Season review

Season review 

2014/15

Contents 

UEFA President’s message..................................................... 2 

Social responsibility................................................................... 4 

Technical report 

Event report 

Introduction.................................................................. 8 

Berlin bound................................................................ 10 

The final: Brilliant Barça.............................................. 18 

The winning coach: Luis Enrique............................... 23 

Technical topics.......................................................... 24 

Passing......................................................................... 32 

Goalscoring analysis................................................... 34 

The best goals............................................................. 38 

Making the breakthrough.......................................... 43 

Attempts on goal........................................................ 44 

Crossing........................................................................ 45 

Talking points.............................................................. 46 

Distance covered........................................................ 49 

Corners......................................................................... 50 

Possession................................................................... 52 

Discipline...................................................................... 54 

All-star squad............................................................... 56 

Results and tables....................................................... 58 

Team profiles............................................................... 60 

Brand............................................................................ 96 

Sponsors...................................................................... 98 

Official suppliers: adidas and HTC...........................102 

Berlin puts on a show................................................104 

UEFA Champions Festival.........................................106 

Picture perfect...........................................................108 

Infographic: Centre stage.........................................110 

Broadcast network....................................................112 

Media rights...............................................................114 

TV Production............................................................116 

Communications......................................................118 

Legendary moments................................................120 

UEFA Women’s Champions League........................122 

UEFA Youth League...................................................124 

2015/16: Return to Milan........................................126 

Roll of honour............................................................128 

1

UEFA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

Unforgettable 

moments 

The 60th season of what is now the UEFA 

Champions League provided another series 

of inspiring, dramatic and unforgettable 

moments. Neymar’s injury-time clincher for 

FC Barcelona helped them secure a fifth title 

against Juventus in the fitting and historic 

setting of Berlin’s Olympiastadion. 

Congratulations to Luis Enrique and his side, 

who played a thrilling brand of football that 

yielded 31 goals, and brought a smile to the 

faces of many millions of football fans across 

Europe. Barcelona made history by becoming 

the first side to claim the treble for the second 

time, and there is no doubt that they did it 

with style. Of course it is also appropriate to 

commend runners-up Juventus, who played 

their part in a scintillating campaign over 

several rounds that served to re-emphasise 

the UEFA Champions League as the benchmark 

for club competitions around the world. 

Eighteen of UEFA’s member associations were 

represented among the 32 entrants to the 

group stage, which shows that the elite level 

of European football touches all corners of 

our continent and is helping to develop our 

beautiful game in the process. So well done to 

Barcelona, but also to all of the clubs that took 

part – from the very first qualifying matches 

on 1 July 2014 to the moment Xavi Hernández 

collected the trophy in Germany more than 

11 months later. 

“Congratulations to 

Barcelona, who played a 

thrilling brand of football” 

There can only be one club with its name 

engraved on the silverware, but the experiences 

of supporters, players and staff have once again 

combined to ensure that the competition is 

as absorbing as it is unpredictable. Let us not 

forget that since the change of format in 

1992/93, no club has defended their crown. 

In this review of the season, we study the 

tactical trends and talking points in the 

technical report, recognising that football is 

an ever-evolving sport. This is accompanied 

by an event report that reviews the marketing, 

broadcasting and organisational aspects that 

all dovetailed to contribute to a successful year 

in the competition. We hope you enjoy it. 

Michel Platini 

UEFA President 

2 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15

“Football contributes 

to society beyond the 

boundaries of the pitch” 

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 

Hand in 

hand 

The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League was a showcase 

for diversity and inclusion as well as great football 

Clarence Seedorf, UEFA’s global ambassador for diversity 

and change 

The No to Racism campaign took centre stage 

on matchday three 

Tolerance and inclusivity were among the key 

messages as UEFA’s social programmes were 

given due prominence during the 2014/15 

UEFA Champions League season. 

Football’s role in promoting tolerance and 

diversity on the pitch, in the stands and in society 

as a whole was highlighted in the No to Racism 

campaign. Among other notable events, the 

newly formed UEFA Foundation for Children 

invited more than 100 children to attend the 

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa 

League finals, and two players from the 2014 

UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year presented a 

UEFA donation to the International Committee 

of the Red Cross (ICRC) to contribute to the 

physical rehabilitation programme for landmine 

victims in Afghanistan. 

UEFA’s dedication to education on matters 

of diversity was underlined in the course of the 

season by the appointment of four-time UEFA 

Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf 

as global ambassador for diversity and change. 

“I am really honoured to be part of this whole 

project,” said the former Netherlands 

international at his unveiling in Amsterdam 

in December 2014. “After I spoke with the 

[UEFA] President, I felt his passion, and his 

ideas were very convincing. The leadership 

that UEFA is showing says a lot about where 

we want to go, and I am sure that together we 

can gather enough people to create a great 

and positive movement.” 

UEFA’s No to Racism message was amplified 

most in the competition during matchday 

three, as part of the FARE network Football 

People action weeks. As well as the on-pitch 

messaging, an estimated audience in excess 

of 180 million were exposed to the television 

spot, in which some of the most popular players 

in the competition joined forces to add weight 

to the campaign. 

Inclusivity was a theme throughout the season. 

UEFA held the Respect Diversity conference in 

Rome in September 2014 to focus on using 

football as a vehicle for change. Over 200 

delegates attended to hear and discuss 

examples of good practice and to exchange 

experiences. Meanwhile, the innovative Captains 

of Change programme and the pioneering 

Women in Football Leadership Programme both 

actively sought to develop equality in the game. 

Sport’s ability to make a difference in society 

was best underlined by the inauguration in 

May 2015 of the UEFA Foundation for Children, 

which will have an impact beyond Europe’s 

borders. Chaired by former European 

Commission president José Manuel Barroso, 

the organisation will provide support primarily 

in the areas of health, education, access to 

sport, personal development, integration and 

the defence of the rights of the child. Initial 

projects include support of the Za’atari refugee 

camp in Jordan and the Just Play programme 

in the Pacific Islands. 

Also in Berlin, UEFA’s Respect Your Health 

campaign promoted the no-smoking policy 

at the UEFA Champions League final, while 

the Access for All project – in partnership with 

CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) 

– ensured access to the Olympiastadion for 

disabled supporters. 

Football has also been giving back to society in 

the immediate term. The fruitful relationship 

between UEFA and the ICRC was celebrated in 

Madrid in March when Cristiano Ronaldo and 

Toni Kroos handed over a donation of 

€100,000 on UEFA’s behalf, having been voted 

by fans as members of the UEFA.com users’ 

Team of the Year. The funds support a 

rehabilitation programme in Kabul to help 

reintegrate landmine victims into society 

through football. “The UEFA-ICRC partnership 

has been running for more than 15 years now, 

and we want this to develop, showing that 

football contributes to society beyond the 

boundaries of the pitch, and will continue to 

do so,” said the UEFA President, Michel Platini. 

The skills on show in UEFA’s competitions 

continue to captivate fans across the world, 

but with the work done off the pitch, UEFA is 

showing that the game can make an impact 

that lasts well beyond the final whistle. 

4 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 RESPECT 

5

Technical 

report

INTRODUCTION 

Group A 

Group B 

Analysis and debate 

UEFA’s technical observers 

met in Berlin to discuss the 

key trends and talking points 

from an enthralling season 

Malmö FF 

(MAL) 

Olympiacos FC 

(OLY) 

Club Atlético 

de Madrid 

(ATL) 

Juventus 

(JUV) 

FC Basel 1893 

(BSL) 

Liverpool FC 

(LIV) 

PFC Ludogorets 

Razgrad 

(LUD) 

Real Madrid CF 

(RM) 

This review of the 2014/15 UEFA Champions 

League combines the annual technical report, 

which has been published for the last 16 

seasons, with all the commercial, marketing, 

financial and broadcasting aspects. Alongside 

the quality of the entertainment provided on 

the field of play, these are essential components 

of a club competition that continues to set 

benchmarking values in the European and global 

footballing markets. 

As usual, the technical report sets out to provide 

a permanent record of the 125 matches played 

during the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League 

season, and to present factual and statistical 

information in a reader-friendly format. The 

focus in this report is to provide an overview 

based on the presentation and interpretation 

of factual evidence, blended with the input from 

the team of UEFA technical observers who 

attended the knockout matches, culminating 

in the final in Berlin. The team of observers – 

captained by UEFA’s chief technical officer, 

Ioan Lupescu – also comprised Jean-François 

Domergue (France), Dušan Fitzel (Czech 

Republic), Roy Hodgson (England), Stefan 

Majewski (Poland), Ginés Meléndez (Spain), 

Paris players swarm around Andrés Iniesta 

Mixu Paatelainen (Finland), Peter Rudbæk 

(Denmark), Willi Ruttensteiner (Austria), Dany 

Ryser (Switzerland), Thomas Schaaf (Germany), 

Ghenadie Scurtul (Moldova), Gareth Southgate 

(England) and Dušan Tittel (Slovakia). 

The objective of the technical report is to 

provoke analysis, reflections and debate, and 

thereby give technicians food for thought. By 

highlighting tendencies and trends at the peak 

of professional club football, we can also provide 

development coaches with information that can 

help bring out the qualities needed by the 

players and coaches who will play leading roles 

in shaping the UEFA Champions League of the 

future. Similarly, the other sections of this 

season review set out to provide a permanent 

record of the season’s achievements and, at 

the same time, to sow the seeds for sustained 

efforts to continually improve the world’s most 

prestigious club competition. 

Group C 

FC Zenit 

(ZEN) 

Group E 

Manchester 

City FC 

(MC) 

AS Monaco FC 

(MON) 

AS Roma 

(ROM) 

Bayer 04 

Leverkusen 

(LEV) 

PFC CSKA 

Moskva 

(CSKA) 

SL Benfica 

(BEN) 

FC Bayern 

München 

(BAY) 

Group D 

Arsenal FC 

(ARS) 

Group F 

Paris 

Saint-Germain 

(PSG) 

Galatasaray AŞ 

(GAL) 

FC Barcelona 

(BAR) 

RSC Anderlecht 

(AND) 

APOEL FC 

(APO) 

Borussia 

Dortmund 

(DOR) 

AFC Ajax 

(AJX) 

Group G 

Group H 

Sporting Clube 

de Portugal 

(SPO) 

Chelsea FC 

(CHL) 

FC Schalke 04 

(SCH) 

NK Maribor 

(MRB) 

FC Shakhtar 

Donetsk 

(SHK) 

FC Porto 

(POR) 

FC BATE Borisov 

(BATE) 

Athletic Club 

(ATH) 

The UEFA technical observers’ group in Berlin (from left to right): Jean-François Domergue, Mixu Paatelainen, Ginés Meléndez, 

Ioan Lupescu, Thomas Schaaf and Frank Ludolph 

UEFA coaching ambassador and technical assessor 

Sir Alex Ferguson contributed to the debate 

The above abbreviations are used in place of club names on pages 60–93. 

8 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 

INTRODUCTION 

9

COMPETITION OVERVIEW 

Berlin 

bound 

High-scoring Barcelona hit their stride after an early defeat, 

while Juventus made a compelling case for the defence 

At the beginning of the season, Jürgen Klopp 

remarked: “Every team has qualities that make 

it difficult to play against them.” His Borussia 

Dortmund team then seemed to contradict 

him by winning its first four matches, scoring 

13 goals and conceding one. Dortmund 

produced a further contradiction by sliding 

towards the Bundesliga relegation zone while 

sailing through Group D of the UEFA Champions 

League. But Klopp’s view that teams were 

generally difficult to play against was borne out 

by an opening phase in which, in five of the 

eight groups, none of the teams was able to 

remain unbeaten. Chelsea FC, FC Porto and 

Real Madrid CF were the only three teams to 

go through the group stage without losing. 

True to recent form, just over half of the 96 

group matches produced home wins; there was 

a slight increase in the number of draws, to 21; 

and there were 26 away victories – a 16% drop 

on the previous season. However, nine of the 

away wins were by a margin of three goals or 

more, among them FC Bayern München’s 7-1 

victory against AS Roma in the Italian capital. 

As André Villas-Boas remarked: “One of the 

interesting phenomena of the Champions 

League is that you see high scores in matches 

between strong teams.” 

Neymar and Daniel Alves celebrate Barça’s second goal 

against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final second leg 


COMPETITION OVERVIEW 

11

Liverpool talisman Steven Gerrard 

Differences in strength were reflected by the 

final standings in which the margin between 

first and last in each group reached double 

figures in all but one case – Group C. In that 

section 12 games yielded only 17 goals, three 

matches ended goalless, AS Monaco FC claimed 

top spot despite scoring only four times and 

only six points separated them and bottom side 

SL Benfica. In the groups topped by Real Madrid 

and FC Barcelona, the difference between first 

and last was 14 points. However, the difference 

between second and third places was three 

points or fewer in six of the eight groups. In line 

with Klopp’s assertion, only three teams failed 

to win: NK Maribor, APOEL FC and Galatasaray 

AŞ, who dismissed Cesare Prandelli before the 

conclusion of the group stage. 

Olympiacos FC parted company with Míchel 

during the winter break, having narrowly failed 

to progress beyond a group which, anecdotally, 

contained two silver medallists: Club Atlético de 

Madrid, runners-up in 2013/14, and their 

eventual successors, Juventus. Both were 

beaten in Greece, but Olympiacos’ hopes were 

dashed by three away defeats, particularly by 

surrendering three points to Malmö FF. Juventus 

claimed second place despite scoring only 

seven goals. 

Shakhtar were big winners in Borisov 

Ciro Immobile celebrates scoring against Anderlecht 

In Group B, Real Madrid more than doubled that 

tally. “It is important to make a good start away 

from home,” their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said. 

“It gives confidence in a tournament where 

quality and competitiveness have steadily 

improved.” His team duly won all three away 

fixtures and were so dominant that Liverpool FC 

adopted a cautious 1-4-5-1 formation when 

they visited the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. 

Madrid posted six wins, Brendan Rodgers’ team 

only one – at home to PFC Ludogorets Razgrad. 

Needing victory in their last game, Liverpool 

could only draw with FC Basel 1893, allowing the 

Swiss team to edge into the knockout stage. 

In the tight, low-scoring Group C, Benfica’s lack 

of finishing power (one goal at home, one 

away) was their undoing. Zenit joined them at 

the exit after losing their final game in Monaco. 

In Group D, issues had already been settled, 

Dortmund and Arsenal FC booking their 

passage with games to spare. Both inflicted 

heavy defeats on Galatasaray, but both were 

made to work by RSC Anderlecht, who were 

beaten only twice. Besnik Hasi’s side adopted 

an adventurous approach, reflected in their 

recovery from 3-0 down to draw with Arsenal 

in London. 

Both Zenit’s wins came at Benfica’s expense 

Cesc 

z keeps Sporting’s William Carvalho at bay 

12 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 COMPETITION OVERVIEW 

13

David Luiz struck the deciding goal 

on his return to Stamford Bridge 

By contrast to the 17 goals in Group C, Group E 

produced 39. Roma, drawn alongside the 

champions of England, Germany and Russia, 

opened with a 5-1 home win against PFC CSKA 

Moskva and then failed to win another game. 

Badly scalded by the 7-1 home defeat against 

Bayern, they adjusted their game for the return 

in Munich, in which 23% of their passes were 

long. In their other five fixtures, this figure had 

not exceeded 12%. Manchester City FC, with 

only two points from four games, were staring 

elimination in the face until they beat Bayern 

and Roma in their last two fixtures to edge 

second place. 

Barcelona were under a degree of pressure after 

losing 3-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain on 

matchday two, and it was only a 3-1 win in the 

return in the final fixture – when Luis Enrique 

experimented with three at the back – that 

allowed them to wrest first place from the 

French champions. AFC Ajax earned four of 

their five points against APOEL, and their only 

win when they entertained the Cypriot club on 

the final matchday. Chelsea confirmed their 

status as title contenders by scoring 17 times in 

Group G, where FC Schalke 04 claimed second 

place at the expense of Sporting Clube de 

Portugal with an edgy 1-0 win away to Maribor 

in their final match. 

In Group H, FC BATE Borisov claimed an 

unwanted record by conceding 24 goals – half 

of them in the two games against FC Shakhtar 

Donetsk. Curiously, Mircea Lucescu’s team, 

playing home fixtures in Lviv, did not beat 

anyone else in a group dominated by Julen 

Lopetegui’s Porto. Athletic Club, taking UEFA 

Champions League football to Bilbao for the 

first time in 16 years, won their last two games 

to claim third place. 

Franceso Totti savours a memorable goal at City 

Schalke’s Julian Draxler 

Fabian Frei (right) scored Basel’s crucial goal at Anfield 

KNOCKOUT STAGE 

When the ball started rolling in the knockout 

stage, Shakhtar held Bayern to a goalless draw 

thanks to an effective defend-and-counter 

game. The return in Munich was transformed 

when defender Olexandr Kucher was sent off 

after three minutes and Thomas Müller 

converted the resulting penalty. For the second 

time, Pep Guardiola’s side scored seven. Other 

ties were more closely contested, with Atlético 

needing penalties to overcome Bayer 04 

Leverkusen after a brace of 1-0 home wins and 

Danijel Subašić and João Moutinho 

share the joy of winning at Arsenal 

a sterile period of extra time. The additional 30 

minutes were also required in the tie between 

Paris and Chelsea, with Zlatan Ibrahimović 

receiving a red card early in the return at 

Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, set-play specialists 

par excellence, were uncharacteristically lax 

in defending two corners, allowing David Luiz 

and Thiago Silva to head two equalisers – the 

second of which, in extra-time, earned the 

French champions an away-goals victory. 

Monaco also sailed close to the wind. Their 

counterattacks yielded dividends in London, 

where Arsenal opted for a 1-4-1-4-1 structure. 

Arsenal went 2-0 down, but raised hopes with 

a late goal – only to be surprised by another fast 

break in added time to lose 3-1. In Monaco, the 

Gunners laid siege to the resolute ASM defence 

and scored twice, but fell a goal short of a 

famous comeback. Real Madrid took their eye 

off the ball after an impressive 2-0 win away to 

Schalke, a 4-3 home defeat in the return leaving 

Ancelotti’s side just one strike from an 

away-goal elimination. 

Dortmund were happy to return from Turin with 

an away goal in their baggage, but after that 

2-1 first-leg defeat by Juventus, they were 

conclusively beaten 0-3 at home. Massimiliano 

Allegri’s side started in 1-4-3-3 formation and, 

once ahead, switched to 1-3-5-2. In a repeat of 

the previous season’s confrontation between 

Barcelona and Manchester City, the Catalan 

side won away in the first leg then dominated 

the return at the Camp Nou more clearly than 

the 1-0 scoreline suggested. 

Porto also produced a convincing home 

display to beat Basel 4-0 after a 1-1 draw 

in Switzerland. They then sprang the major 

surprise of the quarter-finals by exploiting 

three defensive errors to beat Bayern 3-1. 

Five goals in a devastating first half in the 

Munich return, however, suggested that 

Guardiola’s side could manage without their 

injured wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry. 

The 6-1 scoreline brought the team’s total to 

30 goals in ten matches. 


15

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola was 

back at Barça in the semi-finals 

Javier Hernández scored the only goal in the repeat 

of the 2014 final 

Goals were rare in two of the other ties. 

Juventus needed a penalty to defeat Monaco 

in Turin and then showed all their defensive 

qualities during a goalless draw in the 

principality. The repeat of the 2014 final was a 

story of defensive resistance by Atlético against 

a Real Madrid side who pushed their full-backs 

forward to take a stranglehold on midfield. Even 

so, it was not until the 88th minute of the 

return leg – 12 minutes after Arda Turan had 

been sent off – that ‘Chicharito’ Hernández 

struck the only goal of the tie. 

Injury-hit Paris found Barcelona’s technical and 

tactical excellence hard to counter and, at the 

Parc des Princes, suffered a 3-1 defeat. Barça’s 

slick combination play, high pressing and an 

inspired Andrés Iniesta then contributed to a 

2-0 win at the Camp Nou, where Guardiola’s 

Bayern were to be the opponents in the first 

leg of the semi-final. 

Carlos Tévez’s penalty gave Juve a 

semi-final first-leg lead against Madrid 

BARÇA AND JUVE MARCH ON 

Guardiola made tactical changes for the first leg 

of the semi-final, starting with a back three, 

four across the middle and Bastian 

Schweinsteiger behind the front two. The 

formation evolved through 1-4-2-3-1 to a final 

1-4-4-2 and the tactical and positional 

variations made for a fascinating contest, which 

was transformed in the closing stages. Barça’s 

trademark pressure yielded a dividend when 

Daniel Alves regained high possession and 

touched the ball to Lionel Messi, who ran it on 

and beat Manuel Neuer. Within three minutes, 

Messi received from Ivan Rakitić in the same 

area, left Jérôme Boateng horizontal and beat 

Neuer again with a delicate right-footed chip. 

To rub salt into Bavarian wounds, in an 

added-time counter, Messi fed Neymar, who 

ran clear to make the final score 3-0. Bayern’s 

comeback attempt got off to a good start in 

Munich when Medhi Benatia headed an early 

opener from a corner. But two moves involving 

Barça’s attacking trident and finished by 

Neymar left the home team requiring five more 

goals. To their credit, they persevered to score 

two but bowed out 5-3 on aggregate. 

The other tie opened in Turin, where Álvaro 

Morata gave Juventus the lead against his 

former club Real Madrid, only for Cristiano 

Ronaldo to strike a priceless away goal for the 

defending champions. When a second-half 

penalty allowed Juventus to regain the lead, 

Allegri swapped his 1-4-4-2 for a 1-3-5-2 and 

played out the result. In Madrid, a 1-0 scoreline 

would have seen Real through – and this looked 

likely to be achieved thanks to a Ronaldo 

penalty during a first half that tested Gianluigi 

Buffon and his four-man defensive line to the 

limit. Juve, however, upped the tempo after 

the break and a move by Arturo Vidal and 

Paul Pogba culminated in a pass that reached 

Morata at an awkward height. The striker 

adjusted his posture to hit powerfully into the 

ground and over Iker Casillas into the net. The 

UEFA Champions League jinx had struck again. 

The champions were unable to defend their 

title and Juventus would be travelling to Berlin 

to meet Barcelona in the final. 


17

THE FINAL 

Brilliant 

Barça 

Juventus's great resistance was ultimately broken by the 

venomous attacks of an uncontainable Barcelona side 

“Midfield is where the game takes shape,” 

commented Luis Enrique on the eve of the final, 

“whether that’s attack or defence. We have to 

dominate both the offensive and the defensive 

sides of things.” He could hardly have predicted 

that, just over 200 seconds after Turkish referee 

Cüneyt Çakır had signalled the start of play, his 

midfield would deliver the first major blow 

of a spectacular and absorbing final in the 

emblematic scenario of the Olympiastadion 

in Berlin. 

Luis Enrique had also stressed that his team 

would need to “handle the occasion properly” 

and the opening exchanges hinted that 

Juventus had more successfully controlled 

their nervous systems. High pressing with four 

players provoked edgy ball losses on the left 

flank of the Barcelona defence and earned the 

Italian side the first corner of the game. But 

the early scares delivered a wake-up call to the 

Catalan team, who quickly settled into their 

habitual possession game, moving the ball 

fluently to and fro across the immaculate turf 

and, with displays of uncommon technique, 

shrugging aside the high Juventus pressure. 

Lionel Messi celebrated his third 

UEFA Champions League title in Berlin 


THE FINAL 

19

unstitched Juve's pressure by finding 

improbable escape routes and worming his way 

through the compact defensive block. Rakitić 

was the perfect foil, providing power and 

stamina. Luis Suárez gave depth to the attack 

with aggressive running that added purpose 

to his side's offensive play and avoided any 

temptation to indulge in sterile possession. 

Álvaro Morata’s equaliser put 

the pressure back on Barça 

Lionel Messi, closely patrolled by left-back 

Patrice Evra and drawing opponents towards 

him like a vacuum cleaner, emerged from a 

subdued start by drifting infield. With the 

inside of his left boot, he hit a deep crossfield 

pass that was brilliantly cushioned by the 

overlapping Jordi Alba and neatly dispatched 

to Neymar, who had drifted infield to take away 

Stephan Lichtsteiner and open up space for the 

full-back. The Brazilian's first touch was a shade 

heavy and took him back out towards Alba, but 

when he turned, his radar detected Andrés 

Iniesta breaking speed limits on a run past 

Arturo Vidal into the box. Neymar's pass was 

perfectly weighted into his path. 

The Barça captain feinted to push on but 

slipped the ball with the outside of his right 

boot to Ivan Rakitić, who was required to make 

no more than a routine side-footed contact to 

send the ball into the net. The pre-match talk 

had been about the threat of Barça's attacking 

trident. But the blow had been delivered thanks 

to contributions by a full-back and by two 

midfielders who had advanced deep into the 

heart of the opponents' penalty area. 

At this juncture, the giant inflatable replica of 

the trophy, erected in the architectural gap 

behind the goal, began to deflate and crumple, 

as if in sympathy with the Juventus fans who 

flanked it on both sides. For the Juve players, 

the challenge was not to follow suit, but for 

a while damage limitation was their main 

priority. Massimiliano Allegri, tactically tied by 

the injury to defensive lynchpin Giorgio Chiellini, 

had opted for a 1-4-4-2 structure in front of 

Gianluigi Buffon. 

Vidal led the aggressive high pressure from his 

position at the apex of the midfield diamond, 

acting as accomplice to Carlos Tévez in the 

attempts to close down Sergio Busquets and 

disturb Barça's building from the back. At the 

base of the diamond, Andrea Pirlo struggled 

to unfurl his playmaking qualities, frequently 

avoiding losses of possession in critical areas by 

selecting safety-first passes. In the wide areas, 

right-back Lichtsteiner burned most of his 

calories in trying to police Neymar, leaving Evra, 

on the left, to make sporadic upfield sorties to 

support attacking moves. Claudio Marchisio on 

the right and Paul Pogba on the left looked 

threatening but, apart from the former pulling 

the trigger from long range, did more chasing 

than creating. 

Juventus's priority was to deny space rather 

than exploit it. Their failure to achieve that 

objective entailed work for Buffon, whose 

participation can be gauged by the fact that 

the experienced goalkeeper made more passes 

than four of his team-mates. 

Tactically, there were no surprises from 

Barcelona. With humility rather than arrogance, 

they simply challenged the opposition to find 

antidotes to their venomous attacking play. 

