It is a crunch night for both Chelsea and Celtic. The Blues face the distinct possibility of becoming the first side in history to go out in the group stages as defending holders.
Celtic’s destiny looks better but the record of Scottish sides in the Champions League group stages doesn’t fulfil anyone with confidence.
There have been plenty of examples where British sides have left it until the last to ensure progression into the next round, whether that be the unpopular second group phase or straight knockout football.
Simon Wright has gone through the Champions League archives to find some examples of British sides succeeding and failing to make the next hurdle on matchday six.
Vienna triumph for United (season 1996-97)
Rapid Vienna 0-2 Manchester United – Group C – 4 December 1996
Manchester United’s second Champions League campaign was heading in the same direction as their first.
Elimination in the group stages was looking likely, especially after back-to-back home defeats to Fenerbahce and Juventus.
However they did what they had to do in Austria, beating the minnows of the group in Rapid Vienna.
Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona scored the goals on the night to defeat the Austrians and Juventus beat Fenerbahce 2-0 in Turin, to ensure the Red Devils went through into the quarter-finals as Group C runners-up.
Home comforts prevail for Ferguson (season 2000-01)
Manchester United 1-0 Dynamo Kiev – Group G - 8 November 2000
United had reached the promised land in 1998-99 but two seasons later, qualification was once again right in the balance.
Defeats in Anderlecht and Eindhoven meant they needed help from elsewhere to be saved in the competition.
Ferguson’s side came out on top 1-0 winners against Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford and they sneaked through at the expense of PSV, who were beaten 3-2 at home by Anderlecht.
Roy Keane was very critical of the team’s Champions League performances, as they came up short again and were eventually eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Basle brilliance spells the end for Liverpool (season 2002-03)
FC Basle 3-3 Liverpool – Group B – 12 November 2002
Liverpool had made the quarter-finals in their first season back in the main European competition but it was disappointment in their second attempt.
They had to win against FC Basle in Switzerland to progress but some first half brilliance from Christian Gross’s side meant the task became impossible.
Argentine strikers Julio Hernan Rossi and Christian Gimenez found the net inside the first quarter of an hour and when Thimothee Atouba headed in from a Jerzy Dudek fumble in the 29th minute, it became a question of how many the Swiss champions would score.
They did tire in the second half and the Reds produced a sterling fightback.
Danny Murphy, Vladimir Smicer and Michael Owen pulled the scoreline back to 3-3 but Gerard Houllier’s side came up short and it was an early and shock exit for the Reds from the 2002-03 Champions League.
Newcastle back from the brink (season 2002-03)
Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle United – Group E – 13 November 2002
Having lost their first three matches in this group, Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle were right up against it.
Home victories over Juventus and Dynamo Kiev had kept alive their hopes of producing a remarkable turnaround but they needed victory in Rotterdam to complete the recovery.
Feyenoord stormed back from 2-0 down early in the second half, but it was Robson who had the last laugh.
Craig Bellamy scored a dramatic late winner on the cusp of stoppage time, sending the travelling supporters mad.
Newcastle had done it. Just 24 hours after Liverpool’s sorry exit, the Magpies had become the first Champions League side in history to lose their first three games, yet still qualify for the next round.
Job done in the end for Wenger (season 2003-04)
Arsenal 2-0 Lokomotiv Moscow – Group B – 10 December 2003
Arsenal came into their final group game off the back of that remarkable 5-1 victory in the San Siro against Inter Milan.
After picking up just one point from their first three matches, Arsene Wenger’s side had been up against it and were two minutes away from going out before Ashley Cole’s late header beat Dynamo Kiev at Highbury.
The miracle of Milan followed and the job was done with something to spare at home to Lokomotiv.
They needed a point to be sure of progression, but two goals from Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires were enough to see the Gunners end up top of Group B. Crisis, what crisis?
You beauty, what a hit son! (season 2004-05)
Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos – Group A – 8 December 2004
Anfield and European nights have always gone hand-in-hand and Rafa Benitez’s first proper experience of this came at home to Olympiakos.
Liverpool had to win by two clear goals or in the complexity of the regulations, 1-0. That latter option went out of the window before half-time, when Rivaldo scored the first goal ever for Olympiakos on English soil in the Champions League.
So, the Reds needed three goals in 45 minutes to progress. It drew a bold response from the Spanish gaffer.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on at half-time and found the net inside 50 seconds of his arrival.
Another substitute, Neil Mellor smashed in a second with 10 minutes left, before the final word went to Steven Gerrard (pictured).
His smashing strike from the edge of the area sent Andy Gray bonkers with his ‘you beauty, what a hit son,’ commentary and took Liverpool through.
The rest they say is history…the road to Istanbul had just begun.
Rangers blow it (season 2007-08)
Rangers 0-3 Lyon – Group E – 12 December 2007
Rangers were given an almost impossible draw in 2007-08, paired with Barcelona, Lyon and VFB Stuttgart.
However, seven points from three games, including a 0-0 draw with the Catalans at Ibrox left them in a great position.
Victory at home to French champions Lyon would have taken them through but it turned into a nightmare evening.
Sidney Govou opened the scoring but the Scots had chances to level.
Jean-Claude Darcheville missed an open goal from five yards out in the second half and was later sent off for stamping.
Two late strikes from Karim Benzema ended the Rangers dream. After such a great start, they had blown it but still made the UEFA Cup final later in the campaign.
Victory on the night not enough for Mancini (season 2011-12)
Manchester City 2-0 Bayern Munich – Group A – 7 December 2011
Manchester City’s Champions League campaign was a nightmare this season. Last year, they were unlucky to take 10 points from Group A and still be eliminated.
They had to beat Bayern Munich at home, who had already qualified for the last 16.
David Silva and Yaya Toure scored the goals in a 2-0 victory but Villarreal’s shocking side were beaten at home by City’s group rivals Napoli.
The campaign ended on a high for Roberto Mancini but ultimately, it was a disappointing exit from their debut try in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
As you can see from these examples, there has been plenty of drama in the final set of group games for British sides over the years.
Fingers crossed that it all goes well on the night for both Chelsea and Celtic.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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