The Champions League final is here. Remember all the winners in the 21st century

In the football world, except perhaps for the World Cup final, a more sacred day. This time, the Champions League final will see Manchester City clash with Inter Milan. How have all the final matches gone in the 21st century?

Real Madrid – Valencia 3: 0
1999-00

21. the century started with the Spanish final. As such, it was a harbinger that it would be the Spanish teams that would reign supreme in the Champions League for the next two decades.

In Paris, Real Madrid and Valencia faced off, a thrilling final between the then two bitter rivals promised to be a thrilling spectacle that eventually turned into a fairly uneventful affair. Morientes opened the scoring in the 39th minute, McManaman added a second goal in the 67th minute and Raúl González added an insurance goal in the 75th minute.

Bayern – Valencia 1::1, 5::4 after penalties
2000-01

Valencia went through to the final again a year later, this time facing Bayern Munich. However, they didn’t even beat the German giant at the San Siro. Back then in Milan, the fans saw goals only from penalties.

The first one was converted in the third minute by Mendieta, sending Valencia into the lead. Effenberg also replied from a penalty in the 50th minute. The game eventually came down to penalties, where two Bayern players failed to convert their attempts, but the Bats were unsuccessful with three shooters and Munich were able to celebrate.

Real Madrid – Bayer Leverkusen 2::1
2001-02

A final that saw one of the finest goals in the Champions League. Raúl sent Real into the lead in the eighth minute, to which Lucius replied in the 14th minute.

But in the 45th minute, Roberto Carlos sent a high curve into the box, which Zinedine Zidane slammed into with his left foot and won Real the Champions League with a fantastic volley.

Inter Milan – Juventus 0::0, 3::2 after penalties
2002-03

The only final in the 21st century in which we didn’t see a goal from play and ended in a goalless draw. And somewhat symbolically, it was the final of two Italian teams famous for their “Catenaccio”.

Trezeguet, Zalayeta and Montero failed to score penalties for Juventus, while AC’s Shevchenko scored the winning penalty.

Porto – Monaco 3::0
2003-04

Absolutely unexpected final between two outsiders. Porto managed to knock out Manchester United with Sir Alex Ferguson in the play-offs, Monaco knocked out Real Madrid.

The Portuguese team was led by a confident young coach named José Mourinho and after goals from Carlos Alberto, Deco and Alenichev, he led them to a sensational Champions League victory.

Liverpool – Milan 3: 3, 3: 2 after penalties
2004-05

One of the most memorable finals in history with a strong Czech footprint. Maldini opened the scoring in the first minute, Crespo added two more goals before half-time and AC Milan went into the booths with a 3:0 scoreline and it seemed to be over.

But Liverpool didn’t give up. In the 54th minute Gerrard gave hope and in the 56th minute Vladimir Smicer reduced it to 2: 3 with a shot. At that moment, the Reds players were drenched in water, while the AC players were scalded. Xabi Alonso made a great comeback in the 61st minute.

The pressure from the unchecked lead was also on the Milan players in the penalty shootout. Serginho and Pirlo missed, Hamman and Cissé missed and Liverpool led 2:0. When Tomasson converted, Riise didn’t and Kaká did, it was 2:2 and Smicer had to score. Dudka didn’t flinch though, and after Shevchenko’s missed penalty Liverpool could celebrate.

Barcelona – Arsenal 2::1
2005-06

The first Spanish-English final in the 21st century, which we saw four more times afterwards. In the final in Paris, Campbell sent Arsenal into the lead in the first half and for a long time it looked like the Gunners might take home the trophy.

But then came the four-minute death. In the 76th minute Eto’o equalised, four minutes later Belletti added Barcelona’s second goal and all hope was over.

AC Milan – Liverpool 2::1
2006-07

A replay of the historic 2005 final. AC Milan got their revenge when Inzaghi scored twice. Kuyt was the only one to score for the Reds.

Manchester United – Chelsea 1::1, 6::5
2007-08

An English final that was very tense at the time. In the 26th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo pounced on a centre and headed home to open the scoring. But in the 45th minute, Frank Lampard equalised at 1-1.

The game eventually came down to penalties, with the first four scorers converting. Then it was Ronaldo’s turn, but he was saved by Petr Čech in goal. The penalties came down to the fifth series, where John Terry had the last penalty – all he had to do was convert it and the Blues could celebrate the first Champions League in their history. But he slipped up and the rest is history.

Inter Milan – Bayern Munich 2::0
2009-10

José Mourinho’s second triumph. The Portuguese coach defied all expectations with his typical “concrete” to get past Chelsea, CSKA and Barcelona and in the final Inter beat Bayern thanks to two goals from Milito.

Barcelona – Manchester United 3::1
2010-11

A great final between two great teams in a great stadium at Wembley. Pedro opened the scoring in the 27th minute and Wayne Rooney equalised in the 34th minute.