The centre-backs, Gerard Piqué and Javier 

Mascherano, assiduously opened play from 

the back with diagonal passing. The full-backs, 

Alba on the left, the irrepressible Daniel Alves 

on the right, shamelessly disguised themselves 

as midfielders or wingers, their football based 

on association with Neymar and Messi. If 

possession was lost, both full-backs were 

prepared to launch themselves into regain 

mode without second thoughts about what 

might have been going on behind their backs. 

In the opposite direction, Iniesta systematically 

Ivan Rakitić opened the scoring 

When the teams headed for the dressing room 

at half-time, Barcelona had enjoyed two-thirds 

of possession, carved openings and added 

decibels to the Catalan chorusing. The 

black-and-white sectors at the other end of the 

stadium had been subdued. "The game was 

something like a learning curve for Juventus," 

remarked Mixu Paatelainen, one of UEFA’s 

technical observer group at the final. "You had 

the feeling that they could have done better 

during the first half. They were on the back foot. 

They had defended deep and looked compact. 

But they hadn't been good enough to cope 

with Barcelona." 

During the interval, the Juventus supporters 

were entertained by the work carried out to 

breathe new life into the replica trophy. 

Hindsight would allow it to be interpreted as an 

omen. But, when the two teams re-emerged for 

the second half, a Juventus resuscitation did 

not become immediately apparent, with Suárez 

and Messi either narrowly missing the target or 

forcing Buffon to reiterate his goalkeeping 

qualities. But, just under ten minutes into the 

second period, Lichtsteiner made a rare 

advance on the right wing and, with Tévez 

distracting the Barça defence, the low delivery 

reached the far post, where Álvaro Morata, the 

former Real Madrid striker, sidefooted into the 

net. Game on. 

Barcelona fans in full voice 

The equaliser served to re-inflate Juventus's 

confidence, even though the absence of 

Chiellini pre-empted any thought that Allegri 

might have had about implementing the 

1-3-5-2 option. The Italian fans burst into 

vociferous life, while the voices of the Catalan 

club's following faded into nervous murmuring. 

Rising confidence was reflected in greater 

readiness to try one-touch combinations. Pirlo 

started to appear in more advanced positions 

and to associate threateningly with Tévez; 

Morata, Pogba and Tévez had shots at goal; and 

Marc-André ter Stegen had to show his 

positional and shot-stopping qualities after a 

first half in which he had only been required to 

control with his feet and launch attacks via 

sensible distribution, notably to the wide areas. 

Gerard Piqué keeps a 

grip on Carlos Tévez 

After long spells of patrolling the technical 

areas with hands in pockets, the coaches came 

to life – Allegri to urge his players to maintain 

their impetus, Luis Enrique to urgently signal 

positional adjustments. Significantly, Messi was 

posing questions by drifting infield and looking 

for spaces between the two lines of defence. 

With the centre-backs reluctant to move out, 

his participation level increased and ultimately 

made the difference. With Barcelona being 

nudged towards a defend-and-counter policy, 

Messi found space in the left-hand channel to 

break clear and hit a cross-shot with his 

favoured left foot. Buffon, advancing from his 

line to narrow the angle, threw himself to the 

left and managed to get two hands to the ball 

– but not to catch it. Luis Suárez, powering in 

at top speed, jubilantly struck the rebound 

high into the unguarded net. Luis Enrique, 

acknowledging the significance of the reply 

to the increasing Juventus control, raced and 

leapt his way along the touchline, punching 

the air. Allegri looked pensive. 

The script for the final act was clear. For 

Juventus, it was all or bust. For Barcelona, it was 

a question of regaining composure and control. 

The question was partially answered by the 

introduction, with a dozen minutes remaining, 

of Xavi Hernández to replace Iniesta, who was 

subsequently selected by the UEFA technical 

observer group as man of the match. Allegri 

sent on Roberto Pereyra for the tiring Vidal and, 

with Fernando Llorente on for Morata, swapped 

one Spanish striker for another. Finally, he 

switched to three at the back, removing Evra 

and sending on Kingsley Coman to join Pogba 

and Llorente in a three-pronged attack. 

Amid the changes of personnel, the game had 

settled into an exhilarating pattern of Juventus 

pressure punctuated by searing counters, 

20 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 THE FINAL 

21

Luis Suárez’s goal proved to be the winner 

THE WINNING COACH 

which, on one occasion, produced a fiveagainst-three 

situation resolved in extremis by 

Buffon. Another break culminated in a Neymar 

header that, at the behest of the additional 

assistant referee, failed to appear on the 

scoreboard because the Brazilian's finish 

brushed his hand en route to the net. 

Luis Enrique shored up his defensive unit with 

the introduction of defender Jérémy Mathieu 

for midfielder Rakitić and then, with the clock 

ticking deep into added time, Pedro Rodríguez 

for Suárez. Pedro was immediately involved in 

the umpteenth Barcelona counter, spotting 

Neymar in space and allowing the Brazilian to 

clinch victory with a low cross-shot past Buffon 

into the far corner. With the players leaping 

barriers to celebrate in front of the fans in the 

corner and the backroom staff running onto 

the pitch to share the jubilation, it turned out 

to be the last kick of the match. 

The sight of Pirlo sobbing uncontrollably 

encapsulated the sorrow among a Juventus 

side that had offered great resistance and had 

contributed to a memorable final. But as Xavi, 

playing his last match for the club, lifted the 

trophy with a souvenir matchball tucked under 

his shirt, victory seemed a deserved 

recompense for an uncontainable Barça. 

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri 

Barça celebrate their fourth 

triumph in ten seasons 

Match statistics 

Saturday 6 June 2015, Olympiastadion Berlin 

Juventus 1-3 Barcelona 

Goals 

0-1 Rakitić 4, 1-1 Morata 55, 1-2 Suárez 68, 

1-3 Neymar 90+7 

Lineups 

Juventus: Buffon (C); Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra 

(Coman 89); Pirlo; Marchisio, Pogba; Vidal (Pereyra 79); 

Morata (Llorente 85), Tévez 

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Daniel Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, 

Jordi Alba; Rakitić (Mathieu 90+1), Busquets, Iniesta (C) 

(Xavi Hernández 78); Messi, Suárez (Pedro Rodríguez 

90+6), Neymar 

Yellow cards 

Vidal 11, Pogba 41 (Juventus); 

Suárez 70 (Barcelona) 

Referee 

Cüneyt Çakır (TUR) 

Attendance 

70,422 

Statistics 

39% 

14 

6 

8 

343 

286 

Possession 

Total attempts 

Attempts on target 

Corners 

Passes 

Passes completed 

61% 

18 

8 

6 

570 

505 

Luis 

Enrique 

A single-minded belief in himself, his side and his way of 

playing proved decisive for Luis Enrique and the Blaugrana 

He is champion of Europe yet hardly anybody 

knows his surname. But there are other ways in 

which Luis Enrique Martínez García differs from 

his colleagues in the coaching profession. Not 

many can match his record in endurance sports. 

Not many have taken part in Ironman events. 

Not many have spent six days in the Sahara 

running the Marathon des Sables. In his book, 

running, surfing or cycling offer an invaluable 

counterbalance to the stresses of the job. Even 

within the coaches’ hall of fame, few can equal 

his record of appearing at three FIFA World 

Cups, one UEFA European Championship, and 

some 400 league outings for Real Sporting de 

Gijón, Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona, and 

winning a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, 

where he partnered Josep Guardiola in the 

Spain midfield. Johan Cruyff, Bobby Robson, 

Louis van Gaal and Vicente del Bosque were 

among the coaches he played for. 

In Berlin, Luis Enrique transmitted a mix of 

passion and analytical calm. Interestingly, his 

modus operandi includes the delegation of 

responsibility for set plays to his goalkeeper 

coach – and spectators at the Olympiastadion 

may have noticed that, at dead-ball situations, 

it was Juan Carlos Unzué who stepped to the 

edge of the technical area to direct operations. 

After the final, which allowed him to conclude 

his first term with a Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA 

Champions League treble, he stressed that the 

campaign had not been plain sailing. Taking the 

Barça helm in the post-Guardiola era implied 

certain challenges. His capacity to meet them 

and to nurture a playing style attuned to the 

Barcelona philosophy owed a great deal to his 

playing days and his first coaching experience 

in charge of Barça B in the lower divisions from 

2008 to 2011. After a year at AS Roma, he had 

returned to the Liga to coach RC Celta de Vigo, 

a side he bravely encouraged to embrace 

Barça-style possession-based football. 

“I had no doubts about 

my work, the work of 

my players, the work of 

everybody involved with 

the first team – or the 

supporters” 

Those close to him acknowledge his success 

in key areas during a difficult season: his 

man-management of a squad rich in star 

performers; his rotation of workloads, which 

enabled the team to hit the peak of the 

campaign with freshness intact; his ability 

to ride media criticism; his single-minded 

determination to isolate the dressing room 

during a period of administrative turbulence. 

It was with equal single-mindedness that the 

45-year-old expressed his leadership qualities 

and his firm belief in a certain way of playing. 

The technical observers in Berlin signalled his 

strong personality as a central factor in the 

performance of a side that steadily improved 

throughout the season. They also highlighted 

the effective addition of purposeful 

counterattacking to the traditional Blaugrana 

virtues of possession play. 

“It’s been a difficult year, a transitional year,” 

Luis Enrique accepted after the 6 June final, 

“and I want to thank all those people who 

trusted me – the people within the club and 

my family who supported me. And the team 

has come together and done things right 

throughout the season. They’ve overcome 

difficulties and tough times together. Together 

we’re stronger and that’s when the individual 

qualities come out. I had no doubts about my 

work, the work of my players, the work of 

everybody involved with the first team – or the 

supporters.” Luis Enrique can look back on a 

campaign in which the 60th game brought a 

50th victory – and a European crown to clinch 

a memorable hat-trick of trophies. 

22 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 THE WINNING COACH 

23

TECHNICAL TOPICS 

RISK AND RISK MANAGEMENT 

Getting the balance right was the 

difference between success and failure 

Pressure, 

intensity 

and risk 

From the rewards of risk-taking and 

the rise of the counter culture, to the 

increasing demands of tactical flexibility, 

2014/15 provided plenty to ponder 

“Throughout the season, Luis Enrique has 

hammered home the idea of pressing and of 

trying to keep up a high level of intensity in our 

game, taking risks in defence, and trying to be 

compact.” The comments made by FC Barcelona 

defender Javier Mascherano prior to the Berlin 

final may have specifically referred to the winners 

of the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League, but 

they neatly encapsulate some of the qualities 

required by the teams who aspire to success in 

the premier club competition. 

Juventus captain 

Gianluigi Buffon 

“Spanish teams have been prominent in both 

club competitions,” said Mixu Paatelainen after 

the Berlin final. “They are positive, they push 

their full-backs forward really aggressively, yet 

they have players like Busquets in front of the 

centre-backs who are excellent at reading the 

game. The important thing is that they are 

prepared to take risks.” The top teams in the 

UEFA Champions League were the ones who 

found the best balance between risk-taking and 

risk management. UEFA’s technical observers 

stressed that FC Bayern München and Juventus 

carefully ensured that three players were 

engaged in balancing roles while the team was 

pushing forward, while Real Madrid CF “balanced 

with four players while attacking to make sure 

opponents could not get counterattacking 

possibilities”. Pep Guardiola, before the 

semi-final against Barcelona, stressed the 

importance of being prepared to take risks in 

search of the right result. “They might score 

seven, but my ideas are very clear,” he said. 

Andrea Pirlo summed up the Juventus credo by 

stating: “We have to be intelligent in our play: 

be daring but with a degree of caution.” 

Barça’s Marc-André ter Stegen 

Risk-taking begins at the back. The semi-final 

between Bayern and Barcelona showcased two 

goalkeepers from the modern German school, 

with Manuel Neuer having accelerated a trend 

towards risk-taking with his performances at 

the FIFA World Cup. He and Marc-André ter 

Stegen, his 23-year-old understudy with the 

national team, provided examples of the 

sweeper-keeper who patrols a wide area. 

Neuer spends only two-thirds of the 90 minutes 

inside the box and, in consequence, allows his 

team to hold a high defensive line. The 

Andrea Pirlo lines up 

a free-kick for Juve 

2014/15 UEFA Champions League offered a 

wide variety in terms of defensive positioning, 

with the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Paris 

Saint-Germain and FC Porto prepared to 

hold a high line, whereas deeper defending was 

generally preferred by Juventus, AS Monaco FC, 

Club Atlético de Madrid and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 

The trend was clearly flagged during the return 

leg of the semi-final between Bayern and Barça, 

where only the Blaugrana full-backs Daniel Alves 

and Jordi Alba had more contact with the ball 

than Ter Stegen. Luis Enrique’s side, aware of 

Neuer’s role in launching counters and building 

from the back, restricted his options 

to the extent that 19 of his 24 passes were 

delivered to left-back Medhi Benatia or 

centre-back Jérôme Boateng. Ter Stegen, on the 

other hand, was able to deliver to nine different 

outfielders. The need for the modern goalkeeper 

to be equipped to play with his feet was 

underscored when, against Juventus in Turin, 

Iker Casillas had more touches than Gareth Bale 

and, in the final, Gianluigi Buffon made more 

passes than four of the Juventus outfielders. 

THE PIRLO SPECIES 

The traditional playmaker is 

becoming an increasingly rare breed 

The role of Andrea Pirlo at the base of the 

Juventus midfield diamond often provokes 

debate on the present and the future of the 

playmaker. Among the top teams, the most 

influential distributors of the ball were 

frequently deployed in the Pirlo position in 

front of the back four, Xabi Alonso providing 

a prime example at Bayern, Toni Kroos and 

Luka Modrić at Real Madrid CF. Indeed, the 

injury to the latter presented a conundrum 

to Carlo Ancelotti, prompting him ultimately to 

field centre-back Sergio Ramos in the screening 

position for the crucial games in the latter 

stages of the competition. 

Porto’s Casemiro is an accomplished striker 

of long passes, while other teams preferred 

to hand the screening role to players with 

anticipation and ball-winning qualities, rather 

than a Pirlo-like ability to spot and deliver the 

defence-splitting pass. Roman Neustädter 

(FC Schalke 04), Nemanja Matić (Chelsea FC), 

Thiago Motta (Paris) or Fernandinho 

(Manchester City FC) fell into this category. 

Teams playing with twin screening midfielders 

looked for a balance between defensive and 

attacking virtues though, like Ancelotti, Jürgen 

Klopp at Borussia Dortmund was not always 

able to field his first-choice Sven Bender-İlkay 

Gündoğan combination. Elsewhere, Diego 

Simeone was forced to make permutations 

at Atlético, Monaco’s Leonardo Jardim was 

obliged to vary the companion to Geoffrey 

Kondogbia and Laurent Blanc had to do 

without Thiago Motta for the quarter-final 

against Barcelona. 

However, as the UEFA President, Michel Platini, 

maintains: “There are fewer stereotypes than 

before. The playmaker in the modern game is 

simply the player with the ball.” This 

emphasises the trend towards players such as 

Andrés Iniesta, Paul Pogba or Marco Verratti 

who link lines and act as attacking catalysts 

rather than sit back and distribute the ball from 

a more static demarcation. “We have to ask 

ourselves whether a good launcher of 

counterattacks is more valuable to the team 

than a traditional playmaker,” Klopp said. 

24 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 TECHNICAL TOPICS 

25

Daniel Alves is the epitome 

of the modern full-back 

contestants, 14 generally opted for a 1-4-2-3-1 

structure, ten for 1-4-4-2 and eight for 1-4-3-3. 

History makers 

WIDTH AND DEPTH 

From attacking fulcrum to the first 

line of defence, full-backs do it all 

During the final in Berlin, Daniel Alves combined 

23 times with Lionel Messi, and Alba 20 times 

with Neymar. At the other end of the pitch, 

Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra combined 

seven and eight times respectively with the 

Juventus front men, Carlos Tévez and Álvaro 

Morata. This seems to support the theory that 

1-4-3-3 and its variations make it easier to form 

this type of working relationship in the wide 

areas than the classic 1-4-4-2. At Real Madrid, 

Dani Carvajal and Marcelo linked assiduously 

with Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and/or 

James Rodríguez to exploit the wide areas to 

maximum effect. 

The 2014/15 campaign highlighted the need 

for the modern full-back to be equipped for 

proactive participation in the team’s attacking 

strategy. The article on crossing on page 45 of 

this report highlights the fact that full-backs 

and midfielders are now the main providers of 

crosses from the wings, rather than the wingers 

themselves. It has to be mentioned, however, 

that the long-term absences of Franck Ribéry 

and Arjen Robben deprived Bayern of two highly 

influential exponents of the winger’s arts. 

As Thomas Schaaf reiterated after watching 

the full-backs in action in Berlin: “The high 

positioning of the full-backs means that they 

are in the right place to try to regain possession 

as soon as possible.” Indeed, Alves provided a 

prime example of being ready, willing and able 

to win the ball back and allow Messi to score a 

crucial goal in the home leg of the semi-final 

against Bayern. 

Linking back to risk management, Barça were 

among the teams prepared to throw both 

full-backs forward simultaneously, whereas the 

more generalised practice is still to keep one in 

reserve for defensive duties. The job description 

of the full-back, however, is evolving rapidly. 

During the final in Berlin, the two Barcelona 

full-backs covered some 3.4km at high or very 

high speeds, with Alba peaking at 29.6km/h 

and Alves at 31.6. 

CHAMELEON CULTURE 

Tactical flexibility provided 

a crucial element of surprise 

“The trend is for teams to no longer play a rigid 

system from minute one to minute 90, and 

there is much greater emphasis on tactical 

flexibility,” commented Ginés Meléndez after 

watching the final in Berlin. Thomas Schaaf 

agreed: “When I’ve been watching games, I’ve 

found myself constantly looking for changes 

of formation and tempo. Teams are constantly 

trying to surprise the opponents, pose 

questions and change the match.” 

It meant that, whereas technical reports of 

yesteryear were able to clearly define each 

team’s playing formation, the picture became 

blurred during the 2014/15 season. Only 

one-third of the participants adhered to a clear 

structure throughout their campaign. Even 

Barcelona, normally synonymous with a 

1-4-3-3 structure, switched to three at the 

back for the must-win group game against 

Paris Saint-Germain at the Camp Nou, when 

Luis Enrique’s side were in pursuit of top spot. 

The result is that an overview of default settings 

can be for orientation purposes only. Of the 32 

As Schaaf and Meléndez stressed, the list of 

variants is a volume. Schalke, for example, 

started the season with 1-4-2-3-1 under Jens 

Keller and evolved to a 1-3-5-2 soon after 

Roberto Di Matteo took over. At Juventus, 

Massimiliano Allegri astutely permuted 1-4-4-2 

with 1-3-5-2 according to opponents or match 

situations, to the extent that the ability to 

switch seamlessly from one to the other was a 

key element in the Italian side’s successful 

route to the final. The injury to Giorgio Chiellini 

represented a setback as it pre-empted this 

strategic move in Berlin. During a season 

marked by injuries, Jürgen Klopp used 

1-4-2-3-1, 1-4-3-3 and 1-4-4-2 at Dortmund. 

At Liverpool FC, Brendan Rodgers used the 

same options, plus a 1-4-1-4-1 in Madrid and, 

against PFC Ludogorets Razgrad away, pushed 

Steven Gerrard up as shadow striker. 

At Galatasaray AŞ, Cesare Prandelli switched 

from 1-4-4-2 to 1-4-2-3-1 in Dortmund, with 

Wesley Sneijder just off the front. Rudi Garcia’s 

1-4-3-3 at AS Roma evolved into 1-4-4-2 away 

from home and was pushed back into a clear 

1-4-1-4-1 in the tough home game against 

Bayern. With Karim Benzema injured, Carlo 

Ancelotti moved from 1-4-3-3 to 1-4-4-2 in 

two knockout games for Real Madrid. At 

Atlético, Diego Simeone injected 1-4-3-3 and 

1-4-5-1 variations into his 1-4-4-2 default 

setting. Depending on player availability and 

game plans, Leonardo Jardim permuted 

1-4-4-2 and 1-4-2-3-1 with his preferred 

1-4-3-3 at AS Monaco FC. At Bayern, Pep 

Guardiola used 1-4-2-3-1, 1-4-4-2 and 

1-3-4-3 as variations on his habitual 1-4-3-3. 

Of the 32 contestants, 14 generally 

opted for a 1-4-2-3-1 structure; 

10 for 1-4-4-2; and 8 for 1-4-3-3 

10 

8 

14 

Formation 

1-4-2-3-1 

1-4-4-2 

1-4-3-3 

Tactical flexibility is, evidently, not achieved 

with a magic wand. Coaches at Under-17 level, 

for example, are now stressing the importance 

of equipping young players to understand the 

mechanisms of various formations to prepare 

them to perform in the chameleon-like 

structures of the top teams. 

After swapping the lead during 

the course of the season, Cristiano 

Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finished 

the campaign as the European Cup’s 

joint all-time highest scorers on 

77 goals, both adding ten to their 

tallies in 2014/15. 

All-time leading scorers 

Cristiano Ronaldo 77 

Lionel Messi 77 

Raúl González 71 

Ruud van Nistelrooy 56 

Thierry Henry 50 

Alfredo Di Stéfano 49 

Andriy Shevchenko 48 

Eusébio 47 

Filippo Inzaghi 46 

Didier Drogba 44 

Excluding UEFA Champions League qualifying 


27

HIGH INTENSITY 

With real playing time so high, 

demands on players are soaring 

Players and coaches unhesitatingly signal the 

sheer intensity of matches as one of the 

trademarks of the UEFA Champions League, 

imposing physical and mental demands. But 

there are different kinds of intensity – and they 

can be hard to quantify. Before the final in 

Berlin, Andrea Pirlo commented: “We didn’t 

realise how strong we are. We are a good group 

and we go for it together. Atlético is the mirror 

we see ourselves in. That is our road to follow.” 

If the all-Madrid final in 2014 had been 

regarded as an encounter between two 

footballing styles, the 2015 edition in Berlin 

could be seen as a similar meeting between 

teams with different personalities. 

COUNTERS ARE KEY 

Even Barça’s game moved from 

control to quick transitions 

During the 2014/15 season, 55 goals could be 

directly attributable to fast counters, 

representing 20.6% of the goals scored in open 

play. Fast transitions (in both directions) 

continued to be a key feature in the intensity of 

UEFA Champions League football. Thomas 

Schaaf felt that the addition of direct 

counterattacks to their game was a major 

factor in Barcelona’s winning equation. “There 

was a big difference in their transition,” he 

commented. “Before, the idea was to win the 

ball, control it and wear down opponents until 

they lost concentration. Now they are faster at 

playing forward and using their one-on-one 

abilities.” Ginés Meléndez, a guru of Spanish 

youth development, conceded: “It is an 

important change because, in Spanish football, 

the kids’ instinct when they win the ball is to 

keep it and pass it around rather than look for 

a fast transition.” 

Barcelona’s campaign was rich in examples of 

effective counterattacking: the fast break and 

the deep diagonal to Ivan Rakitić that earned 

the 1-0 win against Manchester City FC; the 

Pedro-Messi combination that put them 2-0 

up away to AFC Ajax; the third goal in the Berlin 

final. All three late goals in the home win 

against Bayern in the semi-final – among them 

the high ball-win by Alves that allowed Messi to 

break through while the opponents’ defenders 

were moving out – were also counters, as were 

FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s first three goals in the 

7-0 away win against FC BATE Borisov. Arsenal 

hit Dortmund twice on the break (a solo run and 

a through pass) during the game in London, but 

were twice caught by fast counters during their 

3-1 home defeat by Monaco. Three of Chelsea’s 

six goals against NK Maribor were transitions, 

leading respectively to a long-range goal, a 

combination culminated by John Terry and a 

through ball to Eden Hazard. 

Set plays in favour of the opposition can represent 

opportunities to catch centre-backs out of 

position and successful examples were provided 

by Dortmund (a counter from a Galatasaray 

corner) and Malmö (a solo run and pass in a fast 

break following an Olympiacos corner). 

Part of the Barcelona DNA is to respect the ball 

and to keep it rolling. Symptoms are free-kicks 

or corners where their general trend is to put the 

ball down, touch it to a team-mate and allow 

the possession play and combination moves 

to roll on. The result is relentless pressure on 

opponents, reflected in high figures of real 

playing time. Oddly, the final in Berlin – where 

the real playing time was 56 minutes and six 

seconds – was the only Barça game in which the 

ball was in play for less than an hour. During the 

two matches against Paris at the Camp Nou 

(group and quarter-final), the real playing times 

were 68:35 and 71:39 respectively. 

Clockwise from top: Carlos Tévez; 

Eden Hazard; Dortmund fans put 

on a show 

The phenomenon is by no means exclusive 

to Barcelona, but it may represent one of the 

features that makes the UEFA Champions 

League uniquely intense. To provide a statistical 

basis for this assertion, the 2014 FIFA World 

Cup might be taken as a benchmark for 

intensity. In Brazil, the maximum real playing 

time was the 64:49 registered in a meeting 

between two European teams: England and 

Italy. In the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League, 

28 matches exceeded that figure. In Brazil, real 

playing time reached 60 minutes in nine of the 

64 games; on the road to Berlin, 75 matches 

passed that milestone. In Brazil, the ball rolled 

for less than 50 minutes in eight of the 64 

matches, with Brazil v Colombia totalling 39:18. 

In the UEFA Champions League, only two of 

125 fixtures offered less than 50 minutes 

(Olympiacos CF v Malmö FF at 49:39 and 

Leverkusen v Atlético at 48:50). For the 

competition’s global audience, this is a 

guarantee in terms of entertainment value. 

For coaches, it is a clear indication that players 

need to be physically and mentally equipped 

to deal with sustained intensity. 

20.6% of goals from open play 

resulted from counters, a total 

of 55 goals 

55 

South American strikers such as Sergio Agüero (above) and Carlos Tévez continue to outnumber their European 

counterparts at the top of the scoring chart (see p47) 


29

Claudio Marchisio’s neat 

passing kept Juve moving 

Luis Enrique and Xavi Hernández, who kept the match ball after his last game for Barça 

Ricardo Quaresma scored twice in the quarter-final first leg 

against Bayern 

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti 

THROUGH PASS AND LONG BALL 

Short is sweet for an increasing 

number of sides 

“The long ball doesn’t really exist any more.” 

This forceful statement by Carlo Ancelotti 

offered a clear invitation to reflect on whether 

the long-ball game is now seen in the UEFA 

Champions League. Indeed, the opposite could 

be argued in a competition where many teams 

press high in order to force the opposition to 

play long. 

