emerged as a generational talent while playing for Monaco. 

Conclusion

Whenever Lamine Yamal steps onto the pitch, he definitely plays like one of the best footballers in the world. This is no longer an exaggerated claim that Yamal played a crucial role in helping Barcelona reach the Champions League quarterfinals this season.

Lamine has consistently performed at a high level for over a year now. He showcased his talent at the Euros and has made an impact all across Spain. Since February 2024, he has contributed to 45 goals for both club and country. Remember, he is only 17!

His trajectory resembles that of Lionel Messi. However, this doesn't guarantee that he will equal Messi's achievements because football careers are rarely linear and injuries can inflict challenges. Still, it isn't far-fetched to say that he has the potential to enter the club of all-time greats at the oblivion of his career.

Convincingly, Lamine Yamal has already established himself as the best 17-year-old footballer in history. Barcelona fans are seemingly very optimistic about his future and look forward to a remarkable career ahead for this young talent.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Sportz Point. Tonight we will be bringing you live updates of the Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona LaLiga 2024 - 25 match at Metropolitano.

this match probably holds the most important three points in this season's race for the Spanish League Championship. Barcelona Are just one point ahead of Atletico Madrid and a win for them might fix their position at the top of the La Liga table.

Meantime a win for Atletico Madrid would push them to the title race again and force Barcelona to slip down to number three in the points table with Real Madrid staying at the top after their win against Villarreal CF.

This is Koushik Biswas, with all the updates, stats, news and commentary of one of the most important matches of the season for you. Sit back and relax. Enjoy the coverage.

Carabao Cup, formerly known as the EFL Cup, is a 92-team knock-out tournament organised by the English Football League (EFL). Teams from Premier League, and three divisions of the English Football League compete in this tournament.

Although the prize value of the EFL Cup is not that significant compared to tournaments like FA Cup and other, EFL Cup has had it's reputation among football fans since 1961. Here are all the previous winners of the Carabao Cup since the beginning.

Who were the first-ever winners of the Carabao Cup?

Aston Villa were the first-ever champions of the Carabao Cup or the EFL Cup in 1961. They defeated Rotherham United by a 3-2 aggregate after a two-leged final after being down by 0-2 in the first leg. Alan O'Neill, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland were the scorers for Aston Villa.

For the first six seasons, the EFL Cup finals were played in two legs.

Who are the current winners of the Carabao Cup?

Newcastle United defeated defending champions Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium to win their maiden EFL Cup or Carabao Cup title. They defeated Liverpool by 2-1 to clinch their first-ever domestic title since 1955 FA Cup triumph.

Alexander Isak and Dan Burn scored the goals for them.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Also Read: Most Goals in the Premier League for a single club

Which is the most successful team in Carabao Cup history?

Liverpool with 10 EFL trophies, are the most successful team in Carabao Cup history. They won the trophy in 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1994-95, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons.

Most successful teams in Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup history

Most Carabao Cup wins as a player

Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho are the most successful players with three Carabao Cup titles in 2014, 2016, 2018-2021 with Manchester City.

All the past winners of the Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup since 1961

Hello and welcome to another La Liga night. Tonight, we will cover the high-intensity match-up in the La Liga as Villarreal CF will face Real Madrid CF at the El Madrigal Stadium in Villarreal, Spain.

Villarreal CF is currently fifth on the league table. They have accumulated 44 points with 12 wins, eight draws, and six losses from their opening 26 matches. They have a great chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. They suffered a shocking loss against Alaves in their last game and will look to get back to winning ways.

On the other hand, Real Madrid is placed second on the league table. They are level on points (57) with their rivals, FC Barcelona. Los Blancos qualified for the quarterfinals after an intense and controversial matchup against Atletico Madrid and can regain the top spot in the league with a win. The defending champions had an inconsistent run in the league recently, dropping seven points in their last five games.

So, sit back and relax as Swastik Debnath brings you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the Villarreal CF vs Real Madrid CF match from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg has ended, concluding the round with eight teams that have earned their qualification into the Champions League Quarter Finals this season.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarterfinals schedule: Everything you need to know

Paris Saint-Germain stunned Liverpool in the second leg, managing a 1-0 win in the regulation time before knocking the league phase leaders out of the competition following a 4-1 win on penalties.

Barcelona dominated over Benfica, earning a 3-1 victory at home to secure the quarter-final place with a 4-1 aggregate. Bayern Munich also clinched a 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen, advancing to the quarters with a 5-0 cushion across two legs.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid fought till the last minute as Atletico managed a 1-0 win to equalize the tie, but Los Blancos secured a 4-2 victory on penalties to advance to the quarters.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg Round Up

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg Round Up

FC Barcelona 3-1 Benfica (4-1 Agg)

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal led from the front to help FC Barcelona win 3-1 against Benfica in the return leg, accumulating a 4-1 aggregate to progress through to the quarter-finals.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 11th minute, as Otamendi equalized just two minutes later. However, a world-class strike from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha's second goal produced a dominant win for Blaugranas, despite a goalless second half.

