It is a fact that the history of the UEFA Champions League, both before its current format and today, is inconceivable without the participation of Real Madrid. The argument is simple, as it is, quite simply, the most successful club in the 67-year history of this tournament. However,los Blancoshave also starred dark episodes on this great stage.
So far, the Merengues have won 13 editions of the Champions League. In fact, this love story began in the first editions, since the first five times this tournament was played, the champion’s trophy ended up in Real Madrid’s trophy cabinets, passages that fed the legends of Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Paco Gento, among others.
In fact, the last great era of absolute domination in Champions League was also starred by Real Madrid, when in the World Cup period (four years) from 2014 to 2018, they won 4 of the five editions played, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos as the leaders of that cult team of Carlo Ancelotti and, above all, Zinedine Zidane.
Real Madrid’s recent dark episodes in the Champions League at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
However, it is not that there has never been no suffering in Real Madrid’s Champions League journey. In fact, there are some passages that I would like to forget because they simply do not go according to the greatness of its history.
Since the change of format to what is now the Champions League tournament, i.e. from the 1992-1993 season onwards, Los Merengues have suffered resounding defeats at home. All of them with the common denominator of having conceded more than 3 goals to the general weeping of the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea – Champions League 2021-2022
April 12, 2022.In the Quarter Finals, the team coached by Carlo Ancelotti was defeated 3-2 in front of its fans at the Santiago Bernabeu. It looked like a horror story for Madrid with goals from Mount, Rudiger and Werner, but Rodrygo and the historic Karim Benzema came up with their goals to see their team eliminated despite the defeat.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea, Champions League. (DAX Images/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax – Champions League 2018-2019
March 5, 2019. One of the greatest sins of Argentinean coach Santiago Solari during his tenure at Real Madrid was the constant humiliations at the Santiago Bernabeu. The most painful of these was in the Champions League Round of 16 against Ajax. The final result was a 4-1 defeat in the Spanish capital and elimination from the tournament due to the goals of Ziyech, Neres, Tadic, and Schone.
Real Madrid vs Ajax, Champions League. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Real Madrid 0-3 CSKA Moscow – Champions League 2018-2019
December 12, 2018. Again in the 2018-2019 edition and again under the orders of Santiago Solari. Real Madrid was thrashed 3-0 by CSKA Moscow at the Santiago Bernabeu in a group stage match. Chalov, Shchennikov, and Sigurdssonwere Madrid’s executioners.
Real Madrid vs CSKA Moscow, Champions League. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Real Madrid 1-3 Juventus – Champions League 2017-2018
April 11, 2018. Fortunately for Zinedine Zidane, this hard loss at the Santiago Bernabeu was not tattooed in the memory of his fans, because despite it, Real Madrid advanced to the Semifinals and then to the final, where they defeated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to win their last Champions League so far.
Real Madrid vs Juventus, Champions League. (Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images)
Real Madrid 3-4 Schalke 04 – Champions League 2014-2015
March 10, 2015.The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium experienced a real shake-up in that Champions League Round of 16 match. With Ancelotti on the bench, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema looked to have turned the game around with their goals, but Leroy Sane and Klaas Jan Huntelaar brought Los Merengues to their knees. Even so, the Spanish team advanced to the Quarterfinals, although they would end up losing in the semifinals to Juventus.
Real Madrid vs Schalke 04, Champions League. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan – Champions League 2009 – 2010
October21, 2009.Those were dark times for Real Madrid in the Champions League. The team simply could not find a way to reach a throne that had hosted it 9 times before. In a duel of giants, against AC Milan, the team led by Manuel Pellegrini lost at home with a brace from Alexandre Patoy and another goal from Andrea Pirlo. For Los Blancos, Raul and Dutchman Royston Drenthe were the scorers.
Real Madrid vs AC Milan, Champions League. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
see also
UEFA Champions League bracket and results: The road to the 2021-22 UCL final