The high defensive lines frequently seen in the 

UEFA Champions League are an invitation to 

play the ball over the top – a ploy attempted 

by AS Roma on their visit to Munich two weeks 

after a heavy home defeat by Guardiola’s team. 

No less than 23% of the passing by Rudi 

Garcia’s side was long. But goalkeepers tend 

to be alert – a factor that can be linked to the 

decline of goals derived from through passes. 

From 82 in 2010/11, the number dwindled to 

37 in 2014/15. 

The long ball, however, is not to be confused 

with the long pass, which, in this report, is 

defined as a pass of over 30m – something 

the likes of Xabi Alonso, Gerard Piqué or Luka 

Modrić regularly delivered with pinpoint 

accuracy. The statistics for the 2014/15 season 

reveal that long passes accounted for only 9% 

of the passing by six teams (Ajax, Arsenal, 

Bayern, Leverkusen, Manchester City and Paris) 

compared, at the other end of the scale, with 

Monaco (14%), Porto (15%), Shakhtar (16%) 

or Malmö (17%). The average across the 32 

contestants was 11%. 

LIFE AT THE TOP 

Barcelona continue to show the way 

“We started the season with the objective of 

reaching the quarter-finals, and at the end of 

the game I thanked the team for a wonderful 

season,” Juventus coach Allegri admitted in 

Berlin. “We can consolidate and strengthen 

our game, improve the quality and try to stay 

among the top eight teams in Europe on a 

regular basis. That’s really important. You win 

or lose a final and we had a chance to prevent 

Barcelona from winning the third leg of their 

treble. But they were extraordinary and we 

couldn’t contain them.” For Barcelona, the 50th 

victory in the 60th game of the season gave the 

club its fourth UEFA Champions League title in 

the past decade and, inevitably, strengthened 

their status as role models. Luis Enrique’s side 

had coped with the pressure and the intensity 

– and had been prepared to take risks. But what 

aspects of the Barça game can be copied? 


31

STATISTICS 

Measured 

passes 

Clubs excelling at a 

combination-based game 

were more likely to reach 

the knockout stage 

Toni Kroos made the most 

passes in 2014/15 

Olympiacos midfielder Pajtim Kasami turns away from Malmö’s Isaac Kiese Thelin 

Although the average figures for passing serve 

as orientation for comparisons, there were 

often sub-agendas. The differences between 

maximum and minimum figures occasionally 

exceeded 200%, a glaring example being 

AS Roma’s 720 passes during the home game 

against PFC CSKA Moskva compared with their 

279 when they visited Bayern in Munich. 

Similarly, Ajax made 765 passes when they 

entertained APOEL FC, as opposed to 338 when 

they travelled to Barcelona. Olympiacos FC 

totalled 533 passes against Malmö FF but only 

275 at home to Juventus. CSKA Moskva 

registered 526 passes during their home draw 

with Manchester City FC but only 238 when 

they entertained Bayern. In other words, 

teams aiming to be competitive in the UEFA 

Champions League need to be prepared to 

negotiate games where they dominate and 

games where they are dominated. 

Individually, Real Madrid CF’s Toni Kroos made 

more passes (872) than any other player during 

the season, closely followed by Bayern’s Xabi 

Alonso (867). For the finalists, Juventus 

defender Giorgio Chiellini (837) was his side’s 

chief pass maker, while for FC Barcelona this 

honour went to Lionel Messi (823), ahead 

of defenders Daniel Alves (770), Javier 

Mascherano (761) and Jordi Alba (747). 

Lasse Schöne on the ball for Ajax, the only team of the top ten highest passers not 

to reach the knockout stage 

Over the previous five seasons, the trend towards 

a possession-based passing game had been one 

of the salient features of the UEFA Champions 

League with, during 2013/14, no fewer than 

26 of the 32 starters averaging more than 

500 passes per game. In the 2014/15 season, 

however, terms of comparison were blurred by 

a review of UEFA’s data-gathering mechanisms. 

The revision served to achieve uniformity 

between UEFA Champions League data and 

those collected in the UEFA Europa League, 

where different criteria had prevailed. The main 

change is that, in previous UEFA Champions 

League reports, passing statistics were much 

more closely related to touches of the ball. The 

figures for the 2014/15 season differ in that a 

pass was more clearly defined as a “deliberate 

attempt to pass the ball from one player to a 

team-mate”. In other words, touches associated 

with interceptions or hasty clearances, for 

example, have now been eliminated from the 

equation, as they were deemed not to contain 

the element of intention. 

The repercussions were twofold. Firstly – because 

undirected touches were excluded – percentages 

of passing accuracy registered an increase. 

Secondly, the statistics for 2014/15 reveal a 

significant downturn in the number of passes 

with, as opposed to 26, only nine of the 32 

teams in the group stage exceeding an average 

of 500 per match. Hierarchies, however, 

remained essentially unaltered, with FC Bayern 

München and FC Barcelona once again leading 

the field. The revised statistics also served to 

underscore the general effectiveness of a 

combination-based game in that all but one of 

the teams who reached the 500-mark during the 

group stage progressed to the knockout rounds 

– the exception being AFC Ajax. In 2013/14, 

Celtic FC recorded – by a considerable margin 

– the lowest average of 418 passes per match. 

Implementing the revised criteria in 2014/15 

meant that, during the group stage, no fewer 

than 13 clubs posted averages below that figure 

– and three of them progressed to the last 16. 

Attempted passes and accuracy 

Roma had a difference of over 200% 

in their passing figures between the 

home game against CSKA Moskva 

(720 passes) and the match against 

Bayern in Munich (279 passes) 

720 

279 

Bayern 90% 

Barcelona 90% 

Real Madrid 90% 566 

Paris 91% 529 

Ajax 90% 529 

Arsenal 89% 518 

Chelsea 90% 513 

Dortmund 87% 504 

Manchester City 88% 501 

Porto 88% 498 

Juventus 88% 495 

Liverpool 88% 481 

Schalke 90% 473 

Galatasaray 89% 477 

Roma 90% 477 

Zenit 82% 443 

648 

672 

Basel 83% 438 

Shakhtar 87% 426 

Ludogorets 88% 424 

Sporting 87% 413 

Athletic 81% 401 

Benfica 79% 393 

Leverkusen 78% 378 

CSKA Moskva 85% 376 

Olympiacos 88% 367 

Maribor 86% 352 

Anderlecht 87% 337 

Monaco 82% 336 

Atlético 83% 325 

Malmö 84% 311 

APOEL 83% 297 

BATE 77% 283 

This graphic gives the 

average number of 

passes attempted 

during a game (passes) 

and the percentage of 

passes successfully 

received by a 

team-mate (accuracy). 

Number of passes 

attempted 

Accuracy 

32 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 STATISTICS 

33

GOALSCORING ANALYSIS 

AS Monaco FC failed to score in six of their 

10 matches, which yielded an average of 

1.2 goals apiece. 

Luiz Adriano scored eight of his nine goals against BATE 

The net 

result 

The strike rate kept pace with recent 

seasons as the goals per game ratio 

remained near its all-time high 

Three successive seasons of similar goal tallies 

suggest a degree of stability, with the total 

number of goals scored in 2014/15 only one 

short of the 362 scored in 2013/14 and seven 

behind the record of 368 set in the season 

before that. Once again, the four semi-finalists 

accounted for in excess of 100 goals, although 

the silver medallists, Juventus, were outscored 

practically two-to-one by FC Bayern München, 

the season’s leading scorers with 33 in 12 

games. No fewer than 27 of FC Barcelona’s 

goals were scored by their attacking trio of 

Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, the 

cosmopolitan combination illustrating the 

global nature of a competition in which, 

during the group stage alone, players from 

43 different countries scored. 

As usual, more goals were scored in the second 

half of games than in the first. Excluding the two 

extra-time goals at Stamford Bridge, 162 hit the 

net before half-time and 197 after the break – a 

22% difference. A greater percentage of goals 

were scored by home teams: 211 (58.5% of the 

total compared with 56% in the previous 

season), while visitors accounted for 146. 

However, there were striking goal tallies away 

from home, with FC Shakhtar Donetsk 

(in Borisov) and Bayern (in Rome) both scoring 

seven. Group C represented the other side of the 

coin, offering spectators only two games in which 

more than two goals were scored, three goalless 

draws, and four fixtures that ended 1-0. 

Goal type 

Category Action Guidelines Goals 

Set-play 

goals 

Openplay 

goals 

Paris midfielder Marco 

Verratti in celebratory mood 

When the goals were scored 

44 

(12%) 

1–15 

minutes 

52 

(14%) 

57 

(16%) 

16–30 31–45 45+ First-half 

total 

52 

(14%) 

60 

(17%) 

74 

(20%) 

Decimal points account for the remaining 2% 

Group 

stage 

1 

(

OPEN-PLAY GOALS 

Goals from short-passing 

combinations are on the rise 

Goals season by season 

Season Goals Games Average 

Open-play goals accounted for 74% of the 

season’s total, with 7.5% of them attributable 

to defensive errors or own goals. There was a 

slight upturn in the number of goals derived 

from through passes, but the 37 created in this 

way was the second-lowest tally since the 

current 125-game format was introduced. This 

route to goal proved to be 55% less productive 

than it was in 2010/11. Going further back, the 

through pass accounted for 26% of open-play 

goals in the 2005/06 season. In 2014/15 this 

was pegged back to 13.86%. 

Combination moves 

accounted for 

23.6% 

of open-play goals, 

more than any other 

goal type 

The main feature of the 2014/15 season, 

however, was that it highlighted the trend 

towards attacking strategies based on neat 

combination moves. Seen in isolation, the 

figure of 63 goals resulting from combination 

play represents 23.6% of the open-play total 

– significantly higher than any other category. 

However, the historical context is more 

interesting. The figure signifies an increase 

of 12.5% on the previous season and is the 

highest recorded – even including the 2001/02 

and 2002/03 seasons when the second group 

stage was extant and 157 games were played 

– since 64 of 449 goals stemmed from 

combination moves in 2000/01. The steady 

drift towards combination play in the attacking 

third can be measured by the fact that the 

2014/15 total is three times higher than the 

figure registered in 2009/10 and practically 

multiplies the 2005/06 total by four. 

Barcelona’s successes in recent seasons could 

inspire teams to seek to replicate this method 

to create chances. Luis Enrique’s team produced 

masterful examples of short-passing 

combinations in the seemingly impenetrable 

central areas of defensive blocks. The opening 

goal in the final provided a textbook example of 

combinations that perfectly blended crossfield 

passing, positional movements that posed a 

series of problems for defenders, finely tuned 

one-touch passing and high-speed runs into 

scoring positions by midfielders. Real Madrid CF’s 

opening goal away to Liverpool FC also provided 

textbook evidence of how scoring opportunities 

can be created by combining high-speed runs 

with the exploitation of seemingly insignificant 

or inaccessible spaces. 

A delighted Ivan Rakitić opens the scoring in Berlin 

The shift towards attacking strategies based on 

combination play could arguably be linked with 

the decline in the number of goals derived from 

crosses – 17.7% down in comparison with the 

previous season to reach the lowest figure 

recorded since 2005/06. Prior to the 2014/15 

season, this category had been a relatively stable 

source of goals, peaking with 78 in 2008/09 

(almost one-third of the open-play goals in that 

season). In 2014/15, this department yielded 

only 19% of the open-play goals. 

In other categories, the pass back from areas 

near the byline increased in productivity, without 

rediscovering the peak registered in the 2011/12 

and 2012/13 seasons, when the cutback 

doubled and practically tripled its effectiveness. 

Although the 2014/15 figure is 37% down 

compared with the 2012/13 peak, the total of 

24 is still the third-highest since the current 

format was introduced. It doubles or triples some 

of the figures registered during the first decade 

of the century and exceeds the totals posted 

during the era of two group stages and 157 

Edinson Cavani tries to get the better of Thibaut Courtois 

games. The cutback has undoubtedly prospered 

as a source of goals in the modern game, with 

players increasingly attacking the inner areas of 

the box rather than adhering to the traditional 

ploy of heading towards the corner flag and 

delivering a high cross. 

Even though Messi’s solo skills provided one 

of the eye-catching features of 2014/15, 

the number of goals directly attributable to 

individual running with the ball registered 

Porto sharpshooter Vincent Aboubakar 

a 35% descent in comparison with the previous 

season. However, the 17 goals scored in this 

way signify a return to exactly the same level as 

in 2011/12 and 2012/13, which was 

significantly higher than in the four seasons 

prior to that. In 2014/15, running with the ball 

accounted for one in 16 of the season’s goals. 

Elsewhere, values bore easy comparison with 

the previous season, with diagonal passing into 

the box remaining at the peak figure of 19 – the 

highest since 2003/04. This fact dovetails with 

theories that teams are no longer obsessed 

with reaching the corner-flag area before 

delivering crosses into the box, but are more 

prepared to serve the ball to onrushing 

team-mates from wide areas adjacent to the 

outer limit of the attacking third. 

Long-range shooting still accounted for a 

sizeable percentage of open-play goals 

(13.5% – or just over one goal in seven), but 

has fallen below the ratios achieved during the 

golden age of the long shot between 2009/10 

1992/93 56 25 2.24 

1993/94 71 27 2.63 

1994/95 140 61 2.30 

1995/96 159 61 2.61 

1996/97 161 61 2.64 

1997/98 239 85 2.81 

1998/99 238 85 2.80 

1999/00 442 157 2.82 

2000/01 449 157 2.86 

2001/02 393 157 2.50 

2002/03 431 157 2.75 

2003/04 309 125 2.47 

2004/05 331 125 2.65 

2005/06 285 125 2.28 

2006/07 309 125 2.47 

2007/08 330 125 2.64 

2008/09 329 125 2.63 

2009/10 320 125 2.56 

2010/11 355 125 2.84 

2011/12 345 125 2.76 

2012/13 368 125 2.94 

2013/14 362 125 2.90 

2014/15 361 125 2.89 

Total 6,783 2,533 2.68 

and 2012/13. Yet the season produced some 

outstanding long-range strikes, such as Aaron 

Ramsey’s when the clearance from a corner 

fell to the Arsenal FC midfielder outside the 

box, and the two fierce efforts by Vincent 

Aboubakar that gave the FC Basel 1893 

goalkeeper no chance during the first knockout 

round match in Porto. 

Lionel Messi was one of three players to score ten times 

36 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 GOALSCORING ANALYSIS 

37

GOALSCORING ANALYSIS The entertainment value of the 2014/15 

UEFA Champions League can be gauged by the 

number of stunning goals, which were pared 

down to a list of ten by the UEFA technical 

observers’ group. Pride of place went to the 

technically brilliant build-up and finish that 

allowed Real Madrid CF to take the lead at 

The best goals 

Open play 

Barcelona provided half of the 

best goals of the season, but 

it was Cristiano Ronaldo who 

topped the chart 

Scorer Match Minute Score 

after goal 

Final 

score 

1 Cristiano Ronaldo Liverpool v Real Madrid 23 0-1 0-3 

2 Ivan Rakitić Juventus v Barcelona 4 0-1 1-3 

3 Lionel Messi Barcelona v Bayern 80 2-0 3-0 

4 Luis Suárez Paris v Barcelona 79 0-3 1-3 

5 Ivan Rakitić Barcelona v Manchester City 31 1-0 1-0 

6 Marco Reus Galatasaray v Dortmund 41 0-3 0-4 

7 Karim Benzema Real Madrid v Basel 79 5-1 5-1 

8 Lionel Messi Paris v Barcelona 12 1-1 3-2 

9 Robert Lewandowski Bayern v Porto 27 3-0 6-1 

10 Vincent Aboubakar Porto v Basel 76 4-0 4-0 

Ivan Rakitić Barcelona v Manchester City 

Anfield. Cristiano Ronaldo combined with 

defender Pepe and Karim Benzema before 

James Rodríguez scooped an exquisitely 

weighted pass over the Liverpool defence, into 

a space where the onrushing Ronaldo seemed 

to be blocked by Martin Škrtel. The Madrid 

goalscorer, however, showed brilliant technique 

as he stretched his right leg to clip a half-volley 

into the far corner of the net. 

The second-best goal, FC Barcelona’s opener 

in the final, involved a simpler finish but an 

outstanding build-up. Lionel Messi hit a 

crossfield pass from right to left, Jordi Alba then 

made an excellent first touch, Neymar spotted 

and fed Andrés Iniesta’s high-speed run into the 

box and the midfielder disguised a lethal pass 

with the outside of his right boot for Ivan Rakitić 

to sidefoot his team in front. The bronze medal 

went to Messi himself for the stunning solo 

skills and delicately chipped finish that put his 

side two goals ahead against FC Bayern 

München at the Camp Nou. 

Marco Reus Galatasaray v Dortmund 

Lionel Messi Paris v Barcelona 

It was the reflection of an outrageously 

successful campaign that Barcelona provided 

half of the season’s best open-play goals. 

Among the remainder, Marco Reus claimed a 

place with a breathtaking long-range shot after 

the ball had been played from the left across 

the Galatasaray AŞ defence. Toni Kroos, James 

Rodríguez and Ronaldo combined to allow 

Benzema to strike Real Madrid CF’s 1,000th 

European goal. A high ball-win by Philipp Lahm 

and a nice volley by Thomas Müller allowed 

Robert Lewandowski to head Bayern’s third 

against FC Porto in Munich and the fierce 

long-range strike by Vincent Aboubakar was the 

second of two similarly brilliant goals during the 

4-0 home win against FC Basel 1893 in the first 

knockout round. 

Cristiano Ronaldo Liverpool v Real Madrid 

Robert Lewandowski Bayern v Porto 


THE BEST GOALS 

39

GOALSCORING ANALYSIS 

Aaron Ramsey 

Galatasaray v Arsenal 

Set plays 

Masters of the art Steven 

Gerrard and Andrea Pirlo 

made their mark, while 

Son Heung-Min showed 

why practice makes perfect 

As in the previous season, 94 goals resulted 

from dead-ball situations – but one-third of 

them were penalties. Top spot went to the 

well-rehearsed indirect free-kick that allowed 

Son Heung-Min to shoot Bayer 04 Leverkusen 

ahead during the match against FC Zenit in 

St Petersburg. Second place went to an 

effort which was considerably less rehearsed 

but equally spectacular, with Arsenal FC’s 

Aaron Ramsey hitting an unstoppable response 

to a partially cleared corner during his team’s 

group game in Istanbul. Two of the other three 

were free-kicks struck directly into the net by 

consummate specialists Steven Gerrard and 

Andrea Pirlo, while the dead ball hit fiercely into 

the FC Basel 1893 net by FC Porto’s Casemiro 

was simply unstoppable. 

Casemiro Porto v Basel 

Steven Gerrard Liverpool v Basel 

Scorer Type Match Minute Score 

after goal 

Final 

score 

Son Heung-Min Zenit v Leverkusen 

Andrea Pirlo Juventus v Olympiacos 

1 Son Heung-Min Free-kick Zenit v Leverkusen 68 0-1 1-2 

2 Aaron Ramsey Corner Galatasaray v Arsenal 29 0-3 1-4 

3 Steven Gerrard Free-kick Liverpool v Basel 81 1-1 1-1 

4 Casemiro Free-kick Porto v Basel 56 3-0 4-0 

5 Andrea Pirlo Free-kick Juventus v Olympiacos 21 1-0 3-2 


THE BEST GOALS 

41

STATISTICS 

Making the 

breakthrough 

Opening the scoring was more important than ever, 

with just 4% of games won by the team conceding first 

Result of the team scoring first 

92 20 5 

WINS DRAWS DEFEATS 

Anthony Vanden Borre led Anderlecht’s thrilling recovery 

at Arsenal with a pair of second-half goals 

“If you are losing, you are obliged to take the 

initiative – and if you have to do that, you 

become more vulnerable and have an even 

greater chance of losing.” In recent years, 

Arsène Wenger, like many of his coaching 

colleagues, has been trying to find rational 

explanations for the fact that, in the UEFA 

Champions League, the team conceding the 

first goal so rarely comes back to win. In 

2008/09, only 56.8% of matches were won 

by the team that broke the deadlock. Since 

then, the percentage has steadily increased. 

The 2014/15 season produced eight goalless 

draws, with AS Monaco FC involved in three of 

them and Juventus, Club Atlético de Madrid 

and FC Shakhtar Donetsk two apiece. Of the 

117 fixtures which produced goals, teams came 

from behind to draw on 20 occasions but only 

five (4.27%) were won by the team that 

conceded the opening goal. 

It means that this particular phenomenon 

became even more remarkable during 2014/15, 

bearing in mind that, in the previous season, 

14 teams had fought back from a goal down to 

win. The five comeback victories all took place 

during the group stage; during the knockout 

stage, scoring the first goal proved to be a 

guarantee of avoiding defeat. 

Comeback kings 

Ludogorets Madrid 1-2 

Anderlecht Arsenal 1-2 

Schalke Sporting 4-3 

Sporting Schalke 4-2 

Barcelona Paris 3-1 

Teams in bold recovered from going a goal down to win 

The perennial question is why the success rate 

is so low when it comes to bouncing back after 

conceding the opening goal. On only ten 

When the first goals were scored 

37 27 18 1 16 8 9 1 

1–15 16–30 31–45 45+ 46–60 61–75 76–90 90+ 

Minutes 

occasions was the first goal of the game scored 

in the closing minutes when there was little or 

no time to reply – the most extreme being the 

added-time goal that gave ten-man FC Basel 

1893 no time to react in their away fixture 

against PFC Ludogorets Razgrad. In fact, the 

scoreboard operator was only required to display 

1-0 during the last half-hour on 18 occasions 

during the 117 matches that produced goals. 

In 37 games, the first goal hit the net during the 

opening 15 minutes and 83 of the opening goals 

(71%) were scored before the teams headed for 

the dressing room at half-time. There was time 

to respond. Why were so many teams unable to 

provide a response? 

Gareth Bale and Arda Turan renew 

acquaintances as Madrid’s 2014 finalists 

met again – this time in the quarter-finals 


43

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 

Attempts on goal 

Crossing 

In line with 2013/14, it took 

on average almost nine 

attempts to score a goal 

During the 2014/15 season, UEFA Champions 

League teams offered its global audience 3,209 

goal attempts at an average of 25.67 per match 

– a marginal increase of 2.6% over the previous 

season. Of those, 36.5% (1,170 at an average 

These diagrams illustrate the goals and 

attempts on goal for each team during the 

2014/15 season and are ordered by average 

attempts per game. 

Attempts = season total (average per game) 

Attempts/goal = average attempts per goal 

Blocked = blocked shots 

Woodwork = hit the post or crossbar. Attempts 

striking the woodwork are included in the 

on-target total if deflected by a goalkeeper 

or defender and in the off-target total if the 

attempt struck the woodwork directly. 

of 9.36 per fixture) were on target in the 

sense that they either hit the net or made the 

goalkeeper work. It is best to put it that way 

bearing in mind that 25% of all goal attempts 

were blocked before they reached the keeper. 

The graphic below illustrates the major 

discrepancies among the success rates of the 

32 participating clubs. The overall average for 

the season reveals that almost nine attempts 

(8.89, to be precise) were required to score a 

Dortmund Chelsea 

Galatasaray Leverkusen 

Schalke 

Athletic 

15 

20 

4 

8 

13 

5 

23 

27 

Attempts: 119 (14.9) 

Attempts/goal: 7.93 

Blocked: 18 

Woodwork: 3 

35 11 19 

17 

16 12 28 

26 

40 21 

11 

12 

Attempts: 118 (14.8) 


Blocked: 34 

Woodwork: 1 

11 

26 

Attempts: 88 (14.7) 

Attempts/goal: 22 

Blocked: 28 

Woodwork: 1 

17 

20 

Attempts: 112 (14) 


Blocked: 28 

Woodwork: 4 

18 

19 

Attempts: 111 (13.9) 


Blocked: 31 

Woodwork: 4 

goal. But there was a broad band on either 

side of that mean figure, the extreme readings 

being provided by SL Benfica and FC BATE 

Borisov (who needed 34 and 29.5 respectively 

to score) or, at the other end of the spectrum, 

FC Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Porto, Arsenal FC or 

Chelsea FC, all of whom needed fewer than six 

attempts to give the scoreboard operator some 

work. APOEL FC’s only success from 30 

attempts was from the penalty spot. 

9 22 

14 14 



Blocked: 21 

Woodwork: 3 

Porto Juventus 

Atlético Madrid Arsenal 

Ludogorets 

CSKA Moskva 

25 

17 

15 

18 

5 

6 

25 

23 



Blocked: 22 

Woodwork: 4 

35 32 33 

15 

25 10 8 

16 

37 36 

30 

33 

Attempts: 166 (12.8) 


Blocked: 30 

Woodwork: 4 

33 

19 

Attempts: 126 (12.6) 


Blocked: 32 

Woodwork: 2 

29 

7 



Blocked: 22 

Woodwork: 4 

11 

16 



Blocked: 16 

Woodwork: 1 

14 17 

7 17 



Blocked: 18 

Woodwork: 3 

Paris Olympiacos 

Anderlecht Basel 

Ajax 

Benfica 

14 

10 

8 

8 

8 

2 

28 

16 

Attempts: 119 (11.9) 


Blocked: 30 

Woodwork: 2 

31 15 18 

10 

14 10 25 

17 

16 18 

17 

8 



Blocked: 12 

Woodwork: 0 

15 

9 



Blocked: 21 

Woodwork: 4 

17 

16 



Blocked: 17 

Woodwork: 1 

15 

5 



Blocked: 21 

Woodwork: 1 

7 13 

9 13 



Blocked: 26 

Woodwork: 1 

Maribor Zenit 

Roma BATE 

Monaco 

Shakhtar 

4 

4 

8 

2 

7 

15 

12 

13 



Blocked: 22 

Woodwork: 2 

6 19 10 

18 

14 9 16 

28 

13 8 

7 

9 



Blocked: 28 

Woodwork: 1 

XX 

XX 

Team 

Goals 

XX 

XX 

Attempts on target 

Attempts off target 

7 

12 



Blocked: 15 

Woodwork: 3 

Real Madrid 

24 

54 48 

31 28 

Attempts: 218 (18.2) 


Blocked: 57 

Woodwork: 6 

10 

5 



Blocked: 18 

Woodwork: 1 

Bayern 

33 

56 41 

26 29 

Attempts: 210 (17.5) 


Blocked: 58 

Woodwork: 4 

16 

11 



Blocked: 24 

Woodwork: 1 

Sporting 

12 

25 23 

15 17 

Attempts: 104 (17.3) 


Blocked: 24 

Woodwork: 1 

25 13 

12 12 



Blocked: 13 

Woodwork: 1 

Barcelona 

31 

60 44 

20 32 



Blocked: 39 

Woodwork: 6 

Liverpool 

5 

13 12 

13 13 



Blocked: 27 

Woodwork: 1 

Manchester City 

10 

22 26 

11 14 



Blocked: 24 

Woodwork: 1 

Malmö 

4 

15 12 

9 16 



Blocked: 15 

Woodwork: 1 

APOEL 

1 

4 8 

2 5 



Blocked: 11 

Woodwork: 0 

A drop in the success rate of crosses raised 

questions about the quality of delivery and 

drew attention to defensive prowess 

The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League produced 4,537 crosses at an 

average of 36.3 per game – roughly three for every five minutes of real 

playing time. Of these, 1,030 reached a team-mate and could therefore 

be described as successful. In other words, less than one in four crosses 

(22.7%) were received by a member of the same team. The chart, 

however, reveals substantial variation around those mean figures, with 

FC Bayern München and SL Benfica not far short of a one-in-three success 

rate while other teams were hovering around a ratio of one in six. In 

2013/14, only two teams registered success rates below 20%. In 2014/15 

nine teams fell below the one-in-five level – a statistic that raises 

questions about the quality of crossing and/or the quality of defending 

against crosses. 