But Barcelona scored in the second half through Lionel Messi and David Villa and the Catalans won 3-1.

Bayern – Chelsea 1::1, 3::4 after penalties
2011-12

A final at the home Allianz Arena with a Bayern superteam, they couldn’t have asked for anything better in Bavaria. Especially when Chelsea, who were outsiders when Roberto di Matteo took over mid-season, reached the final.

In a match at a raging Allianz Arena, Bayern had a huge advantage and plenty of chances, but a fantastic performance was put in by Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal. It wasn’t until the 83rd minute that Thomas Müller was able to turn the superiority into a goal, only for Didier Drogba to equalise five minutes later.

The match finally came down to penalties, where Mata missed the first series, but after that the Blues players were hitting accurately, while Olic and Schweinsteiger missed and there was a huge sadness in Munich.

Bayern – Dortmund 2::1
2012-13

The German final, in which Bayern reached the final again after a year. Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring in the 60th minute, only eight minutes later Ilkay Gündogan equalised from the penalty spot.

With the game heading into extra time, Arjen Robben cut his way inside the whitewash in the 89th minute and fired Bayern to victory.

Real Madrid – Atlético Madrid 4::1 after extra time
2013-14

City derby in the Champions League final. Atlético took the lead after a Casillas error and a Godín goal in the 36th minute.

Real pushed and pushed but couldn’t find a way to score the equaliser. Neither Ronaldo, Bale or Benzema could get through. It wasn’t until 92:48 that Sergio Ramos pounced on a Modric corner to send the game into extra time.

In this game, Real destroyed the morally and physically exhausted Atlético, with Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo scoring.

Barcelona – Juventus 3::1
2014-15

Barcelona brought the MSN trio of Messi-Suárez-Neymar to the final in Berlin. Juventus also had an excellent squad. Rakitic opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but Morata equalised in the 55th minute.

Thirteen minutes later, however, Barcelona took the lead again when Suárez scored and Neymar added the insurance in the 97th minute.

Real Madrid – Atlético Madrid 1::1, 5::3 after penalties
2015-16

After two years, there was a replay of the Madrid derby in the Champions League final. Sergio Ramos scored again, but this time he opened the scoring. Yannick Carrasco replied and it went to extra time.

No goal was scored and it was a penalty shootout. While on the Real Madrid side all the scorers converted, Juanfran sent the ball into the bar in the fourth series and the decisive penalty was converted by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid – Juventus 4::1
2016-17

One of Real Madrid’s best seasons ever. Madrid won La Liga in an amazing way, rolling all opponents, moreover, the squad was so wide that Zinedine Zidane had an “A” and “B” team and sent substitutes around Isco, James Rodriguez, Marco Asensio or Morata to the weaker matches.

Moreover, Real were on the verge of a huge milestone. No team in the history of the Champions League had ever defended the trophy. Los Blancos, however, sovereignly claimed that record in their win over Juventus, in which they showed complete dominance.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 20th minute and Mandzukic replied seven minutes later. But in the second half, Casemiro and Ronaldo scored again within three minutes, with Asensio adding the final touch to make it 4-1.

Real Madrid – Liverpool 3::1
2017-18

Welcome the golden hat-trick! If nobody had managed to defend the Champions League until then, Real did it twice in a row.

But the 2018 Kiev final will forever be remembered as Loris Karius’ black day. The Liverpool goalkeeper made two huge blunders, first hitting Benzema’s foot during a throw-in, then failing to hold Bale’s shot in the middle of the goal. The Welshman also flashed a magnificent scissor kick.

Liverpool – Tottenham 2::0
2018-19

Rated by fans as one of the most boring finals in years. Not to be, all the drama was taken out of the semi-finals by the players of both teams as they heroically turned the games against Barcelona and Ajax.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring from a penalty in the second minute, but nothing happened for a long time after that. The match was more or less without chances, it did not abound in attractiveness. It was only in the 87th minute that Origi added an insurance goal, Liverpool only needed three shots on target to score 2 goals.

Bayern – PSG 1::0
2019-20

A Covid final played in front of empty stands. Once again a very tactical duel, which was decided for Bayern in the 60th minute by the offspring of the Parisian team, Kingsley Coman.

Chelsea – Manchester City 1::0
2020-21

The third purely English Champions League final in the 21st century. While twice the London team fell short, for the third time the trophy was heading to the capital.

The Citizens were clear favourites. But Pep Guardiola wanted to surprise his opponents and come up with a brilliant move, until he opted to play without a striker and without a defensive midfielder, and it came back to haunt Manchester. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game.

Real Madrid – Liverpool 1::0
2021-22

For the third time in a row, the final ended 1: 0. After four years, we saw a replay from Kiev between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

But the Reds didn’t get their revenge and it was mainly because of one name – Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper on loan at Real Madrid put in a superhuman performance, saving several Liverpool chances. The only goal was scored by Vinicius Junior.

Source: UEFA