Highlights
- The UEFA Champions League has consistently showcased intense competition, with certain groups standing out as particularly challenging, earning the title 'Groups of Death'.
- The 2020/21 group with Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Inter Milan saw even a team managed by Antonio Conte finish at the bottom, highlighting the competitiveness of the group.
- Fans will be hoping for more of the same when the Champions League groups are drawn on August 31 ahead of the commencement of the 2023/24 season
The UEFA Champions League, the pinnacle of European club football, has consistently showcased intense competition.
Over the years, certain groups have stood out as particularly challenging, earning the title 'Groups of Death'.
With the 2023/24 Champions League group stage draw set to take place on August 31, join GIVEMESPORT as we dive deep into the ten hardest groups in the competition's history.
10 Goteborg, Barcelona, Manchester United & Galatasary - 1994/95
A group that defied all expectations. Goteborg, against all odds, emerged as the winners, leaving footballing giants like Barcelona and Manchester United in their wake.
The Swedish side's dominance was a refreshing change to the usual format of the Champions League, where the bigger teams always tend to progress to the knockout stage.
Galatasaray, too, had their moments, making this group one of the most competitive in the competition's history.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | IFK Goteborg | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 9 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Galatasary | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 3 |
9 Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, Twente & Werder Bremen - 2010/11
This season is etched in memory primarily because of Gareth Bale's mesmerising performance against Inter Milan.
European champions Inter were the obvious favourites, but Tottenham, with stars like Luka Modric and the aforementioned Bale, announced their European ambitions loudly.
Twente and Werder Bremen, both with their unique strengths, added depth to the group, ensuring there was no easy game on offer.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +7 | 11 |
| 2 | Inter Milan | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 10 |
| 3 | Twente | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -2 | 6 |
| 4 | Werder Bremen | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -6 | 5 |
8 Juventus, Galatasaray, Rosenborg & Athletic Bilbao - 1998/99
This group was a testament to unpredictability. Juventus, despite drawing five out of their six group matches, astonishingly emerged as group leaders, on the same points as 2nd and 3rd place.
The competition was fierce, with Rosenborg and Galatasaray both in their prime, posing significant threats to the other teams.
Athletic Bilbao, having finished above Real Madrid in La Liga the season prior only added to the group's competitive nature.
The dynamics of this group were such that on any given matchday, predicting an outcome was a real hard task.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | +2 | 8 |
| 2 | Galatasary | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Rosenborg | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
| 4 | Atletic Bilbao | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 6 |
7 Arsenal, Lokomotiv Moscow, Inter Milan & Dynamo Kyiv - 2003/04
Another group that was seriously unpredictable saw Group B of the 2003/04 Champions League campaign.
Arsenal, who less than 12 months after the draw was made would go on to become the legendary Invincibles side that didn't lose a game in the Premier League, faced significant challenges in the group stage of the UCL.
Their miraculous recovery, despite starting off poorly, was a testament to their character, and shows just how good the side was at the time.
The group was a blend of top-tier teams like Inter Milan and underdogs like Lokomotiv Moscow, who are traditionally very hard to play against, especially at home, making every match a nail-biter.
Only three points separated Arsenal, who finished the group as winners, and Dynamo Kyiv, who dropped out of the competition at the first proper stage, despite winning 1/3 of their games/
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 10 |
| 2 | Lokomotiv Moscow | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Inter Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 8 |
| 4 | Dynamo Kyiv | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
6 Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, Shakhtar Donetsk & Inter Milan - 2020/21
A group where even a team managed by the tactical genius Antonio Conte finished at the bottom speaks volumes about its competitiveness.
Real Madrid, with their rich Champions League history, faced stiff competition from teams like Borussia Monchengladbach, who played some truly exhilarating football.
As we've covered too, even without fans, Shakhtar Donetsk is an incredibly difficult place to go to, and that was shown through the Ukranian's side performances in the group.
Every team in this group had the potential to spring a surprise, making it a treat for the fans.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 10 |
| 2 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +7 | 8 |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -7 | 8 |
| 4 | Inter Milan | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -2 | 6 |
5 Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Auxerre & PSV
Just like they were the year after, Arsenal found themselves with a difficult group heading into the 2002/03 Champions League campaign.
The group was a football purist's dream, with teams brimming with cult heroes made every match a spectacle.
Borussia Dortmund boasted talents like Tomas Rosicky, who would actually end up at Arsenal, while Auxerre had the likes of Djibril Cisse who would go on to win the Champions League three years later with Liverpool.
PSV, under the guidance of Guus Hiddink, had a blend of experience and youth that made them quite the task to go up against, even for an Arsenal side who'd just won the Premier League the season prior.
The group was so competitive that a mere four points separated the top from the bottom, and is definitely worthy of a spot on this list.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +11 | 10 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 10 |
| 3 | Auxerre | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
| 4 | PSV | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
4 Juventus, Newcastle, Dynamo Kyiv & Feyenoord - 2002/03
Newcastle are back in the Champions League this year, for the first time in two decades, and they'll be hoping for a kinder group than they were given in 2002/03.
21 years ago, The Geordies were placed in a group with Dynamo Kyiv, Feyenoord and Juventus, and managed to progress to the Champions League knockout stage, despite a difficult start.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +9 | 13 |
| 2 | Newcastle | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 9 |
| 3 | Dynamo Kyiv | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 7 |
| 4 | Feyenoord | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 5 |
3 Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Porto & AC Milan - 2021/22
On paper, this group looked like a minefield. Liverpool, however, displayed sheer dominance, accumulating an impressive 18 points, the maximum avaliable.
The quality of teams was undeniable. Atletico Madrid, fresh from a La Liga win, Porto with their recent impressive Champions League runs, and AC Milan, on their way to a Serie A title, made this group one to watch.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Liverpool | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | +11 | 18 |
| 2 | Atletico Madrid | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| 3 | Porto | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -7 | 5 |
| 4 | AC Milan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 4 |
2 Barcelona, Tottenham, Inter Milan & PSV - 2018/19
This group was a showcase of European football's elite.
Barcelona, with the genius of Messi, Tottenham's resilience and energetic style under Pochettino, Conte's tactically brilliant Inter Milan, and a talented PSV side made this group really unpredictable.
Every matchday brought with it the promise of high-quality football, with teams pushing each other to the limit.
Tottenham and Barcelona ended up progressing, with both teams ending up reaching the latter stages of the tournament, with Spurs even getting to the final of Europe's top competition for their first time in the club's history.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +9 | 14 |
| 2 | Tottenham | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
| 3 | Inter Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 8 |
| 4 | PSV | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -7 | 2 |
1 Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Manchester City & Ajax - 2012/13
Labelled as the ultimate 'Group of Death', this group was a footballing spectacle.
The fact that a Manchester City side, boasting of stars like Sergio Aguero and David Silva, two of the best players of the 21st century, finished at the bottom is a testament to the group's quality. Dortmund, Real Madrid, and Ajax, each with their rich footballing history, ensured that this group remained etched in the memories of football fans worldwide, while Man City showed that they were here to stay.
| Pos | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +6 | 14 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | +6 | 11 |
| 3 | Ajax | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -8 | 4 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
The Champions League, with its rich history and competitive nature, has given fans numerous memorable moments.
These ten groups, with their unique dynamics and intense competition, stand out, reminding us of the beauty and unpredictability of football.
As we look forward to this season's Champions League, with the draw on August 31, one can only hope for more such 'Groups of Death', bringing with them unparalleled excitement and drama.