Among the figures, adjustments to playing styles are clearly reflected – 

some of them easily traceable to a change of coach. With Paulo Fonseca 

at the helm, for example, FC Porto averaged 31.67 crosses per game in 

2013/14; under Julen Lopetegui, this figure was practically halved. Under 

Roberto Mancini, Galatasaray AŞ averaged 13.88 whereas, with Cesare 

Prandelli in charge, the average increased substantially in 2014/15. FC 

Barcelona, with Gerardo Martino in charge, averaged 21 crosses per game 

in 2013/14, compared with 15 during the run by Luis Enrique’s team to the 

2014/15 title. Others, with the same coach, also produced noteworthy 

variations. Chelsea FC’s average, for instance, increased from 13 to almost 

20, Club Atlético de Madrid’s crossing increased by 33% in relation to the 

run to the 2013/14 final, and Carlo Ancelotti’s defending champions Real 

Madrid CF hit 62% more crosses in 2014/15 than they had done en route 

to Lisbon. 

The trend away from tradition was highlighted by the scarcity of genuine 

wingers among the list of players who delivered most crosses during the 

2014/15 season. The chief suppliers were Koke (Atlético), Hakan 

Çalhanoğlu (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real 

Madrid), the Juventus pair Stephan Lichtsteiner and, revealingly, Andrea 

Pirlo, Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea), João Moutinho (Monaco), James Rodríguez 

(Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atlético) and Toni Kroos (Real Madrid). Amid all 

the full-backs and midfielders, only Ricardo Quaresma and Ezequiel Lavezzi 

could comfortably wear the winger label. Significantly, Lionel Messi 

delivered 26 crosses – five more than his team-mate Jordi Alba, arguably 

illustrating that the Barça left-back, when overlapping, preferred to look 

for short-passing solutions rather than hit the long cross. 

Real Madrid 

Atlético 

Galatasaray 

Sporting 

Athletic 

Bayern 

Schalke 

Paris 

Chelsea 

Ludogorets 

Olympiacos 

Monaco 

Juventus 

Dortmund 

Anderlecht 

Benfica 

Liverpool 

Ajax 

Arsenal 


Porto 

Malmö 

Barcelona 

Leverkusen 

Zenit 

Basel 

Shakhtar 

Maribor 

APOEL 

CSKA Moskva 

Roma 

BATE 

Crosses per game 

27.75 

24.94% 

26.6 

27.44% 

23.33 

20.7% 

23.33 

23.57% 

22.5 

17.78% 

21.25 

31.76% 

20.5 

18.93% 

20.3 

25.62% 

19.88 

27.06% 

19.83 

16.79% 

19.83 

20.17% 

19.3 

19.69% 

18.77 

23.34% 

18.75 

21.33% 

18.5 

20.7% 

18.5 

31.51% 

18.5 

21.62% 

18 

20.39% 

17.5 

20.74% 

17.5 

18.57% 

16 

21.25% 

15.33 

24.98% 

15 

20.53% 

14.5 

23.31% 

14.33 

18.63% 

13.38 

20.55% 

13.13 

24.75% 

12.17 

17.83% 

11.83 

16.91% 

11.33 

20.56% 

10.33 

16.17% 

10.17 

Success rate 

22.91% 


45

ANALYSIS 

Talking points 

In the post-final discussions, debate centred on continuity 

in coaching, and the now annual lament on the dearth of 

out-and-out strikers from Europe 

THE VALUE OF CONTINUITY 

Steeped in the Barça philosophy, Luis 

Enrique was no one-season wonder 

The best foundations for discussion are 

conflicting statements or apparently 

contradictory situations. So a starting point 

could be Sir Alex Ferguson’s conviction that 

continuity gives a club the stability it needs to 

mount sustainable attempts to win silverware. 

An era of almost 27 years at Manchester United 

FC made Sir Alex the epitome of a continuity 

that served as a platform for unparalleled 

success at his club. Contradictory evidence was 

offered by a 2014/15 season that was perfect 

for fuelling debate. If continuity is a valuable 

ingredient in the recipe for success, how did Luis 

Enrique achieve a Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA 

Champions League treble at the end of his first 

campaign, just as Pep Guardiola had done at 

FC Barcelona six seasons earlier? Sir Alex’s place 

at the head of the longevity chart has been 

inherited by Arsène Wenger, winner of 14 

trophies since he took over at Arsenal FC in 

October 1996. For the Frenchman, however, 

continuity can be more about players than 

coaches. “Sometimes it is more about how 

much experience the players have in terms 

of playing together,” he said. 

The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League was not 

exactly an ode to longevity. After Wenger, the 

longest-serving coach was Mircea Lucescu 

(at FC Shakhtar Donetsk since 2004), followed 

by Jürgen Klopp (who has since decided to end 

a reign at Borussia Dortmund that had started 

in 2008) and two coaches – Leonid Slutski at 

PFC CSKA Moskva and Jorge Jesus at SL Benfica 

– who started in 2009. Like Klopp, the latter 

stood down at the end of the season. Frank 

de Boer started at AFC Ajax in 2010, but the 

striking fact is that 24 of the other coaches 

leading teams into the 2014/15 UEFA 

Champions League had been appointed in 

2013 or 2014. It means that 75% of the 

coaches had either one season’s experience or 

no previous experience at the club when the 

ball started rolling in the summer of 2014. 

Statistically at least, it was therefore no surprise 

that the two coaches who reached the final in 

Berlin were pulling down the curtain on a highly 

successful first season. Both, incidentally, were 

leading teams from their native countries, 

whereas the previous season’s all-Madrid final 

had involved Italian Carlo Ancelotti and 

Argentinian Diego Simeone. Although the last 

was as recently as the 2013 final at Wembley 

(Jupp Heynckes and Jürgen Klopp), the final in 

Berlin was only the second in the last decade 

to involve two native coaches. 

Going back to the issue of continuity, there are 

shades of meaning to be drawn. After the 

victory in Berlin, Luis Enrique was at pains to 

point out that “in the last ten years, this has 

been the most successful club in Europe” and 

that his players had “shown hunger for victory”. 

In other words, he hints at support for Wenger 

in the thesis that the players, rather than the 

coach, are the chief purveyors of continuity. 

From this perspective, Barcelona provide 

compelling evidence, in that a significant 

percentage of the squad (half of the names 

on the team sheet in Berlin) have emerged 

from the club academy. 

This is relevant to notions of continuity, given 

that the Catalan club has adhered to a playing 

philosophy which, in the oft-repeated words 

of senior, respected players such as Xavi 

Hernández or Andrés Iniesta, is “nonnegotiable”. 

The players who arrive in the 

first-team dressing room from the youth 

development teams do so with an indelible 

footballing DNA. But what about the coach? 

Luis Enrique was not a pupil at the Barça 

academy – a fact that differentiates him from 

Guardiola and Tito Vilanova before him. But 

he had been a Barcelona player and he had 

coached the youngsters in the Barça B team. 

In other words, he is steeped in the footballing 

traditions of the club. How important is this? 

How important is it for a club to have a clearly 

defined footballing philosophy? How long does 

it take a coach to embrace such a philosophy? 

What is the value of continuity? 

Juve coach Massimiliano 

Allegri has his say 

EUROPE’S STRIKING ABSENCE 

South Americans continue to 

dominate the scoring chart 

There are moments when editorial concerns 

can cloud the issue. Editorially, it goes against 

the grain to repeat a talking point that was 

raised in the 2013/14 season – and the year 

before that. Yet, seen from a more detached 

perspective, an issue which arises season after 

season is, in logic, a talking point par excellence. 

Some years have passed since one of UEFA’s 

technical observers at UEFA Champions League 

matches, Roy Hodgson, mused: “I wonder how 

this will evolve. There is a danger that this job 

will become too lonely and too difficult. In 

many cases, the striker is not just expected to 

act as a target and to hold the ball up but also 

to do a lot of chasing and to work hard as the 

first line of defence.” With hindsight, his 

comment can be interpreted as a prophecy. 

After watching the Barcelona attacking trio of 

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar (122 goals 

between them during the season) in action at 

the Berlin final, the UEFA chief technical officer, 

Ioan Lupescu, renewed debate by remarking: 

“The reliance on South American strikers is 

becoming a problem in Europe.” Seven of the 

ten leading scorers in the 2014/15 UEFA 

Champions League were South American. Only 

one of the 16 players who scored five goals or 

more (Thomas Müller) was playing in his 

native country. 

Since Hodgson’s original remark, the evolution 

of attacking play had been marked by successes 

for the strikerless formations deployed by 

Barcelona and Spain. As Spaniard Ginés 

Meléndez commented in Berlin: “It has become 

noticeable that the youngsters’ role models are 

not the sort of players that they used to be. 

Nowadays, everybody wants to be Xavi or 

Iniesta. We’re developing lots of midfielders 

but not many teams play with two strikers.” In 

Berlin, Juventus provided an exception to the 

trend towards 1-4-2-3-1, fielding Carlos Tévez 

(Argentina) and Álvaro Morata who, in the 

previous season, had played 173 UEFA 

Champions League minutes for Real Madrid CF, 

his path blocked by Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth 

Bale and Karim Benzema. Jean-François 

Domergue, who apart from his role as technical 

observer is responsible for UEFA’s academy 

project, stated: “It’s becoming clear that we are 

not developing players who go direct for goal.” 

“It’s a subject that has caused a great deal of 

debate in Germany,” added Thomas Schaaf. 

“There has been great development in our 

youth teams in recent years and we see strong, 

fit, agile forwards. OK, Müller could act as a 

central striker but, in the main, we are 

producing players in the Mario Götze mould 

rather than target strikers. The focus has been 


TALKING POINTS 

47

ANALYSIS 

STATISTICS 

Running man 

Distance in metres per match 

BATE 121,238 

Bayern’s Thomas Müller had plenty to shout about 

on possession play, technique, transitions. We 

have players like Mesut Özil or Marco Reus who 

have lots of qualities and are brilliant at 

exploiting space, but – let’s put it this way – we 

don’t have replacements for Miroslav Klose. You 

can argue that this is in line with requirements 

because the game has evolved and static target 

strikers are easy to mark.” 

The debating point emerges year after year 

– and not only in the UEFA Champions League. 

It is one that, over a number of years, has been 

steadily permeating the UEFA youth 

development competitions from Under-17 to 

Under-21 levels. A couple of weeks before the 

Berlin final, the 2015 final tournament of the 

expanded Under-17 competition had, despite 

a high-scoring final in which France defeated 

Germany 4-1, yielded 59 goals in 33 games at 

a miserly average of 1.79 per game. As Jerzy 

Engel, one of the UEFA technical observers at 

the tournament in Bulgaria, remarked: “This 

was not a problem related to the quality of 

attacking play. There was simply a lack of 

players with predatory instinct.” 

Following the Berlin final, Mixu Paatelainen 

commented: “The fact that so many top 

strikers come from outside Europe obliges you 

to ask questions. Are we, as coaches, focusing 

too much on collective organisation of 

defensive and attacking play? Has training 

become too tactically orientated? Are we 

devoting enough time to practising finishing? 

Has the time come for us to offer more specific 

coaching to strikers?” The basic talking point 

therefore remains unchanged: even though the 

role of the striker may be evolving, what more 

can be done to preserve and promote the 

predatory instinct? 

“The focus has been on 

possession play, technique, 

transitions. We have 

players like Mesut Özil 

or Marco Reus; we don’t 

have replacements for 

Miroslav Klose” 

Nine of the sides that covered 

the most ground fell at the 

end of the group stage 

Debate about the relevance of data related to 

distances covered was fuelled by the 2014/15 

season, in which FC BATE Borisov ran further than 

any other team and conceded a record 24 goals 

in finishing at the foot of their group. This 

season, a survey of the games in which each 

individual team among the group stage fallers 

registered its maximum distance reveals that 

the running led to one victory, six draws and nine 

defeats. Contradictory evidence was presented 

by the 16 top teams – the games where they 

covered the most ground produced 11 wins 

and five draws. 

Nine of the teams in the top half of the table 

were eliminated in the group stage, while three 

of the four semi-finalists are tucked away in the 

bottom half. The average distances may appear 

to be quite tightly grouped, yet the difference 

between top and bottom is considerable, BATE 

covering 22.85% more than the distance run by 

AS Roma. In 2013/14, the difference between 

first (Borussia Dortmund) and last (AC Milan) was 

16%. Continuing comparisons with the previous 

season, FC Porto and FC Barcelona added some 

4km to their average distance. 

Metres covered 

per minute played 

Player Club Average 

Óliver Torres Porto 142.50 

Nabil Dirar Monaco 142.24 

James Milner Manchester City 138.08 

Mikhail Gordeichuk BATE 137.96 

Vinicius APOEL 137.55 

Sven Bender Dortmund 137.26 

Mohamed Elneny Basel 136.40 

Svetoslav Dyakov Ludogorets 136.39 

Héctor Herrera Porto 135.74 

Lars Bender Leverkusen 135.71 

Mikel Rico Athletic 134.45 

Koke Atlético 133.38 

Cesc Fàbregas Chelsea 133.04 

Xabi Alonso Bayern 131.98 

Mario Götze Bayern 131.54 

Nemanja Matić Chelsea 131.33 

Henrikh Mkhitaryan Dortmund 129.95 

Ivan Rakitić Barcelona 129.95 

The table excludes matches in which the team 

played 30 minutes or more with ten players – 

a factor that evidently distorts the team total. 

Individual statistics are not easily calibrated, as 

the generally available data refer to cumulative 

distances over the entire season – which 

evidently favours players from the two teams 

that met in the final. More reliable comparisons 

can only be made on the basis of metres covered 

per minute played. The table below is based on 

sampling rather than an exhaustive analysis of 

the 600-plus players who competed in the 

2014/15 UEFA Champions League. 

The marked contrast in relation to the previous 

season is that, whereas key players from 

FC Bayern München and Dortmund formed a 

German hard core at the top of the table, in 

2014/15 the nationalities were much more 

widely spread, with members of German squads 

occupying only five places among the top 20 

players sampled. Predictably, midfielders are 

the dominant forces in terms of distances 

covered, while centre-backs are conspicuous by 

their absence. Using central defenders on show 

in Berlin as reference points, Gerard Piqué 

averaged 114.92m covered per minute played, 

Javier Mascherano 110.21, Leonardo Bonucci 

107.90 and Andrea Barzagli 122.71. At the foot 

of the table, from Andrea Pirlo down, figures for 

relevant players have been added for reference. 

Schalke 119,579 

Dortmund 119,405 

APOEL 118,456 

Ludogorets 117,705 

Basel 117,166 

Porto 117,072 

Leverkusen 117,021 

Athletic 116,876 

Liverpool 116,320 

Sporting 115,960 

Shakhtar 114,694 

Maribor 114,614 

Benfica 114,200 

Bayern 114,021 

CSKA Moskva 113,810 

Juventus 113,401 

Ajax 113,201 

Barcelona 113,026 

Arsenal 113,025 

Chelsea 112,905 

Zenit 112,832 

Monaco 112,545 

Malmö 112,166 

Atlético 111,285 

Anderlecht 111,078 

Manchester City 110,792 

Paris 109,288 

Real Madrid 109,157 

Olympiacos 108,706 

Galatasaray 108,379 

Roma 106,826 

Player Club Average 

Claudio Marchisio Juventus 129.82 

Blaise Matuidi Paris 129.52 

Fabian Frei Basel 129.15 

Marco Höger Schalke 128.97 

Marco Verratti Paris 128.83 

Arturo Vidal Juventus 128.03 

Thomas Müller Bayern 127.86 

Jordi Alba Barcelona 127.50 

Javier Pastore Paris 127.50 

Sergio Busquets Barcelona 127.41 

João Moutinho Monaco 126.87 

Andrea Pirlo Juventus 126.19 

Andrés Iniesta Barcelona 122.07 

Gareth Bale Real Madrid 117.64 

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 108.02 

Lionel Messi Barcelona 93.51 

Marc-André ter Stegen Barcelona 57.12 


49

STATISTICS 

Corners 

With 38 needed on average to produce a goal, corners 

provided less of a threat than commonly thought 

Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso takes aim in Rome 

Corner kicks provide a clear example of how 

reality can differ from public perception. The 

2014/15 UEFA Champions League illustrated 

once again that the degree of excitement 

generated by a corner kick is more about the 

potential of the set play than about its success 

rate. Spectators might have cheered 1,191 

corners during the season at an average of 9.53 

per match. But only 31 of them produced goals. 

The figures represented a decrease of 16% in 

relation to the previous season and an 

approximate return to the level recorded in 

2012/13. It means that the success rate during 

2014/15 was one goal per 38.42 corners or 

roughly one per four games. 

The figure could be slightly stretched. In 

their away game against Galatasaray AŞ, 

for example, the goal that made it 3-0 to 

Arsenal FC could be traced back to a corner on 

the left that was cleared out of the box – only 

for Aaron Ramsey to hit an unstoppable volley. 

5Bayern scored the most 

goals from corners, 

but only 1 in every 14 

attempts went in 

0 

15 teams failed to 

score from a corner 

The goal was attributed to the long-range shot 

rather than the corner. Borussia Dortmund’s 

fourth in the 4-1 win against Galatasaray was 

an own goal resulting from a corner from 

the left. And Chelsea FC’s third goal against 

FC Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen stemmed 

similarly from a corner from the left, which 

also went down as an own goal. 

FC Bayern München, who converted five of their 

69 corners at a ratio of just below 1:14, were 

the most successful club from corners. Chelsea 

and Real Madrid CF scored four apiece as a 

result of corners, though the success ratios 

were substantially different, with 1:12 for the 

former and 1:21 for the latter. Two of Paris 

Saint-Germain’s three successes came in a 

single match (against Chelsea at Stamford 

Bridge). FC Shakhtar Donetsk could also 

attribute three goals to corners, while FC Basel 

1893, Borussia Dortmund, PFC Ludogorets 

Razgrad and Olympiacos FC each registered two 

successes. Eight other clubs converted one 

corner, while 15 of the 32 participants failed 

to capitalise on this particular set play. 

Real Madrid were the frontrunners in terms of 

winning corners, with an average of seven per 

game. At the other end of the table, Malmö FF 

averaged just 2.67 corners per fixture (fewer 

than any other team) and gave away 6.5 per 

match (more than any other team). 

Corner kicks provided 16 of the season’s 56 

headed goals (11 in the group stage plus five in 

the knockout rounds) but, in seven more cases, 

even though it was not the finishing touch, a 

header (a nod-on or knock-down) helped to 

set up the goal. 

Thiago Silva rises above John Terry to score from a corner at Stamford Bridge 


51

STATISTICS 

Possession per game in the defensive, midfield and attacking thirds 

Keeping the ball 

Bayern, Barcelona and Porto enjoyed the most possession again, but 

for the champions, quicker transitions meant less time on the ball 

In terms of the ingredients for ultimate success 

in the UEFA Champions League, recent seasons 

have provided constant fluctuation between 

teams who set out to dominate possession and 

teams who are comfortable without the ball 

and can deliver fast counterattacks from deep 

defensive positions. The prime example of the 

latter is José Mourinho’s FC Internazionale 

Milano, who took the title in 2010 despite 

having only 32% of the ball in the final against 

Louis van Gaal’s FC Bayern München, and 

averaged 45% over the season. Inter’s play 

featured 22% long passing, an accuracy 

percentage of only 69, and an average distance 

of 103,172m covered per game – parameters 

far removed from the figures registered by the 

top teams of 2014/15. 

Once again, the ball possession chart was led by 

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern, though with an average 

four points lower than the 65% registered in 

2013/14. FC Barcelona’s average was pulled 

down by an identical margin, not least because 

the semi-final games between the two sides 

ended with a 53-47 split in Bayern’s favour. Apart 

from the opening game of the season against 

APOEL FC, Barcelona consistently had a greater 

share of the ball on their travels than in front of 

their home support at the Camp Nou. UEFA 

technical observer Ginés Meléndez interprets 

the fact as an indicator of a significant change. 

“Barcelona have added counterattacking to their 

dictionary, with three arrows up front and Ivan 

Rakitić looking for fast transitions rather than 

controlled possession when they win the ball 

in the defensive third,” he said. 

Differences are significantly slimmer than in 

2013/14 and some of the most noticeable 

variations are easily traceable to the luck of the 

draw. Real Madrid CF’s upward move from 

51% to 56%, for example, is because Carlo 

Ancelotti’s side had enjoyed only 36% of 

the ball during the 2013/14 semi-final against 

Bayern. Paris Saint-Germain’s downturn from 

58% to 49% is a result of playing Barcelona 

four times in the 2014/15 campaign. It put 

them among the six teams who reached the 

knockout rounds despite averaging under 

50% possession. 

For the coaches, however, the more pertinent 

question is how to differentiate between 

purposeful possession and sterile possession – 

and to have the ball in the areas that matter. 

“Even in the attacking third there is no profit 

in having good possession without posing a 

threat,” comments Guardiola. 

Team Defence % Midfield % Attack % 

Atlético 27 47 26 

Leverkusen 25 50 25 

Sporting 23 53 25 

Bayern 22 54 24 

Manchester City 21 56 24 

Real Madrid 21 55 24 

Dortmund 22 55 23 

Barcelona 23 55 22 

Galatasaray 25 53 22 

Chelsea 25 54 21 

Juventus 28 51 21 

Monaco 31 48 21 

Anderlecht 30 50 20 

Arsenal 28 53 19 

Athletic 25 56 19 

Benfica 31 50 19 

Clubs in bold qualified for the knockout stage 

Decimal points account for the extra 1% for Sporting and Manchester City 

Atletico’s Mario Mandžukić attempts to 

hold on to the ball against Leverkusen 

Team Defence % Midfield % Attack % 

CSKA Moskva 31 50 19 

Liverpool 29 52 19 

Schalke 26 55 19 

Shakhtar 34 47 19 

Ludogorets 30 52 18 

Malmö 32 50 18 

Paris 31 51 18 

Porto 28 54 18 

Zenit 28 54 18 

Ajax 26 57 17 

APOEL 35 48 17 

Olympiacos 31 52 17 

Basel 33 52 16 

BATE 39 45 16 

Roma 31 54 15 

Maribor 34 52 14 

Average possession per game 

61% 59% 56% 56% 54% 54% 53% 53% 

Bayern 

Barcelona 

Porto 

Madrid 

Arsenal 

Juventus 

Ajax 

Chelsea 

52% 

52% 

51% 

51% 

51% 

51% 

49% 

49% 

Galatasaray 

Zenit 

Benfica 

Dortmund 

Leverkusen 

Schalke 

Athletic 

Liverpool 

49% 

49% 

49% 

49% 

48% 

48% 

48% 

46% 

Ludogorets 

Paris 

Shakhtar 

Sporting 


Olympiacos 

Roma 

Basel 

46% 

45% 

45% 

44% 

43% 

38% 

37% 

33% 

Monaco 

Anderlecht 

Atlético 

Malmö 

Maribor 

BATE 

CSKA Moskva 

APOEL 

Clubs in bold qualified for the knockout stage 


53

STATISTICS 

Discipline 

Fouls per game 

The trend towards fairer play 

continued with a further 

decrease in the numbers of 

fouls and yellow cards 

The 2014/15 season underlined the downward 

trend in the number of fouls committed, with 

the overall total of infractions falling by 5.7% 

from 3,448 to 3,252. This meant that play was 

punctuated, on average, by 26 free-kicks per 

match – 26.02, to be precise. It was only four 

years ago that the average number of fouls per 

game dropped below 30 for the first time, 

before that figure fell to 27.58 in the 2013/14 

campaign. The 2010/11 season was also the 

first in which none of the participating clubs 

committed more than 20 fouls per match. In 

2014/15 Bayer 04 Leverkusen strayed close to 

this figure, but the remaining teams reflected a 

generalised downward trend. The champions, 

FC Barcelona, were near the foot of a table in 

which PFC CSKA Moskva, for the second 

successive campaign, gave away fewer free-kicks 

than any other side. 

Barcelona provide a clear example of a club 

whose low number of free-kicks is by design 

rather than accident. Given the lack of physical 

stature in their squad in recent years, set plays 

have become a relevant issue in game strategies 

– in that gifting free-kicks to the opposition in 

the defensive third is now frowned upon. Other 

coaches have been quick to embrace and 

implant this philosophy, with the result that a 

changing pattern has emerged. The numerical 

listing of fouls committed by individual players 

is evidently misleading in that it is coloured by 

the number of matches played. Hence the 

appearance at the head of the list by Arturo 

Vidal (Juventus) and Daniel Alves (Barcelona), 

who played more games than players from the 

other 30 teams. 

Yet the list provokes reflection, considering the 

former is an attacking midfielder, the latter an 

attacking right-back. Only a limited percentage 

of Alves’s fouls can be traced to his defensive 

area: the majority were derived from his 

energetic pressing in high areas. The upper 

portion of the list also features Alex Sandro 

(FC Porto), Medhi Benatia (FC Bayern München) 

For the second year running CSKA Moskva committed the fewest fouls per game 

and the Juventus wing-back Stephan 

Lichtsteiner. Most, however, are midfielders 

– generally screening midfielders such as 

Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Casemiro 

(Porto), Nemanja Matić (Chelsea FC), Nabil 

Dirar (AS Monaco FC), Marco Verratti and Blaise 

Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), and Raúl García 

and Arda Turan (Club Atlético de Madrid). To 

offer proof that strikers are required to present 

a first line of defence, the list also contains 

Mario Mandžukić (Atlético), Neymar (Barcelona), 

Fernando Llorente (Juventus), Robert Lewandowski 

(Bayern) and Jackson Martínez (Porto). 

