The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League semi-finals will take some topping after two of the highest scoring and most dramatic two-legged ties that the competition has ever seen took place this week, as Liverpool and Real Madrid booked their place in this month’s final.
The Reds secured a 5-3 aggregate victory over Villarreal on Tuesday night, while the Galacticos produced a stunning comeback to defeat Manchester City 6-5 over two legs, as a rematch of the 2018 final is set to take place.
Ahead of the Stade de France showdown on May 28, Mirror Sport takes a look at who has won the most Champions League trophies in the competition’s history.
Most titles - Real Madrid (13)
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the Champions League with a remarkable 13 titles to their name, and Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be aiming for a record 14th when they face Liverpool in Saint-Denis, Paris at the end of this month.
The Galacticos won the first five editions of the competition between 1956-60, when it was known as the European Cup, before adding a sixth to their collection in 1966. Despite a 32-year wait for their next, they won three in the space of five years in 1998, 2000 and 2002, before adding four more in five seasons in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Their last victory in 2018 came against this year’s finalists, Liverpool, in a 3-1 victory in Kiev, Ukraine, and they will be hoping to repeat history once again in this year’s edition. Real have also finished as runners-up on three occasions, in 1962, 1964 and 1981, of which the latter was also against the Reds, in a 1-0 defeat.
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Seven titles - AC Milan
Italian giants AC Milan are the team with the second most Champions League titles to their name, having won the competition on seven occasions, and have competed in a total of 11 finals in the competition.
The Rossoneri lifted the famous trophy in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2007, while they also finished as runners-up in 1958, 1993, 1995 and 2005. They reached the final on three successive occasions between 1993-95, before appearing another three times in five years between 2003-2007.
Milan’s last victory came in 2007, when they got revenge on Liverpool for their 2005 defeat with a 2-1 win over the Reds at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece just two years later. Despite returning to the competition for the first time in eight years, the Italians finished bottom of their group in this season’s edition.
Six titles - Bayern Munich, Liverpool
German champions Bayern Munich and this year’s finalists Liverpool have won the third most titles with six each to their names, but have never met each other at this stage of the competition. Liverpool can draw level with AC Milan with the second most titles should they beat Real Madrid this month.
Bayern’s first three titles all came in consecutive fashion between 1974-76, before adding another three in 2001, 2013 and 2020, with the latter coming in a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon, Portugal two-years ago. They have also been runners-up in 1982, 1987, 1999, 2010 and 2012.
Liverpool are the most successful English side in the competition with six titles, and have just made their third final appearance in five years. The Reds first won the Champions League back in 1977, before adding another five in 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019, where they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in Madrid. They were runners-up in 1985, 2007 and 2018.
Five titles - Barcelona
Barcelona may have had a fall from grace of late but they are still one of the most successful and decorated clubs in European football, having won this competition on five occasions and featuring in a further three finals.
The La Liga outfit didn’t win their first title until 1992, but soon recorded four more in the space of 10 years with victories in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015, while there were also runners-up appearances in 1961, 1986 and 1994.
Their last victory came seven years ago, when they comfortably defeated Italian side Juventus 3-1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany to lift their fifth crown. Since then, they have reached the semi-finals on just one occasion, in 2019.
Four titles - Ajax
Dutch side Ajax may surprise a few to be this high on the list, having not won a title for almost 30 years, but they have still managed to lift the trophy on four occasions, with their first three coming in consecutive years. The Eredivisie side were victorious in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1995.
Their triumph in 1995 came courtesy of a 1-0 victory over AC Milan in Vienna, Austria thanks to an 85th minute strike from Patrick Kluivert. They also finished as runners-up in 1969 and 1996, where they lost 4-2 to Juventus on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Since their last final appearance, Ajax have reached the semi-finals twice, in 1997 and most recently 2019, when they lost to Tottenham on away goals.. Erik ten Hag’s side topped their group this season, before crashing out in the last 16 to Benfica.
Three titles - Manchester United, Inter Milan
Manchester United and Serie A side Inter Milan are next on the list with three titles each, although each side has one just once in the past two decades, following a fall from grace from both sides in the past 10 years.
The Red Devils secured their first title in 1968, before adding another two in 1999 and 2008. Their latest victory came 14 years ago, when they defeated Chelsea 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Moscow, Russia. They finished as runners-up in 2009 and 2011, where they lost to Barcelona on both occasions.
Inter Milan have won the Champions League more recently, however, which came in a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in 2010, which followed up two other triumphs in consecutive years in 1964 and 1965. They have also been runners-up on two occasions, in 1967 and 1972.
Best of the rest
Two titles - Juventus (1985, 1996), Benfica (1961, 1962), Chelsea (2012, 2021), Nottingham Forest (1979, 1980), Porto (1987, 2004)
One title - Celtic (1967), Hamburger SV (1983), Steaua București (1986), Marseille (1993), Borussia Dortmund (1997), Feyenoord (1970), Aston Villa (1982), PSV Eindhoven (1988), Red Star Belgrade (1991)