Barcelona will take on Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.

Read Also | Barcelona vs Benfica UEFA Champions League 2024-25 RO16 Second Leg Highlights: Barcelona through to quarter-finals with an easy 4-1 win on aggregate

Inter Milan 2-1 Feyenoord (4-1 Agg)

Inter Milan stamped a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Feyenoord at the San Siro, winning the tie on a 4-1 aggregate to advance to the quarter-finals.

Marcus Thuram netted an early goal in the eighth minute, that was canceled out by Jakub Moder, who equalized from the spot in the 42nd minute. However, Hakan Çalhanoğlu fired the winner with a boastful penalty in the 51st minute.

Inter Milan will go against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

Liverpool 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 Agg, 1-4 pens)

Arguably, this tie has produced the most gripping and absorbing footballing actions across two legs in the RO16 this season. After a fighting 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc de Princes, Liverpool crashed out of the UCL 2024-25 following a 1-4 defeat on penalties.

Ousmane Dembele drew the first blood early in the 12th minute, but almost 110 minutes of football afterwards failed to decide a winner, ending the tie on a 1-1 aggregate.

However, Gianluigi Donnarumma became a wall between PSG's sticks in the penalties, saving two penalties of Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to hand PSG the advantage in a nail-biting shootout. Desire Doue netted the winning penalty for PSG, taking them to the quarters. 

Les Parisiens will meet Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.

Read Also | Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 RO16 Second Leg | PSG advances, Liverpool crash out after losing on penalties | FT LIV 0-1 PSG (1-1 AGG, 1-4 pens)

Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Bayern Munich (0-5 Agg)

Bayern Munich had another composed victory over Bayer Leverkusen, beating them 2-0 to progress through the next stage with a commendable 5-0 aggregate.

Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies scored in the 52nd and the 71st minute respectively, leading the German side to the UCL 2024-25 quarter-finals.

Read Also | Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 2nd Leg: Bayern secures their spot in the quarter-finals | LEV 0-2 BAY (Agg. BAY 5-0 LEV)

Lille OSC 1-2 Borussia Dortmund (2-3 Agg)

Borussia Dortmund pulled off a sensational comeback against Lille OSC in the second leg, winning 2-1 against the French side to qualify for the quarters with a 3-2 aggregate.

Jonathan David opened the account for Lille only 5 minutes into the game, as the first half ended with Lille leading 2-1 in the tie. However, Emre Can converted the spotkick in the 54th minute to equalize the game, as Maxilmilian Beier netted a sublime curler in the 65th minute to hand Dortmund a comeback victory.

Dortmund will lock horns against FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

Read Also | Lille OSC vs Borussia Dortmund Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 RO16 Second Leg | Dortmund wins a thrilling contest with a second-half comeback; advances to the quarters | FT LIL 1-2 BVB (AGG 2-3)

Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 Agg)

Aston Villa earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over ten-men Club Brugge in the second leg to enter the quarters with a 6-1 score on aggregate.

After a goalless first half, Marco Asensio scored a brace in the 50th and 61st minute respectively, accompanied by Ian Maatsen who found the back of the net in the 57th minute. 

Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.

Read Also | Aston Villa vs Club Brugge UEFA Champions League 2024-25 RO16 Second Leg Highlights: Villa to face PSG in quarters after a 3-0 win (6-1 agg)

Arsenal 2-2 PSV Eindhoven (9-3 Agg)

After producing a 7-1 crushing in the first leg, Arsenal shared the spoils in a 2-2 stalemate with PSV in the return leg. Despite the draw, Arsenal are through to the quarters with a massive 9-3 win on aggregate.

Oleksandr Zinchenko scored early in the sixth minute of the game. However, Ivan Perisic equalized in the 18th minute for the visiting side. Declan Rice netted a banger in the 37th minute, but PSV pulled off another equalizing goal in the 70th minute as Couhaib Driouech scored in his first UCL start.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw, as Arsenal progressed onto the quarters, where they will go against the defending champions Real Madrid.

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid (2-2 Agg, 2-4 pens)

The Madrid Derby in the return leg gifted another spectacular game of football. Atletico madrid levelled the tie with a 1-0 win after 120 minutes, but Real Madrid emerged victorious on penalties, winning 4-2 to march onto the quarters.

Atletico midfielder Connor Gallagher scored only 30 seconds after the kickoff, but both teams failed to find the net in the remaining minutes, leading the tie to a 2-2 aggregate.

However, Julian Alvarez's spotkick in the shootout was canceled for an apparent double touch. Atletico fell behind, but Real Madrid's fourth penalty, taken by Lucas Vanquez, was denied by Jan Oblak.

Following that, Marcos Llorente had a chance to pull Atletico back in the game, but he hit the woodwork under pressure. Antonio Rugider netted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Los Blancos will face Arsneal in the quarters.

Read Also | Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid CF Highlights UEFA Champions League RO16 Second Leg: Real Madrid secures their spot in the quarterfinals after defeating Atletico on the penalties | ATM 1(2)-(4)0 RMA (AGG. RMA 2-2 ATM)