Another salient feature is that the eye has to 

travel down to 15th position, level with Verratti 

and Lewandowski, to find a central defender 

– Real Madrid CF’s Sergio Ramos, who was also 

deployed by Carlo Ancelotti as a screening 

midfielder in the latter stages of the season. 

In other words, the 2014/15 campaign inspired 

reflection on changing job descriptions and the 

areas of the field where play is most likely to be 

interrupted by challenges deemed to be 

illegitimate. 

The graphic opposite charts the average number 

of offences per match committed by each of 

the 32 participating sides. As in the previous 

season, ten of the 16 clubs in the top half of 

the table were eliminated in the group stage. 

Leverkusen 19.38 

Zenit 16.67 

Sporting 16.17 

Malmö 16 

Monaco 14.6 

Benfica 14.5 

Ajax 14.33 

Athletic 14 

Basel 14 

BATE 14 

Atlético 14 

Chelsea 13.88 

Anderlecht 13.83 

Liverpool 13.83 

Olympiacos 13.83 

Porto 13.8 

Juventus 13.77 

Manchester City 13.63 

Bayern 13.58 

Arsenal 12.88 

Paris 12.6 

Shakhtar 11.63 

NK Maribor 11.5 

Ludogorets 11.33 

Schalke 11.25 

APOEL 10.83 

Galatasaray 10.67 

Barcelona 10.62 

Roma 10.5 

Real Madrid 9.42 

Dortmund 9.13 

CSKA Moskva 8.67 

The downturn in the number of infractions was 

reflected by a marginal drop in the number of 

yellow cards – down just 1.33% on the last 

campaign. However, the total represented a 

5.48% fall in relation to the figures for 2011/12 

and 2012/13. Atlético were alone in exceeding 

an average of three cautions per game (3.2) 

though FC Basel 1893 and Galatasaray AŞ 

reached three. Fifteen of the participating teams 

posted averages below two yellow cards per 

match, compared with 12 in the previous season 

and ten in 2012/13, hinting at a steady trend 

towards fairer play. Borussia Dortmund received 

just four bookings in their eight fixtures. 

However, the number of dismissals remained 

constant (28 compared with 27 in 2013/14). 

Eleven matches were affected by early 

dismissals: Geoffroy Serey Die (18th minute 

of Basel’s away defeat by PFC Ludogorets 

Razgrad), Anri Khagush (45+1 during 

Cards: season by season 

Season 

Yellow 

cards 

Yellow/ 

red cards 

FC BATE Borisov’s away loss to FC Shakhtar 

Donetsk), Benatia (20th minute of Bayern’s 

reverse in Manchester), goalkeeper Artur 

(18th minute of SL Benfica’s home defeat 

by FC Zenit), Marcelinho (19th minute of 

Ludogorets’ loss to Real in Madrid), Mauricio 

(33rd minute of Sporting’s away reverse to 

FC Schalke 04) and, most notably, Olexandr 

Kucher (third minute of Shakhtar’s dismantling 

in Munich). The only ‘success story’ pertaining 

to sides playing with ten corresponded to 

Paris’s 2-2 extra-time draw at Chelsea when 

Zlatan Ibrahimović was dismissed with, as it 

turned out, almost 90 minutes to play. On 

average, one in every 6.28 fouls in the 2014/15 

season was considered to be a bookable offence. 

Red 

cards 

Matches 

played 

Average 

yellow cards 

per match 

1994/95 192 4 6 61 3.15 

1995/96 198 10 8 61 3.24 

1996/97 203 3 3 61 3.33 

1997/98 283 11 6 85 3.33 

1998/99 302 7 8 85 3.55 

1999/00 524 14 16 157 3.34 

2000/01 567 13 13 157 3.61 

2001/02 508 10 11 157 3.24 

2002/03 530 8 11 157 3.38 

2003/04 415 20 9 125 3.32 

2004/05 434 14 25 125 3.47 

2005/06 463 19 9 125 3.70 

2006/07 477 9 17 125 3.82 

2007/08 445 7 9 125 3.56 

2008/09 489 11 8 125 3.91 

2009/10 472 14 13 125 3.78 

2010/11 453 13 11 125 3.62 

2011/12 549 15 7 125 4.39 

2012/13 548 10 10 125 4.38 

2013/14 525 12 15 125 4.20 

2014/15 518 17 11 125 4.14 

Totals 9,095 241 226 2,481 3.67 


55

TECHNICAL OBSERVERS’ GROUP SELECTION 

All-star 

squad 

Barcelona players formed the spine of the 

all-star squad, showing their individual as 

well as collective worth to the holders 

FC Barcelona had only one name on the teamsheet for the 2013/14 

season, but the Catalan club were the dominant force in 2014/15. 

Luis Enrique’s team strung together an impressive sequence of home 

and away successes en route to taking the title in Berlin, scoring 31 

goals in the process, at an average of a tad under 2.4 per game. The 

inclusion of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, the German Under-21 

international who kept goal for Barça in two-thirds of their treble 

(Spain’s Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League) is perhaps a 

little unusual, as during the 38 league matches, Claudio Bravo was the 

first-choice goalkeeper. In defence, Branislav Ivanović and Giorgio 

Chiellini (the latter cruelly ruled out of the final through injury) 

performed key roles during the campaign. In midfield, Toni Kroos, 

Andrea Pirlo and Sergio Busquets operated in the controlling area in 

front of the defensive line, while the other three played box-to-box 

roles. In the attacking positions, Álvaro Morata progressed significantly 

during the season, after joining Juventus from Real Madrid CF in the 

summer of 2014, and scored crucial goals – not least against his 

former club – in the latter stages of the competition. 

Defenders Midfielders Attackers 

Jordi Alba 

Giorgio 

Chiellini 

Sergio 

Busquets 

Andrés Iniesta 

Lionel Messi 

49 

Most attempts at 

goal, by Lionel Messi 

– three more than 

Cristiano Ronaldo 

Goalkeepers 

Branislav 

Ivanović 

Javier 

Mascherano 

Toni Kroos 

Claudio 

Marchisio 

Álvaro Morata 

Neymar 

Gianluigi 

Buffon 

Marc-André 

ter Stegen 

1,170 

Gianluigi Buffon 

and Marc-André 

ter Stegen played 

every minute of their 

teams’ campaigns 

Gerard Piqué 

Andrea Pirlo 

Ivan Rakitić 

Cristiano 

Ronaldo 

Luis Suárez 

56 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 TECHNICAL OBSERVERS’ GROUP SELECTION 

57

SEASON OVERVIEW 

Results 

PLAY-OFFS – LEAGUE PATH (Aggregate scores played over two legs; the first-named club was at home in the first leg) 

PLAY-OFFS – CHAMPIONS PATH (Aggregate scores played over two legs; the first-named club was at home in the first leg) 

Salzburg 2 

Malmö 4 

FC København 2 

Leverkusen 7 

Napoli 2 

Athletic Club 4 

Steaua 1 

Ludogorets (Win 6-5 on pens) 1 

Beşiktaş 0 

Arsenal 1 

Maribor 2 

Celtic 1 

AaB 1 

APOEL 5 

Slovan Bratislava 1 

BATE 4 

Standard 0 

Zenit 4 

LOSC Lille 0 

Porto 3 

GROUP STAGE 

GROUP STAGE 

GROUP A P W D L F A Pts 

Club Atlético de Madrid 6 4 1 1 14 3 13 

Juventus 6 3 1 2 7 4 10 

Olympiacos FC 6 3 0 3 10 13 9 

Malmö FF 6 1 0 5 4 15 3 

GROUP B P W D L F A Pts 

Real Madrid CF 6 6 0 0 16 2 18 

FC Basel 1893 6 2 1 3 7 8 7 

Liverpool FC 6 1 2 3 5 9 5 

PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 6 1 1 4 5 14 4 

GROUP C P W D L F A Pts 

AS Monaco FC 6 3 2 1 4 1 11 

Bayer 04 Leverkusen 6 3 1 2 7 4 10 

FC Zenit 6 2 1 3 4 6 7 

SL Benfica 6 1 2 3 2 6 5 

GROUP D P W D L F A Pts 

Borussia Dortmund 6 4 1 1 14 4 13 

Arsenal FC 6 4 1 1 15 8 13 

RSC Anderlecht 6 1 3 2 8 10 6 

Galatasaray AŞ 6 0 1 5 4 19 1 

Date Home Score Away Date Home Score Away 

16/09 Olympiacos 3-2 Atlético 04/11 Malmö 0-2 Atlético 

16/09 Juventus 2-0 Malmö 04/11 Juventus 3-2 Olympiacos 

01/10 Malmö 2-0 Olympiacos 26/11 Atlético 4-0 Olympiacos 

01/10 Atlético 1-0 Juventus 26/11 Malmö 0-2 Juventus 

22/10 Atlético 5-0 Malmö 09/12 Olympiacos 4-2 Malmö 

22/10 Olympiacos 1-0 Juventus 09/12 Juventus 0-0 Atlético 


16/09 Liverpool 2-1 Ludogorets 04/11 Basel 4-0 Ludogorets 

16/09 Real Madrid 5-1 Basel 04/11 Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool 

01/10 Basel 1-0 Liverpool 26/11 Ludogorets 2-2 Liverpool 

01/10 Ludogorets 1-2 Real Madrid 26/11 Basel 0-1 Real Madrid 

22/10 Ludogorets 1-0 Basel 09/12 Liverpool 1-1 Basel 

22/10 Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid 09/12 Real Madrid 4-0 Ludogorets 


16/09 Monaco 1-0 Leverkusen 04/11 Zenit 1-2 Leverkusen 

16/09 Benfica 0-2 Zenit 04/11 Benfica 1-0 Monaco 

01/10 Zenit 0-0 Monaco 26/11 Zenit 1-0 Benfica 

01/10 Leverkusen 3-1 Benfica 26/11 Leverkusen 0-1 Monaco 

22/10 Leverkusen 2-0 Zenit 09/12 Monaco 2-0 Zenit 

22/10 Monaco 0-0 Benfica 09/12 Benfica 0-0 Leverkusen 


16/09 Galatasaray 1-1 Anderlecht 04/11 Arsenal 3-3 Anderlecht 

16/09 Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal 04/11 Dortmund 4-1 Galatasaray 

01/10 Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray 26/11 Anderlecht 2-0 Galatasaray 

01/10 Anderlecht 0-3 Dortmund 26/11 Arsenal 2-0 Dortmund 

22/10 Anderlecht 1-2 Arsenal 09/12 Galatasaray 1-4 Arsenal 

22/10 Galatasaray 0-4 Dortmund 09/12 Dortmund 1-1 Anderlecht 

GROUP E P W D L F A Pts 

FC Bayern München 6 5 0 1 16 4 15 

Manchester City FC 6 2 2 2 9 8 8 

AS Roma 6 1 2 3 8 14 5 

PFC CSKA Moskva 6 1 2 3 6 13 5 

GROUP F P W D L F A Pts 

FC Barcelona 6 5 0 1 15 5 15 

Paris Saint-Germain 6 4 1 1 10 7 13 

AFC Ajax 6 1 2 3 8 10 5 

APOEL FC 6 0 1 5 1 12 1 

GROUP G P W D L F A Pts 

Chelsea FC 6 4 2 0 17 3 14 

FC Schalke 04 6 2 2 2 9 14 8 

Sporting Clube de Portugal 6 2 1 3 12 12 7 

NK Maribor 6 0 3 3 4 13 3 

GROUP H P W D L F A Pts 

FC Porto 6 4 2 0 16 4 14 

FC Shakhtar Donetsk 6 2 3 1 15 4 9 

Athletic Club 6 2 1 3 5 6 7 

FC BATE Borisov 6 1 0 5 2 24 3 


17/09 Roma 5-1 CSKA Moskva 05/11 Man. City 1-2 CSKA Moskva 

17/09 Bayern 1-0 Man. City 05/11 Bayern 2-0 Roma 

30/09 CSKA Moskva 0-1 Bayern 25/11 CSKA Moskva 1-1 Roma 

30/09 Man. City 1-1 Roma 25/11 Man. City 3-2 Bayern 

21/10 CSKA Moskva 2-2 Man. City 10/12 Roma 0-2 Man. City 

21/10 Roma 1-7 Bayern 10/12 Bayern 3-0 CSKA Moskva 


17/09 Barcelona 1-0 APOEL 05/11 Paris 1-0 APOEL 

17/09 Ajax 1-1 Paris 05/11 Ajax 0-2 Barcelona 

30/09 Paris 3-2 Barcelona 25/11 APOEL 0-4 Barcelona 

30/09 APOEL 1-1 Ajax 25/11 Paris 3-1 Ajax 

21/10 APOEL 0-1 Paris 10/12 Barcelona 3-1 Paris 

21/10 Barcelona 3-1 Ajax 10/12 Ajax 4-0 APOEL 


17/09 Chelsea 1-1 Schalke 05/11 Sporting CP 4-2 Schalke 

17/09 Maribor 1-1 Sporting CP 05/11 Maribor 1-1 Chelsea 

30/09 Sporting CP 0-1 Chelsea 25/11 Schalke 0-5 Chelsea 

30/09 Schalke 1-1 Maribor 25/11 Sporting CP 3-1 Maribor 

21/10 Schalke 4-3 Sporting CP 10/12 Chelsea 3-1 Sporting CP 

21/10 Chelsea 6-0 Maribor 10/12 Maribor 0-1 Schalke 


17/09 Porto 6-0 BATE 05/11 Shakhtar 5-0 BATE 

17/09 Athletic 0-0 Shakhtar 05/11 Athletic 0-2 Porto 

30/09 Shakhtar 2-2 Porto 25/11 BATE 0-3 Porto 

30/09 BATE 2-1 Athletic 25/11 Shakhtar 0-1 Athletic 

21/10 BATE 0-7 Shakhtar 10/12 Porto 1-1 Shakhtar 

21/10 Porto 2-1 Athletic 10/12 Athletic 2-0 BATE 

ROUND OF 16 17 February–18 March QUARTER-FINALS 14–22 April SEMI-FINALS 5–13 May FINAL 6 June 

Paris 3-3 Chelsea 

First leg 1-1 (agg) Second leg 2-2 (Paris win on away goals) 

Shakhtar 0-7 Bayern 

First leg 0-0 (agg) Second leg 0-7 

Basel 1-5 Porto 


Schalke 4-5 Real Madrid 


Atlético 0-1 Real Madrid 


Juventus 1-0 Monaco 


Juventus 3-2 Real Madrid 


Juventus 1-3 Barcelona 

Manchester City 1-3 Barcelona 


Juventus 5-1 Dortmund 


Arsenal 3-3 Monaco 

First leg 1-3 (agg) Second leg 2-0 (Monaco win on away goals) 

Leverkusen 1-1 Atlético 

First leg 1-0 (agg) Second leg 0-1 (Atlético win 3-2 on pens) 

Porto 4-7 Bayern 


Paris 1-5 Barcelona 


Barcelona 5-3 Bayern 



RESULTS 

59

TEAM PROFILES 

Top 16 

ARSENAL FC 

England 

STATISTICS 

The 32 clubs on the starting grid for the 

2014/15 season included 22 from the previous 

season. Of those 22, however, only 13 started 

the campaign with the same head coach – 

including all four of the 2013/14 semi-finalists 

and two of the beaten quarter-finalists. Among 

the nine clubs where there had been a change 

of coach, six successfully progressed beyond 

the group stage. Of the top 16 from the 

previous season, 11 qualified for the knockout 

stage of the competition once again. 

When the knockout rounds kicked off in 

February, the differences between group 

winners and runners-up were less flagrant than 

in the previous season, when the first legs 

produced six away wins that all but settled 

the ties. However, the opening eight games 

yielded only two home victories – for Bayer 04 

Leverkusen and Juventus. By winning the return 

3-0 in Dortmund, Juve caused the demise of a 

group winner, as did Paris Saint-Germain, who 

edged past Chelsea FC thanks to the away goals 

rule. Away goals also decided the AS Monaco FC- 

Arsenal FC tie in the French side’s favour. Club 

Atético de Madrid needed a penalty shoot-out 

to eliminate Leverkusen. 

From the quarter-finals onwards, FC Barcelona 

were the only team to post an away win (in 

Paris), with eight of the dozen matches played 

in the quarter and semi-finals ending as home 

wins. Two of the quarter-final ties yielded only 

one goal, while the other two were decided by 

four-goal margins. The following pages offer 

a data-based summary of each team’s 

performance, with statistics adjusted in cases 

where a dismissal may have distorted match 

statistics. In the passing data, a short pass is 

defined as one of 10m or less, passes of 

distances between 10m and 30m fall into 

the medium category, and a long pass is one 

of over 30m. 

G A DOR GAL AND AND DOR GAL MON MON* 

Goalkeepers 

L 2-0 W 4-1 W 1-2 D 3-3 W 2-0 W 1-4 L 1-3 W 0-2 

1 Wojciech Szczęsny 90 60 so S 90 I 90 0 0 

13 David Ospina 0 30 I I I I 90 90 

26 Emiliano Martínez 90 0 90 0 

Defenders 

2 Mathieu Debuchy I I I I I 77 I I 

3 Kieran Gibbs 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 7 

4 Per Mertesacker 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Laurent Koscielny 90 90 I I 0 90 90 

18 Nacho Monreal I I 90 90 90 I 0 83 

21 Calum Chambers 1 0 90 90 90 90 90 0 0 

39 Héctor Bellerín 90 0 0 0 0 90 90 90 

73 Stefan O'Connor 13 

Midfielders 

7 Tomáš Rosický 0 22 0 7 0 I 8 I 

8 Mikel Arteta 1 77 I 0 62 67 I I I 

10 Jack Wilshere 90 13 84 I I I I I 

11 Mesut Özil 1 62 77 I I I I 90 90 

16 Aaron Ramsey 3 1 62 I 90 90 90 45 I 27 

19 Santi Cazorla 2 28 90 90 90 90 82 90 

20 Mathieu Flamini 90 75 28 23 45 0 

28 Joel Campbell 0 0 15 1 90 

34 Francis Coquelin 0 68 63 

35 Gedion Zelalem 45 

70 Ainsley Maitland-Niles 45 

Forwards 

9 Lukas Podolski 3 13 0 6 7 11 90 

12 Olivier Giroud 1 I I I I 60 90 

14 Theo Walcott I I I 0 I I 30 18 

15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 2 2 28 68 15 83 89 90 22 

17 Alexis Sánchez 3 1 90 62 90 90 90 90 90 

22 Yaya Sanogo 1 1 I I I 0 79 90 

23 Danny Welbeck 3 90 90 75 83 I 90 72 

*agg 3-3; lost on away goals 

Ryan Huddart, Gabriel, Glen Kamara, Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi were unused substitutes 

Numbers in the squad list refer to minutes played; G = Goals; A = Assists; = taken off; = brought on; 0 = unused sub; I = injured/ill; S = suspended; so = sent off 

Matches: blue = home; grey = away 

PLAYERS USED 29 GOALS SCORED 

18 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 99 (36 on target) =12.4 (4.5) per game 

TIME SCORED 

5 2 0 2 

3 

0 3 3 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24 (Including four double substitutions) 

0 0 0 2 1 11 10 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

AVERAGES 

POSSESSION 54% 

Max. 62% v Anderlecht (h) 

Min. 45% v Dortmund (h) 

PASSES ATTEMPTED 518 

Max. 704 v Monaco (a) 

Min. 388 v Dortmund (h) 

TEAM DISTANCE COVERED 113,025 metres 

Max. 116,315 v Dortmund (h) | Min. 108,457 v Dortmund (a) 

PASSES PER MATCH 

Long 

49 (9% of total) 

Medium 327 (63%) 

Short 143 (28%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

18 

23 

34 

11 

12 

19 

6 4 

13 

POSSESSION POSITION 

19% 

53% 

28% 

PASSING ACCURACY 89% 

Max. 92%v Anderlecht (a) 

Min. 85% v Dortmund (h) 

17 

39 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

Madrid and Juve 

take to the Santiago 

Bernabéu stage 

• 1-4-2-3-1; occasional use of 

1-4-1-4-1 with single holding 

midfielder 

• Constructive one or two-touch 

short-passing game by technically 

gifted team 

• Good pace, readiness to run at 

opponents; excellent off-ball 

movement 

• Attacks using width; effective use 

of full-backs; good crosses 

• Intense pressing as from midfield; 

quick response to loss of ball 

• Patient build-up from back 

through midfield; good links 

between lines 

• Intricate combination play, 

movement in final third 

• Cazorla, Özil the catalysts in 

interchanging midfield 

• Dangerous, well-delivered corners 

and free-kicks 

• Excellent team spirit, attacking 

vocation, winning mentality 

Arsène Wenger 

Born: 22/10/1949, 

Strasbourg (FRA) 

Nationality: French 

Matches in 

UEFA Champions League: 179 

Head coach from: 

28/09/1996 


TEAM PROFILES 

61

CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID 

Spain 

FC BARCELONA 

Spain 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


15 


(1 own goal) 31 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 126 (42 on target) =12.6 (4.2) per game 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 195 (80 on target) = 15 (6.2) per match 

TIME SCORED 

2 2 5 3 

1 

0 1 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

TIME SCORED 

8 5 2 6 

5 

0 2 3 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 25/30 


0 1 2 3 2 9 8 0 

0 0 0 2 2 17 13 4 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A OLY JUV MAL MAL OLY JUV LEV LEV* RM RM 

L 3-2 W 1-0 W 5-0 W 0-2 W 4-0 D 0-0 L 1-0 W 1-0 D 0-0 L 1-0 

1 Miguel Ángel Moyà 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 23 0 0 

13 Jan Oblak 90 0 0 0 0 0 0 97 90 90 

Defenders 

2 Diego Godín 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 S 90 90 

3 Guilherme Siqueira 1 90 90 90 38 I 90 0 

15 Cristian Ansaldi 2 90 90 I I 90 I 0 

18 Jesús Gámez 0 0 0 0 0 52 120 0 90 

20 Juanfran 3 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 90 90 

23 Miranda 90 90 90 90 I I 90 120 90 90 

28 Lucas 0 

24 José María Giménez 0 0 0 0 90 90 0 120 0 4 

Midfielders 

4 Mario Suárez 1 75 6 90 90 45 90 0 120 90 S 

5 Tiago 0 90 I 0 45 0 76 so S 0 86 

6 Koke 2 4 90 90 90 90 90 90 I 120 83 90 

8 Raúl García 2 66 90 22 90 90 90 48 75 13 25 

10 Arda Turan 1 2 90 89 68 76 66 90 64 120 90 76 so 

14 Gabi 1 56 I I 90 90 90 90 0 90 45 

17 Saúl Ñíguez 15 53 90 0 42 I 0 45 

22 Cani 1 0 45 

Forwards 

7 Antoine Griezmann 2 34 37 72 21 21 0 90 120 77 65 

9 Mario Mandžukić 5 90 84 77 69 69 90 90 83 90 90 

11 Raúl Jiménez 0 0 24 0 0 

19 Fernando Torres 26 37 7 0 

21 Cristian Rodríguez 18 14 0 0 

22 Alessio Cerci 1 24 0 13 0 0 0 

AVERAGES 


Max. 56% v Olympiacos (a) 

Min. 32% v Juventus (a) 


Max. 520 v Olympiacos (h) 

Min. 204 v Leverkusen (a) 


Max. 118,619 v Malmö (a) | Min. 105,888 v Leverkusen (a) 


Long 

41 (13% of total) 

Medium 177 (54%) 

Short 107 (33%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

3 

6 

2 

14 

9 


26% 

47% 

27% 


Max. 91% v Olympiacos (h) 

Min. 73% v Leverkusen (h) 

Data for matchday eight v Leverkusen (h) changed pro rata to 

90-minute values to facilitate comparisons. 

