The Champions League group stage is over and while 16 teams have found their way to the next round, there are a handful of clubs that will have to deal with the bitter taste of defeat. Many had hoped for long Champs League journeys this season but instead are going to be ranked on our list of the most disappointing teams from the tournament. Olympiacos, Roma, and Athletic Club all suffered tough exits, but no team was more disappointing than Liverpool after they bowed out with a brutal draw to Basel. Here’s a look at our list:
Liverpool
Liverpool went in to the group stage understanding that a win would be enough to send them through to the Round of 16. That’s all they needed. And it seemed quite possible when they glanced at the schedule and saw a seemingly favorable match up against Basel. After all, no Swiss team is exactly a soccer power house. However, Liverpool was down to the task as they fell behind early on and couldn’t battle back to secure the necessary three points to remain alive. The Reds got some life when Steven Gerrard scored a beautiful free kick, which was the 100th of his career at Anfield, but it was ultimately too little, too late.
Liverpool’s letting another excellent opportunity slide away was another example of how disappointing this club has been both in Europe and at home in the Premier League. Considering their listless loss to Manchester United, things could end up getting worse before they get better. That includes a possible managerial change.
Athletic Club
Another team that really disappointed in the Champions League is the Athletic Club, which lost three of its six games to finish two points back of Shakhtar Donetsk for the second spot in Group H. Perhaps what was the most disappointing about their failure to reach the Round of 16 was the fact that Athletic Club actually posted a 1-1-0 record against Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage but suffered a stunning loss to BATE and dropped back-to-back games versus Porto by a combined 4-1 score to ensure they would not advance. Fans and bettors were puzzled at the fact that they were able to go toe-to-toe with the best team in the group but were unable to do anything of substance against the worst.
Roma
Roma’s Champions League disappointment wasn’t completely unexpected as they played in the same group as Bayern Munich and Manchester City. They were dealt a tough hand. But considering they opened with a 5-1 win over CSKA Moscow and then a 1-1 draw against City, their fans saw a way for them to make through.
After securing four points through the first two games, Roma dropped back-to-back losses to Bayern by a combined 9-1 score and even after that they still had a chance to advance following a 1-1 draw against Moscow. Their Champions League hopes came down to a match against Manchester City in which a 2-0 loss sealed their fate and sent the Premier League side in the second spot instead.
Olympiacos
Capping off our list of the most disappointing Champions League teams in 2014 is Olympiacos, which just barely missed out on the Round of 16 by one point despite opening the group stage with a 3-2 win over the eventual Group A winners Atletico Madrid. Olympiacos followed that victory up with a startling 2-0 loss to Malmo but then rallied for a 1-0 win over Juventus and was in control of its own destiny heading in to the second set of games. That changed in a hurry, though, as Olympiacos suffered disheartening back-to-back losses to Juventus and Atletico by a combined 7-2 score. That did more than just take the wind out of their sales as it effectively sealed their tournament fate. It wasn’t so much heavy expectations as it was a strong start that set the bar high for Olympiacos and after falling apart they have to be considered among the biggest Champions League disappointments.