7 

4 

23 

10 

20 

G A APO PSG AJX AJX APO PSG MC MC PSG PSG BAY BAY JUV 

Goalkeepers 

W 1-0 L 3-2 W 3-1 W 0-2 W 0-4 W 3-1 W 1-2 W 1-0 W 1-3 W 2-0 W 3-0 L 3-2 W 3-1 

1 Marc-André ter Stegen 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

13 Claudio Bravo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

2 Martín Montoya 0 80 

3 Gerard Piqué 1 90 0 90 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

14 Javier Mascherano 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 89 90 90 

15 Marc Bartra 1 90 90 90 90 90 0 0 0 1 0 0 

16 Douglas 0 I I 0 I I 

18 Jordi Alba 1 90 90 90 62 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

21 Adriano 90 0 I 7 28 1 15 1 10 0 0 0 0 

22 Daniel Alves 4 90 83 90 83 90 S 75 90 S 90 90 90 90 

23 Thomas Vermaelen I I I I I I I I I I 0 

24 Jérémy Mathieu 0 90 I 0 90 19 90 16 18 1 

Midfielders 

4 Ivan Rakitić 1 1 0 69 90 80 62 22 71 84 74 90 82 72 90 

5 Sergio Busquets 90 I 90 13 90 90 I 90 55 90 90 90 

6 Xavi Hernández 61 21 0 90 28 17 0 0 37 45 8 15 12 

8 Andrés Iniesta 4 29 90 76 I I 73 90 90 53 45 87 75 78 

12 Rafinha 2 11 I 14 10 70 so S 0 6 0 0 3 0 0 

20 Sergi Roberto 79 0 0 0 0 35 

26 Sergi Samper 90 0 

Forwards 

7 Pedro Rodríguez 2 62 90 16 90 68 10 0 0 15 0 45 1 

9 Luis Suárez 7 3 90 77 90 90 90 90 75 90 45 90 

10 Lionel Messi 10 5 90 90 67 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

11 Neymar 10 1 90 90 62 74 0 90 80 90 90 90 90 90 90 

29 Sandro Ramírez 1 22 7 28 

31 Munir El Haddadi 68 28 23 0 0 0 

AVERAGES 


Max. 74% v APOEL (a) 

Min. 47% v Bayern (h), Bayern (a) 


Max. 827 v APOEL (a) 

Min. 448 v Bayern (h) 


Max. 115,923 v Paris (MD10) | Min. 110,347 v Paris (MD2) 


Long 

64 (10% of total) 

Medium 398 (62%) 

Short 185 (29%) 

Decimal points account for the extra 1% 

TEAM SHAPE 

8 

9 

11 10 


22% 

55% 

23% 


Max. 94% v Ajax (h), APOEL (a) 

Min. 84% v Bayern (h) 

5 

18 22 

14 

3 

4 

*agg 1-1 aet; won 3-2 on pens 



13 



1 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-4-2 with two screening 

midfielders; occasional use of 

1-4-3-3 or 1-4-5-1 

• Build-up based on vertical 

combination moves; possession 

not a priority 

• High-intensity game; relentless 

pressure on opposition ball-carrier 

• Set plays a major attacking weapon; 

centre-backs supplying aerial power 

• Strong, compact defensive block, 

quick to drop deep; backed by 

quality goalkeeping 

• Competitive team ethic, 

determination, will-to-win, mental 

strength 

• Strikers Griezmann, Mandžukić 

working hard as first line of defence 

• Arda Turan the creative free 

spirit; good technique, vision 

for decisive pass 

• Fast transitions in both directions; 

counterattacks an important 

source of goals 

• Adventurous hard-running fullbacks, 

notably Juanfran on right; 

good crosses 

Diego Simeone 

Born: 28/04/1970, 

Buenos Aires (ARG) 

Nationality: Argentinian 

Matches in 



23/12/2011 

• 1-4-3-3 with three genuine attackers 

and a single screening midfielder 

• Possession-based game with 

high-tempo ball circulation 

• Adventurous full-backs combining 

constantly with Messi, Neymar 

• Technique and ability to play out 

from back even under intense 

pressure 

• Instant aggressive pressure after loss 

of ball; counters from high positions 

• High defensive line with keeper 

Ter Stegen active in covering, 

distributing play 

• Excellent balance between industry 

and creativity in midfield; good 

support for attacks 

• Messi the ‘unstoppable force’; solo 

runs, short combinations, decisive 

passes 

• Suárez a forceful leader of attack; 

Neymar’s dribbling able to create 

chaos 

• Excellent collective virtues, humble 

approach, team spirit, winning 

mentality 

Luis Enrique 

Born: 08/05/1970 

(Gijón, ESP) 

Nationality: Spanish 

Matches in 



01/07/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

63

FC BASEL 1893 

Switzerland 

FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN 

Germany 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


8 


33 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 93 (33 on target) = 11.6 (4.1) per match 


TIME SCORED 

1 3 1 0 

1 

0 2 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

TIME SCORED 

8 7 4 7 

4 

0 3 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


SUBSTITUTIONS 32/36 (including two double substitutions) 

1 1 0 0 1 8 12 1 

0 2 0 2 3 9 16 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A RM LIV LUD LUD RM LIV POR POR 

L 5-1 W 1-0 L 1-0 W 4-0 L 0-1 D 1-1 D 1-1 L 4-0 

1 Tomáš Vaclík 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

18 Germano Vailati 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Adama Traoré 0 

4 Philipp Degen I I I 0 76 0 0 0 

5 Arlind Ajeti 15 0 0 

6 Walter Samuel 64 I I I 0 2 90 90so 

16 Fabian Schär 90 90 90 90 90 90 S 57 

17 Marek Suchý 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 S 

19 Behrang Safari 90 9 I 90 90 90 90 90 

27 Naser Aliji 0 75 

34 Taulant Xhaka 90 90 90 90 I 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

7 Luca Zuffi 2 90 1 0 90 87 88 90 90 

8 Geoffroy Serey Die 90 18 so S 

10 Matías Delgado 7 0 I 16 0 0 0 I 

14 Yoichiro Kakitani 26 0 0 3 27 

20 Fabian Frei 1 3 83 90 90 81 83 90 90 63 

21 Marcelo Díaz S S S 9 7 7 

24 Ahmed Hamoudi 90 6 0 14 0 7 

33 Mohamed Elneny 90 90 90 90 90 83 90 90 

39 Davide Callà 0 9 84 21 0 65 13 

Forwards 

9 Marco Streller 1 73 90 I I I 74 63 90 

11 Shkelzen Gashi 1 0 0 0 74 90 90 83 77 

25 Derlis González 3 90 81 87 69 90 90 25 90 

30 Giovanni Sio 3 0 I I 

36 Breel Embolo 1 1 17 81 90 90 90 16 27 33 



AVERAGES* 


Max. 56% v Liverpool (h) 

Min. 39% v Porto (h)* 


Max. 547 v Ludogorets (h) 

Min. 299 v Porto (h)* 


Max. 125,086 v Liverpool (a) | Min. 101,618 v Liverpool (h) 


Long 

51 (12% of total) 

Medium 290 (66%) 

Short 97 (22%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

11 

19 

20 

6 

9 

7 

1 


16% 

52% 

33% 



Max. 91% v Liverpool (h) 

Min. 78% v Liverpool (a) 

*Excluding matchday three v Ludogorets (a) when playing 72 minutes with ten men. 

33 

17 

25 

34 

G A MC CSKA ROM ROM MC CSKA SHK SHK POR POR BAR BAR 

Goalkeepers 

W 1-0 W 0-1 W 1-7 W 2-0 L 3-2 W 3-0 D 0-0 W 7-0 L 3-1 W 6-1 L 3-0 W 3-2 

1 Manuel Neuer 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

22 Tom Starke I I I I 0 I I 

23 Pepe Reina 0 0 I I I 0 0 0 0 0 0 

29 Leopold Zingerle 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

4 Dante 5 90 0 0 65 90 0 23 90 1 0 0 

5 Medhi Benatia 1 85 90 90 90 20 so S 0 I I 90 90 

13 Rafinha 2 84 9 30 90 90 0 90 90 90 72 90 90 

17 Jérôme Boateng 3 3 90 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

18 Juan Bernat 2 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 31 90 90 90 90 

27 David Alaba 1 2 90 90 90 81 I I 90 90 I I I I 

28 Holger Badstuber 1 1 I I I I I I 20 67 16 90 I I 

Midfielders 

3 Xabi Alonso 2 1 90 90 90 72 90 0 65 so S 74 90 90 90 

6 Thiago Alcántara 2 1 I I I I I I I I 90 90 90 90 

7 Franck Ribéry 3 I I 22 90 81 45 90 59 I I I I 

8 Javi Martínez I I I I I I I I I I 0 3 

16 Gianluca Gaudino 0 73 0 0 0 

19 Mario Götze 4 1 90 77 79 90 0 90 75 90 56 86 11 3 

20 Sebastian Rode 1 0 0 92 25 90 0 71 34 18 22 

21 Philipp Lahm 90 90 90 88 I I I 0 90 90 90 68 

24 Sinan Kurt 0 

30 Mitchell Weiser I 17 0 0 4 0 0 

31 Bastian Schweinsteiger 4 I I I I 9 90 90 90 I 0 90 87 

34 Pierre Højbjerg 0 0 0 2 90 90 

Forwards 

9 Robert Lewandowski 6 3 90 90 68 90 84 45 15 90 90 90 90 90 

10 Arjen Robben 2 1 14 81 90 90 45 90 19 I I I I 

11 Xherdan Shaqiri 1 0 13 11 18 6 

14 Claudio Pizarro 6 1 0 I I 0 0 0 0 0 

25 Thomas Müller 7 3 76 90 60 0 0 45 70 90 90 90 79 87 

1 

Midfield on matchdays one and four 



AVERAGES 


Max. 73% v CSKA Moskva (a) 

Min. 53% v Porto (h), Barcelona (h), 

Barcelona (a) 


Max. 926 v CSKA Moskva (a) 

Min. 502 v Porto (h) 


Max. 120,869 v CSKA Moskva (h) | Min. 109, 349 v Roma (a) 


Long 


Medium 430 (64%) 

Short 183 (27%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

18 

6 

9 25 

4 

19 

3 

1 


24% 

54% 

22% 


Max. 93% v CSKA Moskva (a), 

Roma (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h) 

Min. 86% v Porto (h) 

17 

21 

13 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• Variations on 1-4-2-3-1 evolving 

into 1-3-4-3 attacking play 

• Compact formation with good 

links between lines 

• High pressing; seeking defencesplitting 

pass as soon as ball 

regained 

• Possession-based attacks focusing 

on good use of width 

• Mix of elaborate attacks with 

direct supply to striker; winning 

second ball 

• Effective full-backs, especially 

Xhaka on right 

• Solid defensive block with aerial 

strength (at both ends of pitch) 

• Well-balanced screening 

midfielders; Frei holding; Elneny 

more offensive 

• Good use of diagonal passing to 

switch play from flank to flank 

• Strong work ethic, emphasis on 

collective virtues, team spirit 

Paulo Sousa 

Born: 30/08/1970, 

Viseu (POR) 

Nationality: Portuguese 

Matches in 



28/05/2014 

• Many variations on 1-4-3-3; switches 

to 1-4-4-2 or three at the back 

• Emphasis on possession; patient 

building with fluent combinations 

• Constant threat on wings via solo 

runs by Robben, Ribéry 

• Attack-minded full-backs 

overlapping, with wingers cutting in 

• Game-opening diagonal passes by 

controlling midfielder Xabi Alonso 

• Aggressive high pressing; instant 

counters after regains in final third 

• Variety of creativity, vision, industry 

among broad choice of midfielders 

• Strong support for Lewandowski, the 

aggressive, athletic leader of attack 


Neuer an influential and active 

participant 

• Attacking philosophy; winning 

mentality; tactical and positional 

flexibility 

Josep Guardiola 

Born: 18/01/1971, 

Santpedor (ESP) 


Matches in 



01/07/2013 


TEAM PROFILES 

65

CHELSEA FC 

England 

BORUSSIA DORTMUND 

Germany 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


(2 own goals) 20 





TIME SCORED 

3 4 1 5 

4 

0 2 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 1; 106-120 = 0) 

TIME SCORED 

2 3 2 3 

2 

0 3 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24 (Including two double substitutions) 

SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24 (Including two double substitutions) 

0 1 0 3 3 9 7 0 

0 0 1 3 1 11 8 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 1; 106-120 = 0) 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A SCH SPO MRB MRB SCH SPO PSG PSG* 

D 1-1 W 0-1 W 6-0 D 1-1 W 0-5 W 3-1 D 1-1 D 2-2 

1 Petr Čech 0 0 90 90 0 90 0 0 

13 Thibaut Courtois 90 90 0 0 90 90 120 

33 Mitchell Beeney 0 

Defenders 

2 Branislav Ivanović 1 90 90 90 90 90 0 90 120 

3 Filipe Luís 90 90 90 56 0 90 0 0 

5 Kurt Zouma 0 0 90 90 0 90 0 36 

6 Nathan Aké 1 30 I 

24 Gary Cahill 1 1 90 90 0 0 90 90 90 120 

26 John Terry 2 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 

28 César Azpilicueta 0 0 0 0 90 90 90 120 

Midfielders 

4 Cesc Fàbregas 2 4 90 90 60 90 79 83 84 120 

7 Ramires 1 67 I I 34 15 16 90 91 

8 Oscar 23 71 73 45 75 0 6 45 

10 Eden Hazard 3 3 90 84 90 90 90 90 120 

12 John Obi Mikel 1 0 19 I I 0 90 I I 

14 André Schürrle 1 58 I 45 11 74 

17 Mohamed Salah 6 0 0 71 

21 Nemanja Matić 2 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 84 

22 Willian 1 1 74 32 90 45 90 79 75 

36 Ruben Loftus-Cheek 7 

Forwards 

11 Didier Drogba 2 1 74 I 74 90 24 0 0 29 

18 Loïc Rémy 1 16 0 16 I 19 9 0 

19 Diego Costa 1 16 90 I 45 66 90 81 120 

23 Juan Cuadrado 11 0 

35 Dominic Solanke 17 

*agg 3-3 aet; lost on away goals 



AVERAGES 


Max. 59% v Maribor (a) 

Min. 46% v Paris (a) 


Max. 693 v Schalke (a) 

Min. 357 v Sporting (a) 


Max. 119,327 v Maribor (h) | Min. 104,872 v Paris (a) 


Long 

55 (11% of total) 

Medium 323 (63%) 

Short 135 (26%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

28 

10 4 8 

21 

26 

19 

13 


21% 

54% 

25% 


Max. 93% v Schalke (a) 

Min. 89% v Maribor (a), Sporting (h) 

Data for matchday eight v Paris (h) changed pro rata to 90-minute values to 

facilitate comparisons. 

7 

24 

2 

Goalkeepers 

G A ARS AND GAL GAL ARS AND JUV JUV 

W 2-0 W 0-3 W 0-4 W 4-1 L 2-0 D 1-1 L 2-1 L 0-3 

1 Roman Weidenfeller 90 90 90 90 90 0 90 90 

22 Mitchell Langerak 0 0 0 0 0 90 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Marc Hornschuh 0 

4 Neven Subotić 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

15 Mats Hummels I 8 69 I I 90 90 

25 Sokratis Papastathopoulos 1 90 90 90 90 I I 45 90 

26 Łukasz Piszczek 3 90 90 90 90 32 I 

28 Matthias Ginter 45 0 35 0 90 90 58 I 

29 Marcel Schmelzer 79 90 I 0 90 75 90 45 

35 Jannick Bandowski 0 

37 Erik Durm 90 18 I 90 0 90 I I 

Midfielders 

5 Sebastian Kehl 1 45 90 90 90 0 I 0 0 

6 Sven Bender 90 82 55 85 90 0 I 63 

7 Shinji Kagawa 2 0 90 82 63 29 84 0 0 

8 İlkay Gündoğan 1 I I 21 27 90 66 90 90 

10 Henrikh Mkhitaryan 90 I 90 90 90 90 90 63 

11 Marco Reus 3 1 I I 90 71 I I 90 90 

14 Miloš Jojić 11 0 0 12 0 

16 Jakub Błaszczykowski I I I I I 6 14 27 

18 Nuri Şahin 1 I I I I I 90 90 I 

19 Kevin Grosskreutz 1 90 65 0 0 78 90 I I 

21 Oliver Kirch I I I I I 24 45 45 

23 Kevin Kampl I 90 

41 Mustafa Amini 0 0 

Forwards 

9 Ciro Immobile 4 1 86 72 0 19 61 90 76 0 

17 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 3 2 90 90 90 90 61 15 90 90 

20 Adrián Ramos 3 4 25 8 5 29 0 0 27 



AVERAGES 



Min. 42% v Galatasaray (a) 


Max. 642 v Anderlecht (h) 

Min. 362 v Arsenal (h) 


Max. 124,695 v Anderlecht (h) | Min. 111, 689 v Juventus (a) 


Long 

54 (11% of total) 

Medium 305 (60%) 

Short 145 (29%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

11 23 

10 

8 

6 

29 25 

15 

17 

1 


23% 

55% 

22% 



Min. 83% v Arsenal (h), Juventus (a) 

4 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-2-3-1 with switches to 1-4-3-3 

according to game situation; 

1-4-5-1 defending 

• Compact, well-organised defensive 

block; hard to penetrate through 

middle 

• Strong, positionally disciplined 

central defenders; patient build-up 

from back 

• Extremely quick transitions in both 

directions; dangerous counters 

• Rational attacking, avoiding 

exposure to opposition counters 

• Attacks using the width; wingers 

ready to cut into shooting 

positions 

• Assured passing game with quick 

combinations in attacking third 

• Controlling midfielders launching 

attacks with diagonal passes to 

wings 

• Dangerous set plays, exploiting 

aerial power of defenders 

• Strong team ethic with tactical, 

strategic awareness and flexibility 

José Mourinho 

Born: 26/01/1963, 

Setúbal (POR) 


Matches in 



03/06/2013 

• 1-4-2-3-1 the default setting, 

with 1-4-3-3, 1-4-4-2 options; 

1-4-1-4-1 defending 


quickly covering space behind 

back four 

• Power-play based on strong, 

athletic, hard-working players 

• Emphasis on constructive build-up 

play from back, through midfield 

• Fast defence-to-attack transitions; 

dangerous counters in numbers 

• Effective in wide areas; wingers 

cutting in to open space for fullbacks 

• Immediate high or midfield 

pressure after losing possession 

• Gündogan excellent passing link 

between defence and attack 

• Reus tirelessly and cleverly 

moving freely across whole 

attacking area 

• Well-organised set plays for 

and against; excellent mental 

strength, attitude 

Jürgen Klopp 

Born: 16/06/1967, 

Stuttgart (GER) 

Nationality: German 

Matches in 



01/07/2008 


TEAM PROFILES 

67

JUVENTUS 

Italy 

BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN 

Germany 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 




8 



TIME SCORED 

1 1 3 3 

3 

0 6 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

TIME SCORED 

1 1 4 0 

0 

0 2 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 35/39 (including one double substitution) 


0 1 1 0 2 5 24 2 

0 0 0 1 3 8 10 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 1; 106-120 = 0) 

G A MAL ATL OLY OLY MAL ATL DOR DOR MON MON RM RM BAR 

W 2-0 L 1-0 L 1-0 W 3-2 W 0-2 D 0-0 W 2-1 W 0-3 W 1-0 D 0-0 W 2-1 D 1-1 L 1-3 

Goalkeepers 

1 Gianluigi Buffon 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

30 Marco Storari 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Giorgio Chiellini 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 I 

4 Martín Cáceres 90 78 I I I I 0 I I I I I I 

5 Angelo Ogbonna 0 0 77 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

15 Andrea Barzagli I I I I I I 63 16 90 26 11 90 

19 Leonardo Bonucci 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

26 Stephan Lichtsteiner 90 89 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

33 Patrice Evra 1 90 90 0 I 0 90 90 90 90 89 90 90 89 

Midfielders 

2 Rômulo 1 I I I I I I I I I 

6 Paul Pogba 1 3 90 90 87 90 90 90 90 27 I I I 89 90 

7 Simone Pepe I I 0 9 0 0 

8 Claudio Marchisio 1 90 90 33 71 83 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

20 Simone Padoin 0 0 19 90 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 

21 Andrea Pirlo 1 I I 57 90 90 90 37 I 74 90 90 79 90 

22 Kwadwo Asamoah 1 90 0 90 83 I I I I I I I I 79 

23 Arturo Vidal 1 I 83 90 90 90 90 86 90 90 77 90 90 0 

27 Stefano Sturaro 3 0 64 0 

37 Roberto Pereyra 1 S 12 13 7 7 90 53 90 87 13 4 1 11 

38 Federico Mattiello 0 

Forwards 

9 Álvaro Morata 5 1 4 7 90 58 18 0 90 78 83 69 78 84 85 

10 Carlos Tévez 7 2 90 90 90 90 90 90 89 81 90 90 86 90 90 

11 Kingsley Coman 0 0 0 0 I 1 0 1 

12 Sebastian Giovinco 1 1 3 0 0 0 

14 Fernando Llorente 1 1 86 90 0 32 72 90 0 0 0 21 12 6 5 

32 Alessandro Matri I 12 7 0 0 



AVERAGES 


Max. 68% v Atlético (h) 

Min. 39% v Barcelona (final) 


Max. 680 v Atlético (h) 

Min. 343 v Barcelona (final) 


Max. 120,875 v Malmö (a) | Min. 104,609 v Atlético (h) 


TEAM SHAPE 

33 

6 

3 

9 10 

23 

21 

1 


21% 

51% 

28% 



Min. 80% v Monaco (a) 

Long 

59 (12% of total) 

Medium 321 (65%) 

Short 115 (23%) 

19 

8 

26 

Goalkeepers 

G A MON BEN ZEN ZEN MON BEN ATL ATL* 

L 1-0 W 3-1 W 2-0 W 1-2 L 0-1 D 0-0 W 1-0 L 1-0 

1 Bernd Leno 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 

25 Dario Krešić 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

5 Emir Spahić 90 90 60 90 90 90 90 120 

13 Roberto Hilbert 90 0 0 0 90 90 120 

14 Kyriakos Papadopoulos 1 I I 30 I I I 90 16 

16 Tin Jedvaj 65 8 65 0 0 I I 

17 Sebastian Boenisch 90 I 25 0 90 0 0 

18 Wendell 0 90 79 so S 90 0 90 120 

21 Ömer Toprak 71 90 90 90 90 90 so S 120 

26 Giulio Donati 1 25 8 90 90 90 0 

33 Lukas Boeder 0 

Midfielders 

3 Stefan Reinartz 19 90 90 I I I 0 0 

6 Simon Rolfes I I I I 14 83 22 43 

8 Lars Bender 75 82 90 90 76 I 68 104 

10 Hakan Çalhanoğlu 2 2 90 90 82 90 90 90 87 120 

15 Levin Öztunali 0 20 0 

27 Gonzalo Castro 90 I I I 90 90 90 120 

35 Vladlen Yurchenko 0 0 0 0 

38 Karim Bellarabi 3 90 70 85 90 77 90 90 120 

Forwards 

7 Son Heung-Min 3 1 90 90 90 90 59 19 90 77 

9 Josip Drmic 15 14 0 37 31 71 80 69 

11 Stefan Kiessling 1 1 90 76 90 90 90 7 10 51 

19 Julian Brandt I I 5 53 13 45 3 0 

23 Robbie Kruse 0 0 1 45 I I 

*agg 1-1 aet; lost 3-2 on pens 



AVERAGES 



Min. 44% v Benfica (h) 


Max. 559 v Monaco (h) 

Min. 248 v Zenit (a) 


Max. 122,610 v Benfica (a) | Min. 110,315 v Atlético (h) 


Long 


Medium 200 (53%) 

Short 143 (38%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

18 

7 10 

8 

5 

9 

1 


25% 

50% 

25% 



Min. 69% v Benfica (a) 

Data for matchday eight v Atlético (a) changed pro rata to 90-minute values 

to facilitate comparisons. 

27 

21 

38 

13 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• Variations on 1-4-4-2 with frequent 

switches to 1-3-5-2 structure 

• Midfield diamond with playmaker 

Pirlo at base, Vidal at apex behind 

strikers 

• Emphasis on well-organised deep 

defence backed by the excellent 

Buffon 

• Fast transitions in both directions with 

wing-backs operating box-to-box 

• Preference for direct attacking rather 

than possession-based build-ups 

• Aggressive pressure on ball-carrier to 

disturb opposition build-ups 

• Marchisio the more advanced 

playmaker; passes behind the 

defence 

• Pogba providing industry, solo skills 

and finishing power from left midfield 

• Dangerous set plays; Pirlo, Tévez the 

dead-ball specialists 

• Strong collective virtues; self-belief 

and mental resilience in adverse 

moments 

Massimiliano Allegri 

Born: 11/08/1967, 

Livorno (ITA) 

Nationality: Italian 

Matches in 



16/07/2014 

• 1-4-2-3-1 with compact 

defensive block and closely 

linked lines 

• Constructive build-ups mixed 

with direct supply to front men 

• Good off-ball movement; options 

for player in possession 

• Rapid transitions in both directions; 

direct, dangerous counters 

• Effective combinations between 

striker and shadow striker 

• Comfortable in possession under 

pressure; ability to run with the ball 

• Midfield or high pressure 

immediately after loss of 

possession 

• Aerial dominance; effective set 

plays at both ends of pitch 

• Sustained high-tempo play; 

determination and intensity 

• Strong, hard-working players 

with team ethic and self-belief 

Roger Schmidt 

Born: 13/03/1967, 

Kierspe (GER) 

Nationality: German 

Matches in 



01/06/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

69

MANCHESTER CITY FC 

England 

AS MONACO FC 

France 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


10 


7 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

2 

2 1 1 2 

0 1 1 

0 

0 1 3 1 

0 1 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24 (Including one double substitution) 


0 0 0 4 2 9 8 1 

0 0 1 1 5 6 14 3 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A BAY ROM CSKA CSKA BAY ROM BAR BAR 

L 1-0 D 1-1 D 2-2 L 1-2 W 3-2 W 0-2 L 1-2 L 1-0 

1 Joe Hart 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

13 Willy Caballero 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Bacary Sagna 90 0 0 0 68 0 12 90 

4 Vincent Kompany 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

5 Pablo Zabaleta 1 S 90 90 90 22 90 90 0 

11 Aleksandar Kolarov 2 0 90 I I 1 90 

20 Eliaquim Mangala 0 0 90 0 90 90 0 

22 Gaël Clichy 90 90 0 90 90 90 74 so S 

26 Martín Demichelis 90 90 0 90 1 90 90 90 

38 Dedryck Boyata 0 0 0 0 

Midfielders 

6 Fernando I 86 65 90 90 90 0 

7 James Milner 1 32 45 90 90 66 90 90 87 

8 Samir Nasri 1 1 58 I I 45 90 89 62 45 

15 Jesús Navas 88 45 18 45 90 67 0 45 

18 Frank Lampard 0 33 I I 90 0 0 3 

21 David Silva 1 90 90 78 I I 23 78 90 

25 Fernandinho 90 90 12 25 so S 90 28 90 

42 Yaya Touré 1 90 90 90 82 so S S S 72 

73 George Glendon 0 

Forwards 

10 Edin Džeko 1 74 57 72 25 I 78 68 0 

14 Wilfried Bony 22 18 

16 Sergio Agüero 6 1 16 84 90 90 90 I 90 90 

35 Stevan Jovetić I 6 4 45 24 12 

78 José Ángel Pozo 0 

AVERAGES 


Max. 62% v CSKA Moskva (h) 

Min. 37% v Barcelona (h) 


Max. 677 v CSKA Moskva (h) 

Min. 343 v Barcelona (h) 


Max. 115,129 v Bayern (h) | Min. 105,226 v Roma (h) 


Long 


Medium 315 (63%) 

Short 140 (28%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

11 

7 

21 

25 42 

26 

16 


24% 

56% 

21% 



Max. 91% v CSKA Moskva (h), Roma (h) 

Min. 82% v Barcelona (a) 

4 

8 

5 

G A LEV ZEN BEN BEN LEV ZEN ARS ARS* JUV JUV 

Goalkeepers 

W 1-0 D 0-0 D 0-0 L 1-0 W 0-1 W 2-0 W 1-3 L 0-2 L 1-0 D 0-0 

1 Danijel Subašić 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

16 Maarten Stekelenburg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

2 Fabinho 1 1 90 90 90 90 7 90 90 90 90 90 

3 Layvin Kurzawa 90 90 90 90 I I 8 90 90 90 

5 Aymen Abdennour 1 I I I 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Ricardo Carvalho 90 90 90 90 90 S I 0 90 

13 Wallace 1 0 0 90 90 90 0 0 

21 Elderson 0 0 90 90 4 0 0 

24 Andrea Raggi 90 90 90 90 90 90 I I 71 90 

34 Abdou Diallo 0 

38 Almamy Touré 90 0 

Midfielders 

7 Nabil Dirar 1 4 90 90 27 83 89 82 86 51 0 

8 João Moutinho 1 2 90 90 82 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

11 Lucas Ocampos 1 57 80 62 63 20 1 

12 Matheus Carvalho 0 0 3 3 

14 Tiémoué Bakayoko 0 1 0 0 90 90 I I I I 

15 Bernardo Silva 1 33 0 8 0 0 1 6 20 39 90 

22 Geoffrey Kondogbia 1 90 90 90 86 0 I 90 90 90 90 

25 Alain Traoré 0 

28 Jérémy Toulalan 90 90 90 90 90 90 S 90 I 45 

37 Abdou Aziz Thiam 0 

Forwards 

9 Dimitar Berbatov 1 1 90 52 34 I 89 56 76 70 19 45 

17 Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco 1 1 86 38 28 90 70 90 14 30 90 87 

18 Valère Germain 0 10 4 0 0 0 14 

19 Lacina Traoré I I 72 1 0 I I 

23 Anthony Martial 1 0 56 18 34 84 60 87 76 

AVERAGES 


Max. 55% v Juventus (h) 

Min. 39% v Arsenal (h) 


Max. 480 v Juventus (h) 



Max. 116,721 v Zenit (a) | Min. 108,414 v Juventus (a) 


TEAM SHAPE 

3 

8 

23 7 

13 

28 

9 


21% 

48% 

31% 


Max. 89% v Arsenal (a) 

Min. 68% v Leverkusen (a) 

Long 

47 (14% of total) 

Medium 188 (56%) 

Short 101 (30%) 

22 

5 

2 



1 

1 

Midfield v Arsenal (a) 

*agg 3-3; won on away goals 



1 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-4-2 with either twin strikers or 

Silva as shadow striker 

• Compact defending with four 

midfielders dropping close to 

back four 

• If immediate high pressure 

not feasible, rapid retreat into 

defensive block 

• Aerial strength used effectively at 

set plays in defence and attack 

• Preference for possession-based 

combinations but comfortable 

without the ball 

• Rapid transitions in both 

directions; keeper launching 

counters through middle 

• Wide midfielders/wingers cutting 

in to open space for attacking 

full-backs 

• Powerful, athletic team; Kompany, 

Touré driving forces in defence and 

midfield 

• Silva the creative playmaker; 

Agüero a constant threat with runs 

behind defence 

• Hardworking players; 

determination, intensity and 

mental resilience 

Manuel Pellegrini 

Born: 16/09/1963, 

Santiago (CHI) 

Nationality: Chilean 

Matches in 



14/06/2013 

• Variations on 1-4-3-3 and 

1-4-2-3-1 

• Patient combination play 

mixed with rapid, effective 

counterattacks 

• Central midfielders good at 

supporting attacks and covering 

defensively 

• Berbatov, Moutinho the attacking 

catalysts; experienced, clever, skilful 

• Strong, well-organised back four, 

aggressive on balls played to 

opposing forwards 

• Wide players working hard to 

recover defensive positions, help 

full-backs 

• Sensible, disciplined pressing 

– from midfield rather than in 

attacking third 

• Defensively compact; little space 

between midfield and back four 

• Excellent athletic qualities, 

mobility; fast transitions in both 

directions 

• Aerial dominance; efficiently 

defending crosses and set plays 

Leonardo Jardim 

Born: 01/08/1974, 

Barcelona (VEN) 


Matches in 



10/06/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

71

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 

France 

FC PORTO 

Portugal 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


(one own goal) 14 


25 


GOAL ATTEMPTS 130 (60 on target) = 13 (6) per match 

TIME SCORED 

1 1 0 5 

4 

0 2 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 1) 

TIME SCORED 

0 3 6 6 

4 

0 5 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 24/30 (including four double substitutions) 

SUBSTITUTIONS 30/30 (including one double substitution) 

0 1 0 0 0 9 12 1 

0 1 2 1 3 13 9 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 1) 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A AJX BAR APO APO AJX BAR CHL CHL* BAR BAR 

D 1-1 W 3-2 W 0-1 W 1-0 W 3-1 L 3-1 D 1-1 D 2-2 L 1-3 L 2-0 

1 Nicolas Douchez 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 

16 Mike Maignan 0 

30 Salvatore Sirigu 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 90 90 

Defenders 

2 Thiago Silva 1 I I 90 90 I 90 90 120 21 I 

5 Marquinhos 90 90 I 0 90 0 90 120 90 90 

6 Zoumana Camara 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

17 Maxwell 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 90 90 

19 Serge Aurier I 0 0 0 0 I I I I 

21 Lucas Digne 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 

23 Gregory van der Wiel 3 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 2 90 90 

32 David Luiz 2 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 69 90 

34 Presnel Kimpembe 0 0 

Midfielders 

4 Yohan Cabaye 0 19 20 4 I 0 I I 90 66 

7 Lucas 1 81 90 89 86 22 90 I I 25 24 

8 Thiago Motta 2 90 90 90 90 I 90 120 

14 Blaise Matuidi 1 2 90 90 90 90 90 75 90 81 90 80 

20 Clément Chantôme 4 1 15 

24 Marco Verratti 1 81 71 70 I I 62 90 81 S 90 

25 Adrien Rabiot 0 75 0 0 39 65 10 

27 Javier Pastore 1 9 86 70 90 90 28 9 118 90 90 

Forwards 

9 Edinson Cavani 6 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 120 90 80 

10 Zlatan Ibrahimović 2 1 90 I I I 86 90 90 31 so S 90 

15 Jean-Christophe Bahebeck 0 1 20 12 I I 0 0 0 0 

22 Ezequiel Lavezzi 2 9 I I 78 68 15 81 39 90 10 

33 Jean-Kévin Augustin 0 

*agg 3-3 aet; won on away goals 



AVERAGES* 


Max. 67% v APOEL (h) 



Max. 813 v APOEL (h) 



Max. 114,966 v APOEL (a) | Min. 103,605 v Chelsea (h) 


Long 


Medium 328 (62%) 

Short 156 (29%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

27 9 

14 4 

24 

17 23 

32 

10 

30 


18% 

52% 

31% 





*Excluding matchday eight v Chelsea (a) when playing 89 minutes with ten men. 

5 

Goalkeepers 

G A BATE SHK ATH ATH BATE SHK BSL BSL BAY BAY 

W 6-0 D 2-2 W 2-1 W 0-2 W 0-3 D 1-1 D 1-1 W 4-0 W 3-1 L 6-1 

1 Helton 0 0 0 0 

12 Fabiano 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

24 Ricardo 0 

25 Andrés Fernández 0 0 0 0 0 90 

Defenders 

2 Danilo 1 1 90 90 90 90 90 I 90 22 90 S 

3 Bruno Martins Indi 90 90 90 90 90 49 0 68 90 90 

4 Maicon 90 90 90 90 0 90 90 90 90 90 

5 Iván Marcano 1 0 65 0 0 90 90 90 90 S 87 so 

13 Diego Reyes 0 33 

21 Ricardo 0 90 57 

26 Alex Sandro 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 S 

Midfielders 

6 Casemiro 1 1 90 I 71 90 90 I 90 90 90 90 

8 Yacine Brahimi 5 3 59 78 90 90 83 61 74 80 67 

10 Juan Quintero 1 0 25 64 0 1 69 9 0 0 0 

15 Evandro 31 0 90 0 79 6 23 

16 Hector Herrera 3 3 69 90 90 90 90 0 90 90 90 90 

28 Kelvin 37 

30 Óliver Torres I 90 8 82 90 21 68 0 75 90 

36 Rúben Neves 0 0 26 8 0 41 22 16 15 45 

Forwards 

7 Ricardo Quaresma 3 90 19 30 71 90 29 11 84 45 

9 Jackson Martínez 7 64 25 90 90 90 0 90 I 90 90 

11 Cristian Tello 1 2 21 90 82 60 19 0 81 90 I I 

17 Hernâni 10 0 

18 Adrián López 1 90 12 0 1 7 53 

39 Gonçalo Paciência I I I 0 

99 Vincent Aboubakar 3 26 65 0 0 0 90 0 90 0 0 

1 

Midfield v Shakhtar (h) 



AVERAGES 


Max. 67% v BATE (a) 



Max. 629 v BATE (a) 



Max. 123,375 v Basel (a) | Min. 112,976 v Bayern (a) 


Long 

74 (15% of total) 

Medium 314 (63%) 

Short 110 (22%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

26 

8 

30 

3 

9 

6 

12 


18% 

54% 

28% 


Max. 92% v Shakhtar (h), Shakhtar (a) 

Min. 80% v Athletic (a) 

4 

7 

16 

2 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-3-3 with single screening 

midfielder; transition to 1-4-1-4-1 

defending 

• Technically gifted; composed in 

possession, able to protect ball 

under pressure 

• Attacks launched via diagonal passes 

from centre-backs to wide areas 

• Quick combinations by two or 

three players in wide areas; 

cutback, cross or shot 

• Full-backs pushing forward to 

support attacks, notably Maxwell 

on left 

• Ibrahimović leading and linking 

attacks with creativity, vision and 

presence 

• Verratti an effective, 

hard-working, skilful midfield 

controller/playmaker 

• Quick transition to deep defensive 

block; fast counterattacking in 

numbers 

• Strong back four using aerial 

power to create danger at 

attacking set plays 

• Disciplined, tactically-aware 

unit with strong team ethic and 

mental resilience 

Laurent Blanc 

Born: 19/11/1965, 

Alès (FRA) 


Matches in 



25/06/2013 

• 1-4-3-3 with single screening 

midfielder 

• Possession-based combination 

game underpinned by high level 

of technique 

• Mix of patient build with fast 

defence-to-attack transitions or 

long ball from keeper 

• Compact defensive block leaving 

minimal space between lines 

• Excellent use of wings; good skills, 

dribbling, final passes; notably 

Brahimi on left 

• Rational attacking with players 

behind ball to pre-empt 

counterattacks 

• Martínez a powerful target striker, 

holding ball up, leading defensive 

work 

• Immediate high pressing after 

ball loss; direct forward passing if 

regained 

• Strong central defenders; aerial 

power at defending, attacking 

set plays 

• Determination, ability to 

dictate rhythm; belief in playing 

philosophy 

Julen Lopetegui 

Born: 28/08/1966, 

Asteasu (ESP) 


Matches in 



06/05/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

73

REAL MADRID CF 

Spain 

FC SCHALKE 04 

Germany 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 






GOAL ATTEMPTS 111 (37 on target) = 13.9 (4.6 per match) 

TIME SCORED 

10 6 0 6 

1 

0 1 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

TIME SCORED 

2 2 2 2 

0 

0 4 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 32/36 (including two double substitutions) 


0 0 0 0 4 9 15 4 

0 1 1 3 3 6 8 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

(Extra time: 91-105 = 1; 106-120 = 0) 

G A BSL LUD LIV LIV BSL LUD SCH SCH ATL ATL JUV JUV 

W 5-1 W 1-2 W 0-3 W 1-0 W 0-1 W 4-0 W 0-2 L 3-4 D 0-0 W 1-0 L 2-1 D 1-1 

Goalkeepers 

1 Iker Casillas 90 90 90 90 0 0 90 90 90 90 90 90 

13 Keylor Navas 0 0 0 0 90 90 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

2 Raphaël Varane 24 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

3 Pepe 1 90 0 90 0 0 90 90 0 90 90 0 

4 Sergio Ramos¹ 66 90 I 90 90 S I I 90 90 90 90 

5 Fábio Coentrão 1 0 I I I 90 60 58 I 90 0 0 

12 Marcelo 1 2 90 90 85 90 1 30 90 32 90 S 90 90 

15 Dani Carvajal 1 I 0 0 I 0 82 85 90 90 90 

17 Álvaro Arbeloa 1 0 90 90 83 90 90 8 83 5 1 0 0 

18 Nacho 1 90 0 5 7 1 90 0 7 0 

Midfielders 

6 Sami Khedira I I 15 I I I I 58 0 0 

8 Toni Kroos 3 90 17 81 90 90 60 90 90 90 90 90 90 

10 James Rodríguez 1 2 90 14 90 62 89 I I I 90 90 90 90 

16 Lucas Silva 90 0 0 

19 Luka Modrić 1 74 73 90 90 I I I 32 90 I I I 

23 Isco 0 76 90 90 90 90 85 90 14 90 63 90 

24 Asier Illarramendi 16 90 9 I 19 90 5 0 0 1 0 0 

26 Álvaro Medrán 1 0 0 0 7 0 

35 Lucas Torro 0 0 

Forwards 

7 Cristiano Ronaldo 10 4 90 90 75 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

9 Karim Benzema 6 2 82 23 90 87 71 0 78 90 76 I I 67 

11 Gareth Bale 2 1 90 90 I 28 90 83 90 90 90 I 86 90 

14 Javier Hernández 1 8 67 0 3 0 90 12 0 90 27 23 

20 Jesé 1 I 30 0 0 0 1 4 0 

1 

Midfield on matchdays ten and 11 



AVERAGES 



Min. 51% v Schalke (h) 


Max. 712 v Liverpool (h) 

Min. 481 v Basel (a) 


Max. 116,777 v Liverpool (a) | Min. 102,890 v Atlético (h) 


Long 

63 (11% of total) 

Medium 354 (62%) 

Short 149 (26%) 

Decimal points account for the missing 1% 

TEAM SHAPE 

12 

7 

23 

2 

9 

8 

1 


24% 

55% 

21% 


Max. 93% v Liverpool (h), 

Ludogorets (a), Atlético (h) 

Min. 85% v Atlético (a) 

4 

10 

11 

15 

Goalkeepers 

G A CHL MRB SPO SPO CHL MRB RM RM 

D 1-1 D 1-1 W 4-3 L 4-2 L 0-5 W 0-1 L 0-2 W 3-4 

1 Ralf Fährmann 90 90 90 90 90 90 I I 

40 Timon Wellenreuther 90 90 

Defenders 

2 Marvin Friedrich 0 0 1 

3 Jan Kirchhoff I I 0 12 45 90 33 I 

4 Benedikt Höwedes 1 I I 90 90 90 90 90 90 

5 Felipe Santana I I I I 90 I 

22 Atsuto Uchida I 45 90 90 90 90 90 9 

23 Christian Fuchs 2 1 1 90 90 0 78 0 90 0 90 

24 Kaan Ayhan 1 90 45 90 0 2 0 0 

32 Joël Matip I 90 I I 90 90 

33 Roman Neustädter³ 90 90 90 90 90 90 57 90 

Midfielders 

7 Max Meyer 1 1 74 11 25 65 27 34 10 90 

8 Leon Goretzka I I I I I I I 33 

9 Kevin-Prince Boateng 1 90 79 45 25 63 I 90 S 

10 Julian Draxler 1 86 90 82 I I I I I 

11 Christian Clemens 0 0 0 45 0 

12 Marco Höger 90 0 90 90 90 88 80 57 

15 Dennis Aogo 1 1 2 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 I 

18 Sidney Sam 78 I 8 21 I I 

19 Leroy Sané 1 0 0 61 

27 Tranquillo Barnetta 1 12 90 0 0 0 56 0 81 

31 Matija Nastasić 90 90 

Forwards 

13 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 1 16 66 45 90 90 90 90 29 

20 Chinedu Obasi 1 1 4 24 65 69 I I I I 

25 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 5 90 90 90 90 90 90 33 90 

36 Felix Platte 57 

Christian Wetklo, Fabian Giefer, Marcel Sobottka, Thilo Kehrer and Donis Avdijaj were also unused substitutes 

1 

Defender on matchdays three and seven; 2 Midfield on matchday eight; 3 Midfield on matchdays seven and eight 



AVERAGES 


Max. 62% v Sporting (h) 

Min. 39% v Real Madrid (h) 


Max. 548 v Chelsea (h) 

Min. 363 v Real Madrid (h) 


Max. 127,437 v Maribor (a) | Min. 115,264 v Maribor (h) 


Long 

52 (11% of total) 

Medium 310 (65%) 

Short 112 (24%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

23 

31 

9 

25 

33 

32 4 

40 


19% 

55% 

26% 


Max. 93% v Maribor (h), 

Chelsea (h and a) 


13 

12 

22 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-3-3 with occasional switches to 

1-4-4-2; single screening midfielder 

• High-tempo passing game with slick 

one-touch combinations in final third 

• Lethal counterattacks exploiting 

speed and skills of Bale, Ronaldo 

• Good use of width with full-backs 

(Carvajal, Marcelo) constantly 

overlapping 

• Kroos the controlling midfielder; 

Modric, Isco, James the links with 

attack 

• Four balancing players behind ball to 

pre-empt opposition counters 

• Dangerous set plays exploiting aerial 

power; good deliveries, crosses from 

wings 

• Aggressive pressure in middle third 

with intelligent interceptions 

• Benzema opening spaces as target 

striker in prolific hard-punching 

attack 

• High-intensity, dominant game 

pushing opponents on to back foot 

Carlo Ancelotti 

Born: 10/06/1959, 

Reggiolo (ITA) 


Matches in 



25/06/2013 

• 1-3-5-2 with 1-5-3-2 defending; 

switches to 1-4-4-2 according to 

game situation 

• Emphasis on attacking in wide 

areas; Uchida, Aogo major 

weapons 

• Fast transition after winning ball; 

vertical passing to front-runners 

• Hardworking midfielders driving 

into final third, shooting at goal 

• Quick transitions into defensive 

block with back five 

• Incisive off-ball movements; good 

diagonal runs by strikers 

• Creative passer Meyer the key link 

between defence and attack 

• Huntelaar the dangerous target 

striker with ‘killer instinct’ 

• Direct attacking; defence-splitting 

passes; unafraid to shoot from 

long range 

• Strong collective spirit, 

athleticism and mental resilience 

Roberto Di Matteo 

Born: 29/05/1970, 

Schaffhausen (SUI) 


Matches in 



07/10/2014 

Jens Keller (Stuttgart, GER, 24/11/1970) was in charge on matchdays one and two 


TEAM PROFILES 

75

FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK 

Ukraine 

STATISTICS 

TEAM PROFILES 

Group stage fallers 

Goalkeepers 

G A ATH POR BATE BATE ATH POR BAY BAY 

D 0-0 D 2-2 W 0-7 W 5-0 L 0-1 D 1-1 D 0-0 L 7-0 

30 Andriy Pyatov 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

32 Anton Kanibolotskiy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

5 Olexandr Kucher 1 90 90 90 I 90 S 90 3 so 

13 Vyacheslav Shevchuk 2 90 64 90 90 90 90 

18 Ivan Ordets 1 0 0 90 I I 

31 Ismaily 0 

33 Darijo Srna 1 1 90 90 90 90 90 S 90 90 

38 Serhiy Kryvtsov 0 I I I 0 90 0 81 

44 Yaroslav Rakitskiy 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 

66 Márcio Azevedo 90 90 0 I I I 0 

77 Ilsinho 0 15 I 90 0 20 

Midfielders 

6 Taras Stepanenko 1 90 90 90 90 90 86 S 90 

8 Fred 17 0 45 24 13 90 90 90 

10 Bernard 2 0 11 45 17 19 66 I I 

11 Marlos 10 0 45 26 22 24 12 

17 Fernando 73 90 45 66 77 4 90 0 

20 Douglas Costa 1 1 90 79 45 90 68 66 78 79 

29 Alex Teixeira 3 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 70 

74 Viktor Kovalenko 0 

89 Dentinho 0 0 0 0 

Forwards 

7 Wellington Nem 0 6 11 

9 Luiz Adriano 9 1 89 90 90 90 90 S 89 90 

21 Olexandr Gladkiy 1 0 0 0 0 90 1 0 

28 Taison 2 80 75 45 73 71 24 84 9 


15 


TIME SCORED 

2 4 0 3 

1 

0 4 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

SUBSTITUTIONS 23/24 (Including one double and one triple substitution) 

1 0 0 3 0 10 9 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

AVERAGES 


Max. 66% v BATE (h) 



Max. 641 v BATE (h) 



Max. 119, 080 v BATE (a) | Min. 109, 693 v Bayern (h) 


Long 

67 (16% of total) 

Medium 269 (63%) 

Short 90 (21%) 

TEAM SHAPE 


19% 

47% 

34% 



Min. 82% v Porto (a) 

9 

Recent seasons had refuted the adage about 

ten points sufficing to earn a place in the 

knockout stage. But the 2014/15 campaign 

signified a return to relative normality, even 

though Olympiacos FC were eliminated with 

nine points, while three teams qualified with 

fewer than that. The Greek champions’ tally 

of 10 goals (from 71 attempts) was also higher 

than six of the teams that reached the last 16. 

The form book was also respected in that 

three-quarters of the teams who failed to 

progress were those who were less equipped 

to play a possession-based game. AFC Ajax, the 

most noticeable exception, had the misfortune 

to share a group with two accomplished passing 

teams, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. 

Four teams who averaged more than 50% of 

ball possession during the group stage – AFC 

Ajax (53%), Galatasaray AŞ (52%), FC Zenit 

and SL Benfica (both 51%) – were eliminated. 

By and large, however, the fallers were those 

who saw less of the ball – notably APOEL FC 

(33%), PFC CSKA Moskva (37%) and FC BATE 

Borisov (38%). APOEL registered the lowest 

possession figure of the group stage (26%) 

in their home game against Barcelona, which 

meant that the Cypriot side had the ball for 

17 minutes. Similarly, CSKA Moskva were in 

possession for 18:23 of their home fixture 

against FC Bayern München. An overview of 

passing patterns among the eliminated teams 

revealed no striking variations although, to 

signal the two extremes, 17% of Malmö FF’s 

passing was long (in excess of 30m) whereas 

the long pass accounted for only 9% of 

Ajax’s repertoire. 

A lack of goals provided a simplistic explanation 

for group stage exits, with APOEL scoring their 

only goal from the penalty spot. But, in terms 

of generating scoring opportunities, there were 

few radical differences between the group 

fallers and those who progressed to the 

knockout stage. Indeed, Galatasaray had 

almost 60% more goal attempts than AS 

Monaco FC – but scored the same number 

of goals (four). The efficiency of finishing was 

evidently a critical factor. Whereas Chelsea FC 

required no more than six attempts to 

manufacture a goal, APOEL had their solitary 

penalty to show from 30 attempts, SL Benfica 

1 per 34; BATE had a success ratio of 1 goal 

per 29 attempts, and Galatasaray 1 per 22. 

Benfica’s tally of two goals can be related to 

only one in five of their attempts being on 

target, while APOEL, BATE, CSKA Moskva, 

Zenit and Ajax joined them in achieving 

accuracy with less than 30% of their finishing. 

28 

13 33 

44 

17 

29 

8 

5 

20 



30 

KEY FEATURES 

COACH 

• 1-4-2-3-1 with one defensive and 

one attack-minded controlling 

midfielder 

• Compact defensive block; strength 

in depth through central area 

• Play based on supplying middle-tofront 

unit strong on Brazilian flair 

• High levels of technique, dribbling 

skills, strong in 1v1 situations 

• Fast counters often based on 

direct pass to strong, speedy striker 

Luiz Adriano 

• Adventurous full-backs, especially 

Srna on right; wide men cutting in 

to create space 

• High-tempo passing game, 

creative combinations in final third 

• Fluent positional interchanging 

in middle-to-front areas 

• Well-organised in defending set 

plays; good free-kick specialists 

• Attacking mentality; experience 

and composure; tactical 

awareness, team spirit 

Mircea Lucescu 

Born: 29/07/1945, 

Bucharest (ROU) 

Nationality: Romanian 

Matches in 



16/05/2004 

Jordan Henderson knocks in Liverpool’s 

second away to Ludogorets 

76 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 TEAM PROFILES 

77

AFC AJAX 

Netherlands 

RSC ANDERLECHT 

Belgium 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 

PLAYERS USED 19 

GOALS SCORED 

8 


GOALS SCORED 

8 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

0 

1 0 3 1 

1 2 0 

0 

0 1 3 3 

0 1 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


(Including one double substitution) 


(including one double substitution) 

1 0 0 2 1 9 3 0 

0 1 0 2 1 4 9 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A PSG APO BAR BAR PSG APO 

D 1-1 D 1-1 L 3-1 L 0-2 L 3-1 W 4-0 

22 Jasper Cillessen 90 90 90 90 90 90 

33 Diederik Boer 0 0 0 0 0 0 

AVERAGES 





17% 

57% 

26% 

Goalkeepers 

G A GAL DOR ARS ARS GAL DOR 

D 1-1 L 0-3 L 1-2 D 3-3 W 2-0 D 1-1 

1 Silvio Proto S 90 90 90 90 90 

26 Nicaise Kudimbana 0 

AVERAGES 


Max. 51% v Dortmund (h) 

Min. 38% v Arsenal (a) 


20% 

50% 

30% 

Defenders 

2 Ricardo van Rhijn 90 90 90 90 90 90 

3 Joël Veltman 90 90 90 71 so S 90 

4 Niklas Moisander 90 90 90 90 0 90 

5 Nicolai Boilesen 90 90 I 90 10 I 

6 Mike van der Hoorn 0 90 0 

12 Jairo Riedewald 34 18 0 22 

24 Stefano Denswil 0 0 0 10 90 0 

26 Nick Viergever 1 45 90 90 0 80 90 

Midfielders 

8 Lerin Duarte 0 0 0 

10 Davy Klaassen 2 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 

16 Lucas Andersen 1 90 74 90 72 90 68 

20 Lasse Schöne 3 1 82 74 90 90 90 75 

25 Thulani Serero 90 90 I 80 69 90 

27 Riechedly Bazoer I I 0 

32 Niki Zimling 45 0 56 0 21 I 

Forwards 

9 Kolbeinn Sigthórsson 61 90 73 62 0 I 

11 Ricardo Kishna 2 16 45 0 90 90 

19 Arkadiusz Milik 1 2 8 0 45 28 90 85 

21 Anwar El Ghazi 1 29 16 17 90 0 15 

30 Richairo Zivkovic 5 

34 Queensy Menig 0 

1 

Midfield on matchday two 




Max. 765 v APOEL (h) 

Min. 338 v Barcelona (a) 


Max. 115,942 v APOEL (a) | Min. 111,209 v Paris (h) 


Long 


Medium 359 (68%) 

Short 122 (23%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

5 

20 

16 10 

4 

9 

22 




25 

3 

21 

2 

Frank de Boer 

Born: 15/05/1970, 

Hoorn (NED) 

Nationality: Dutch 

Matches in 


Head coach since: 

06/12/2010 

33 Davy Roef 90 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

2 Fabrice N'Sakala S I I I I 90 

3 Olivier Deschacht 90 90 90 90 90 90 

12 Maxime Colin 0 0 0 0 0 0 

14 Bram Nuytinck 23 90 I I I I 

18 Frank Acheampong 1 90 17 90 90 90 90 

22 Chancel Mbemba 2 90 90 90 53 90 90 

24 Michael Heylen 0 0 1 

39 Anthony Vanden Borre 2 1 I I 90 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

7 Andy Najar 2 1 1 90 90 90 90 90 I 

10 Dennis Praet 1 2 78 90 88 90 84 90 

16 Steven Defour 90 90 90 I 45 I 

19 Sacha Kljestan 1 24 0 0 90 6 69 

20 Ibrahima Conté 90 73 90 45 90 79 

31 Youri Tielemans 90 90 90 90 90 21 

32 Leander Dendoncker 12 2 37 0 90 

38 Andy Kawaya 1 45 45 0 

Forwards 

9 Matías Suárez 67 82 7 I I I 

15 Cyriac 0 8 83 62 1 11 

42 Nathan Kabasele 0 8 0 0 0 0 

45 Aleksandar Mitrović 2 66 82 0 28 89 89 

1 

Midfield on matchday six; 2 Defender on matchdays one and two 




Max. 397 v Dortmund (h) 



Max. 114,140 v Dortmund (a) | Min. 105,944 v Galatasaray (h) 


Long 

43 (13% of total) 

Medium 220 (65%) 

Short 74 (22%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

2 

18 

3 

45 

19 

10 

1 



Min. 84% v Dortmund (a), 

Galatasaray (a) 

31 

22 

20 

39 

Besnik Hasi 

Born: 25/12/1971, 

Gjakova (KOS) 

Nationality: Albanian 

Matches in 



10/03/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

79

APOEL FC 

Cyprus 

ATHLETIC CLUB 

Spain 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

1 


GOALS SCORED 

5 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 30 (6 on target) = 5 (1) per match 


TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

0 

0 1 0 0 

0 0 0 

0 

0 1 1 1 

0 2 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


(Including one double substitution) 


(including three double substitutions, all at half-time) 

0 0 1 2 1 10 4 0 

0 0 1 6 0 5 6 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A BAR AJX PSG PSG BAR AJX 

L 1-0 D 1-1 L 0-1 L 1-0 L 0-4 L 4-0 

22 Dionisios Chiotis 0 0 0 0 0 0 

78 Urko Pardo 90 90 90 90 90 90 

Defenders 

3 João Guilherme 90 90 90 90 84 so S 

5 Carlão 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 John Arne Riise I I 49 I 0 I 

15 Marios Antoniades 90 90 41 I 90 90 

23 Tasos Papazoglou I I I 0 0 90 

28 Mário Sérgio 90 90 90 90 90 90 

44 Nicholas Ioannou 90 0 

73 Kaká 0 0 0 I 0 

Midfielders 

4 Kostakis Artymatas 0 0 18 

7 George Efrem 11 90 90 45 65 

8 Tiago Gomes 61 71 90 45 90 90 

10 Constantinos Charalambides 11 0 I I I 

11 Nektarios Alexandrou 0 0 0 0 90 

AVERAGES 


Max. 39% v Paris (h) 



Max. 369 v Paris (h) 



Max. 122,077 v Paris (h) | Min. 112,449 v Ajax (a) 


Long 

35 (12% of total) 

Medium 182 (61%) 

Short 80 (28%) 


TEAM SHAPE 

9 

30 

46 8 

26 16 

15 28 

5 

3 


17% 

48% 

35% 


Max. 87% v Paris (h), Paris (a) 

Min. 76% v Barcelona (a) 

Goalkeepers 

G A SHK BATE POR POR SHK BATE 

D 0-0 L 2-1 L 2-1 L 0-2 W 0-1 W 2-0 

1 Gorka Iraizoz 90 90 90 90 90 90 

13 Iago Herrerín 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Jon Aurtenetxe 0 0 

4 Aymeric Laporte 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Mikel San José 1 2 0 90 45 90 90 90 

12 Unai Bustinza I 0 0 

15 Andoni Iraola 0 77 0 45 0 76 

16 Xabier Etxeita 0 90 0 32 I 

18 Carlos Gurpegi 90 0 17 90 58 S 

24 Mikel Balenziaga 90 90 90 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

5 Erik Morán 0 0 0 

7 Beñat 2 64 90 45 45 90 I 

8 Ander Iturraspe 90 90 90 0 90 90 

10 Óscar de Marcos² 90 45 90 90 90 90 

11 Ibai Gómez 90 45 73 87 

14 Markel Susaeta 1 1 26 45 90 45 65 90 

AVERAGES 


Max. 61% v BATE (h) 

Min. 42% v Shakhtar (a) 


Max. 553 v BATE (h) 



Max. 120,133 v Shakhtar (h) | Min. 113,330 v Porto (a) 


Long 

57 (14% of total) 

Medium 253 (63%) 

Short 91 (23%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

24 

14 

8 6 

4 

20 

17 


19% 

56% 

25% 



Min. 78% v Porto (h), Shakhtar (a) 

16 

22 

10 

16 Vinicius 90 90 90 90 74 90 

26 Nuno Morais 90 90 80 90 90 72 

78 

17 Mikel Rico 90 45 73 90 90 90 

19 Iker Muniain 1 75 90 45 45 88 0 

1 

46 Stathis Aloneftis 90 90 I 26 45 25 

23 Ager Aketxe 15 I I I I I 

Forwards 

9 Cillian Sheridan 75 82 67 45 90 65 

20 Pieros Sotiriou 0 0 I I 25 

21 Gustavo Manduca 1 29 79 90 59 63 0 

30 Tomás De Vincenti 79 19 10 31 27 I 

79 Rafik Djebbour 15 8 23 64 16 



COACH 

Giorgos Donis 

Born: 22/10/1969, 

Frankfurt-am-Main (GER) 

Nationality: Greek 

Matches in 



11/10/2013 

29 Unai Lopez 2 14 

Forwards 

2 Gaizka Toquero 13 

20 Aritz Aduriz 1 77 90 45 I 25 12 

21 Borja Viguera 1 0 17 90 3 

22 Guillermo Fernández 1 13 0 90 90 I 78 

1 

Midfield on matchday four; 2 Defender on matchdays one, three and five 



COACH 

Ernesto Valverde 

Born: 09/02/1964, 

Viandar de la Vera (ESP) 


Matches in 



20/06/2013 


TEAM PROFILES 

81

FC BATE BORISOV 

Belarus 

SL BENFICA 

Portugal 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

2 


GOALS SCORED 

2 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

0 

1 1 0 0 

0 0 0 

0 

0 0 1 1 

0 0 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


(including one double substitution at half-time) 


(including two double substitutions, one of which at half-time) 

0 0 0 3 3 7 4 1 

0 1 0 2 0 6 7 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A POR ATH SHK SHK POR ATH 

L 6-0 W 2-1 L 0-7 L 5-0 L 0-3 L 2-0 

16 Sergei Chernik 90 90 90 90 90 0 

34 Artem Soroko 0 0 0 0 0 90 

Defenders 

3 Vitali Gayduchik 45 90 90 0 

14 Anri Khagush 90 90 90 45 so S 90 

21 Egor Filipenko 90 90 I I I 90 

22 Filip Mladenović 90 90 90 90 72 I 

23 Edgar Olekhnovich 1 62 1 0 45 90 90 

33 Denis Polyakov 1 90 90 90 90 0 I 

55 Nemanja Tubić 0 0 45 90 90 

Midfielders 

2 Dmitri Likhtarovich 53 I 45 7 

5 Evgeni Yablonski 90 90 59 90 77 

AVERAGES* 


Max. 44% v Athletic (h) 



Max. 326 v Shakhtar (h) 

Min. 226 v Porto (h)* 


Max. 125,961 v Porto (h) | Min. 118,559 v Porto (a) 



16% 

45% 

39% 


Max. 83% v Shakhtar (h) 

Min. 65% v Athletic (a) 

Long 

37 (13% of total) 

Medium 164 (58%) 

Short 82 (29%) 

*Excluding matchday four v Shakhtar (a) when playing 45 minutes with ten men. 

TEAM SHAPE 

Goalkeepers 

G A ZEN LEV MON MON ZEN LEV 

L 0-2 L 3-1 D 0-0 W 1-0 L 1-0 D 0-0 

1 Artur 18 so S 90 0 0 90 

12 Bruno Varela 0 

13 Paulo Lopes 70 I 0 0 

20 Júlio César I 90 I 90 90 

Defenders 

2 Lisandro López 0 0 76 so S 90 

4 Luisão 90 90 90 90 90 so S 

14 Maxi Pereira 1 90 45 90 90 90 

19 Eliseu 90 90 90 I I 

23 Loris Benito 0 0 90 

28 Sílvio I I I I I 0 

33 Jardel 90 90 I 90 90 0 

34 André Almeida 1 16 90 90 90 90 90 

37 César 12 0 0 90 

Midfielders 

AVERAGES* 


Max. 56% v Leverkusen (a) 

Min. 49% v Leverkusen (h), 

Monaco (a) 


Max. 435 v Leverkusen (h) 

Min. 307 v Monaco (a) 


Max. 119,394 v Leverkusen (h) | Min. 110,640 v Leverkusen (a) 



Max. 86% v Monaco (a), Zenit (h) 

Min. 68% v Leverkusen (h) 

Long 

39 (10% of total) 

Medium 251 (64%) 

Short 103 (26%) 

*Excluding matchday one v Zenit (h) when playing 72 minutes with ten men. 

TEAM SHAPE 


19% 

50% 

31% 

7 Aleksandr Karnitski 1 28 86 90 90 67 90 

8 Aleksandr Volodko 90 90 90 90 60 

9 Ilya Aleksievich 90 0 45 0 18 0 

17 Aleksandr Pavlov 0 0 0 I 

25 Dmitri Baga 0 15 0 23 13 

42 Maksim Volodko 0 81 90 31 90 90 

77 Andriy Yakovlev 37 9 0 45 0 0 

Forwards 

13 Nikolai Signevich 1 19 90 75 70 15 30 

15 Vladislav Klimovich 0 

20 Vitali Rodionov 71 4 I 20 75 83 

62 Mikhail Gordeychuk 90 90 90 90 90 90 

1 

Midfield on matchday one 



COACH 

22 

8 

21 

9 

20 

16 

62 

2 

33 

23 

14 

Aleksandr 

Ermakovich 

Born: 21/01/1975, 

Luninets (BLR) 

Nationality: Belarusian 

Matches in 



14/10/2013 

7 Andreas Samaris 74 13 3 62 82 S 

10 Nicolás Gaitán 90 90 78 90 90 

18 Eduardo Salvio 1 90 90 90 90 90 

21 Pizzi 0 0 0 0 90 

24 Bryan Cristante 0 45 4 0 90 

30 Talisca 1 20 45 68 90 70 28 

35 Enzo Pérez 90 77 87 90 90 

97 João Teixeira 3 

Forwards 

9 Derley 1 16 90 0 86 20 76 

11 Lima 74 45 90 28 90 62 

15 Ola John 0 0 I I 8 90 

16 Nélson Oliveira 14 

32 Tiago 0 22 1 87 

78 Gonçalo Guedes 0 0 

1 

Midfield on matchdays two and three 



COACH 

34 

10 

33 

30 

7 

9 

35 

20 

4 

18 

14 

Jorge Jesus 

Born: 24/07/1954, 

Amadora (POR) 


Matches in 



16/06/2009 


TEAM PROFILES 

83

PFC CSKA MOSKVA 

Russia 

GALATASARAY AŞ 

Turkey 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

6 


GOALS SCORED 

4 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

1 

0 1 1 2 

0 0 1 

0 

0 0 2 1 

0 0 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 




0 0 0 2 1 6 6 0 

0 0 0 3 1 6 6 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A ROM BAY MC MC ROM BAY 

L 5-1 L 0-1 D 2-2 W 1-2 D 1-1 L 3-0 

1 Sergei Chepchugov 0 0 0 0 0 0 

35 Igor Akinfeev 90 90 90 90 90 90 

AVERAGES 


Max. 45% v Man City (h) 



19% 

50% 

31% 

Goalkeepers 

G A AND ARS DOR DOR AND ARS 

D 1-1 L 4-1 L 0-4 L 4-1 L 2-0 L 1-4 

1 Fernando Muslera 90 90 90 90 90 

38 Sinan Bolat 0 0 0 0 0 90 

AVERAGES 



Min. 47% v Dortmund (a) 


22% 

53% 

25% 

Defenders 

2 Mário Fernandes 90 90 90 90 90 90 

4 Sergei Ignashevich 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Aleksei Berezutski 0 90 45 0 I I 

14 Kirill Nababkin 45 0 0 0 0 90 

24 Vasili Berezutski 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 

42 Georgi Schennikov 45 90 90 90 90 

91 Nikita Chernov 0 0 0 

Midfielders 

3 Pontus Wernbloom S S S 90 I 90 

7 Zoran Tošić 53 78 69 9 24 

10 Alan Dzagoev S S S 86 90 90 

15 Dmitri Efremov 37 12 21 4 0 1 

18 Ahmed Musa 1 1 90 90 90 90 81 90 

19 Aleksandrs Cauņa I 1 0 64 0 

23 Georgi Milanov 90 90 90 24 26 8 

25 Roman Eremenko 1 66 90 90 90 90 82 

66 Bebras Natcho 1 2 90 66 90 90 90 66 

Forwards 

8 Kirill Panchenko 24 I I 

31 Vitinho I I I 0 0 

71 Konstantin Bazelyuk 0 0 0 0 

88 Seydou Doumbia 3 90 24 45 66 90 90 




Max. 526 v Man City (h) 



Max. 116,885 v Bayern (h) | Min. 108,102 v Roma (a) 


Long 

40 (11% of total) 

Medium 228 (61%) 

Short 108 (29%) 

Decimal points account for the extra 1%. 

TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

14 

10 

66 

88 

25 

3 

24 4 

35 


Max. 90% v Man City (h) 

Min. 73% v Bayern (a) 

18 

Leonid Slutski 

2 

Born: 04/05/1971, 

Volgograd (RUS) 

Nationality: Russian 

Matches in 



26/10/2009 

67 Eray İşcan 0 

Defenders 

13 Alex Telles 79 90 62 0 90 90 

21 Aurélien Chedjou 1 90 90 90 90 90 

22 Hakan Balta 1 0 0 0 90 I 90 

26 Semih Kaya 90 90 90 90 90 90 

40 Emre Can Çoskun 0 

77 Tarık Çamdal 11 0 90 90 90 45 

88 Veysel Sarı 90 68 0 0 

Midfielders 

3 Felipe Melo 90 90 90 90 90 90 

4 Hamit Altıntop 45 61 82 90 45 

6 Blerim Dzemaili 90 90 29 90 S I 

8 Selçuk İnan 72 90 90 83 so S 

10 Wesley Sneijder 1 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 

11 Bruma 33 22 0 75 77 

20 Furkan Özçal 1 0 

23 Yasin Öztekin 28 8 0 45 

29 Olcan Adın 0 0 0 0 13 

35 Yekta Kurtuluş 0 45 0 0 0 

52 Emre Çolak 12 90 

Forwards 

9 Umut Bulut 18 22 0 85 15 90 

17 Burak Yılmaz 2 90 90 90 5 90 45 

19 Goran Pandev 57 68 78 




Max. 589 v Arsenal (h) 

Min. 415 v Dortmund (a) 


Max. 111,209 v Arsenal (a) | Min. 103,167 v Anderlecht (a) 


Long 

51 (11% of total) 

Medium 309 (65%) 

Short 117 (25%) 


TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

8 

13 77 

3 

26 

17 

19 

10 

1 


Max. 92% v Anderlecht (a) 

Min. 86% v Anderlecht (h) 

4 

21 

Cesare Prandelli 

Born: 19/08/1957, 

Brescia (ITA) 


Matches in 



03/07/2014 to 28/11/2014 

Replaced by Hamza Hamzaoğlu (Komotini, GRE, 15/01/1970) for matchday six 


TEAM PROFILES 

85

LIVERPOOL FC 

England 

PFC LUDOGORETS 1945 

Bulgaria 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

5 


GOALS SCORED 

5 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

1 

0 1 0 2 

0 0 1 

2 

0 0 0 1 

0 0 2 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 





0 0 0 3 0 9 2 0 

0 1 0 1 0 9 7 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A LUD BSL RM RM LUD BSL 

W 2-1 L 1-0 L 0-3 L 1-0 D 2-2 D 1-1 

1 Brad Jones 0 0 0 0 0 0 

22 Simon Mignolet 90 90 90 90 90 90 

AVERAGES 


Max. 58% v Basel (h), 

Ludogorets (h) 

Min. 43% v Real Madrid (a) 


19% 

52% 

29% 

Goalkeepers 

G A LIV RM BSL BSL LIV RM 

L 2-1 L 1-2 W 1-0 L 4-0 D 2-2 L 4-0 

1 Emil Gospodinov 0 

21 Vladislav Stoyanov S 90 90 90 90 90 

AVERAGES* 


Max. 62% v Basel (h) 



18% 

52% 

30% 

Defenders 

2 Glen Johnson I I 90 0 90 90 

3 José Enrique 0 90 I I 45 

4 Kolo Touré 0 0 0 90 90 

6 Dejan Lovren 90 90 90 0 90 

17 Mamadou Sakho 90 I I I I 0 

18 Alberto Moreno 1 90 0 90 90 8 45 

19 Javi Manquillo 90 90 0 90 90 

37 Martin Škrtel I 90 90 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

8 Steven Gerrard 2 90 90 90 21 90 90 

10 Coutinho 68 70 68 15 0 16 

14 Jordan Henderson 1 90 90 67 0 90 90 

20 Adam Lallana 67 20 45 90 0 0 

21 Lucas 22 0 69 90 74 

23 Emre Can S I 23 75 0 0 

24 Joe Allen I I 90 90 90 90 

30 Suso 0 I I 

31 Raheem Sterling 1 90 90 90 21 82 90 

50 Lazar Marković S 81 22 69 15 so 

Forwards 

9 Rickie Lambert 1 0 9 0 90 45 

29 Fabio Borini 23 0 90 0 

45 Mario Balotelli 1 90 90 45 0 I I 




Max. 582 v Basel (h) 

Min. 322 v Basel (a) 


Max. 120,840 v Real Madrid (h) | Min. 109,766 v Basel (a) 


Long 

48 (10% of total) 

Medium 309 (64%) 

Short 124 (26%) 

TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

14 8 

24 21 

3 2 

6 

9 


Max. 92% v Real Madrid (h) 

Min. 84% v Basel (h) 

22 

37 

31 

Brendan Rodgers 

Born: 26/01/1973, 

Carnlough (NIR) 

Nationality: Northern Irish 

Matches in 



01/06/2012 

26 Milan Borjan 90 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

5 Alexandre Barthe I I I 0 

15 Aleksandar Aleksandrov 90 90 0 69 0 0 

16 Brayan Angulo 0 0 0 90 I 

25 Yordan Minev 1 90 90 90 S 90 90 

27 Cosmin Moţi 1 90 90 90 21 90 90 

55 Georgi Terziev 1 I I 90 90 90 90 

80 Júnior Caiçara 90 90 90 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

7 Mihail Alexandrov 90 82 81 90 72 61 

8 Fábio Espinho 5 82 90 64 81 63 

12 Anicet Abel 90 8 0 26 0 27 

17 Dani Abalo 2 18 90 77 90 69 90 

18 Svetoslav Dyakov 1 85 90 90 90 90 90 

23 Hristo Zlatinski 0 0 I 0 0 

84 Marcelinho 1 1 90 70 90 90 90 19 so 

88 Wanderson 0 20 9 0 18 29 

Forwards 

9 Roman Bezjak 86 90 68 45 I I 

11 Júnior Quixadá 21 18 

93 Virgil Misidjan 72 8 13 0 90 72 

99 Younes Hamza 1 4 0 22 45 9 0 




Max. 530 v Basel (h) 

Min. 289 v Real Madrid (h) 


Max. 120,848 v Liverpool (a) | Min. 114,224 v Liverpool (h)* 


Long 

51 (12% of total)* 

Medium 265 (63%)* 

Short 108 (26%)* 

93 

25 

8 

17 

27 


Max. 92% v Basel (h) 

Min. 81% v Liverpool (a) 


*Excluding matchday six v Real Madrid (a) when playing 71 minutes with ten men. 

TEAM SHAPE 

COACH 

21 

84 

55 

18 

7 

80 

Georgi Dermendjiev 

Born: 04/01/1955, 

Plovdiv (BUL) 

Nationality: Bulgarian 

Matches in 



01/08/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

87

MALMÖ FF 

Sweden 

NK MARIBOR 

Slovenia 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

GOAL ATTEMPTS 67 (24 on target) = 11.2 (4) per match 

TIME SCORED 

0 1 0 2 

0 

0 1 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


4 

0 0 0 0 2 6 5 2 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 


TIME SCORED 

0 2 0 0 

0 

0 1 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


(one own goal) 

4 

0 0 0 1 2 6 8 1 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A JUV OLY ATL ATL JUV OLY 

L 2-0 W 2-0 L 5-0 L 0-2 L 0-2 L 4-2 

25 Robin Olsen 90 90 90 90 90 90 

27 Zlatan Azinovic 0 0 0 0 0 0 

AVERAGES 





18% 

50% 

32% 

Goalkeepers 

G A SPO SCH CHL CHL SPO SCH 

D 1-1 D 1-1 L 6-0 D 1-1 L 3-1 L 0-1 

1 Aljaž Cotman 0 0 0 0 0 0 

33 Jasmin Handanovic 90 90 90 90 90 90 

AVERAGES 


Max. 49% v Sporting (a) 

Min. 39% v Schalke (a) 


14% 

52% 

34% 

Defenders 

2 Matias Concha 0 0 0 


Max. 395 v Atlético (h) 

Min. 173 v Juventus (a) 




Defenders 

4 Marko Šuler I 90 90 0 0 


Max. 451 v Chelsea (a) 

Min. 265 v Sporting (h) 


Max. 89% v Sporting (a) 

Min. 80% v Sporting (h) 

3 Anton Tinnerholm 1 90 90 90 90 85 90 

4 Filip Helander 90 90 90 90 90 90 


Max. 117,042 v Juventus (h) | Min. 104,571 v Olympiacos (a) 

7 Aleš Mejač 1 1 0 90 90 I 90 0 

24 Dejan Trajkovski 0 


Max. 121,017 v Schalke (h) | Min. 108,965 v Sporting (a) 

18 Johan Hammar 0 0 0 I 


26 Aleksander Rajčevič 90 90 90 90 90 90 


20 Ricardinho I 90 90 90 90 90 

21 Erik Johansson 90 90 90 64 89 so S 

32 Pa Konate 90 0 1 0 0 57 

Midfielders 

Long 

52 (17% of total) 

Medium 190 (61%) 

Short 69 (22%) 

28 Mitja Viler 1 90 90 57 90 0 90 

30 Petar Stojanovič 90 I 90 90 90 76 

36 Žiga Živko 0 0 

44 Arghus 90 0 0 90 90 90 

Long 

40 (11% of total) 

Medium 223 (63%) 

Short 89 (25%) 

Decimal points account for the missing 1%. 

6 Markus Halsti 90 90 90 90 90 90 

7 Magnus Eriksson 81 75 87 90 90 75 

8 Enock Adu 90 90 90 90 90 90 so 

11 Simon Thern I I 3 4 0 15 

14 Simon Kroon 1 17 0 24 26 33 

15 Pawel Cibicki 1 0 15 0 20 10 

22 Amin Nazari 0 

31 Erdal Rakip 9 1 0 5 0 

33 Emil Forsberg 1 90 90 66 86 90 90 

TEAM SHAPE 

20 

33 

4 

24 9 

8 

25 

6 

21 

7 

3 

Midfielders 

5 Željko Filipović 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Welle Ndiaye I 10 0 1 0 0 

8 Sintayehu Sallalich 58 8 0 90 69 65 

21 Amir Derviševič 0 

22 Dare Vršič 81 67 33 0 45 14 

23 Dino Hotič 0 

39 Damjan Bohar 1 32 82 90 1 21 90 

70 Aleš Mertelj 90 80 90 90 90 90 

TEAM SHAPE 

8 

9 10 

5 

28 30 

44 

33 

70 

26 

22 

Forwards 

COACH 

Forwards 

COACH 

9 Markus Rosenberg 3 53 90 90 90 90 90 

24 Isaac Kiese Thelin 73 90 90 90 70 80 

26 Agon Mehmeti 37 0 0 0 0 0 



Åge Hareide 

Born: 23/09/1953, 

Hareid (NOR) 

Nationality: Norwegian 

Matches in 



09/01/2014 

9 Tavares 84 90 72 90 90 90 

10 Agim Ibraimi 1 90 90 68 90 45 83 

11 Luka Zahovič 1 9 0 22 73 76 7 

14 Jean-Philippe Mendy 6 23 18 17 14 25 

1 

Midfield on matchday three 



Ante Šimundža 

Born: 28/09/1971, 

Maribor (SVN) 

Nationality: Slovenia 

Matches in 



30/09/2013 


TEAM PROFILES 

89

OLYMPIACOS FC 

Greece 

AS ROMA 

Italy 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

10 


GOALS SCORED 

(one own goal) 

8 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

1 

2 2 3 2 

0 0 0 

2 

2 2 1 0 

0 1 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 





0 0 0 2 2 5 8 1 

0 1 0 3 1 5 8 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A ATL MAL JUV JUV ATL MAL 

W 3-2 L 2-0 W 1-0 L 3-2 L 4-0 W 4-2 

16 Roberto 90 90 90 90 90 90 

42 Balázs Megyeri 0 0 0 0 0 0 

AVERAGES 


Max. 62% v Malmö (a) 



17% 

52% 

31% 

Goalkeepers 

G A CSKA MC BAY BAY CSKA MC 

W 5-1 D 1-1 L 1-7 L 2-0 D 1-1 L 0-2 

12 Gianluca Curci 0 I 0 

26 Morgan De Sanctis 90 I 90 0 90 90 

AVERAGES 





15% 

54% 

31% 

Defenders 

3 Alberto Botía 1 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 


Max. 533 v Malmö (a) 

Min. 275 v Juventus (h) 


Max. 92% v Malmö (a) 

Min. 83% v Juventus (h) 

28 Łukasz Skorupski 0 90 0 90 0 I 

Defenders 


Max. 720 v CSKA Moskva (h) 

Min. 279 v Bayern (a) 




14 Omar Elabdellaoui 90 90 90 90 90 90 

20 Kostas Giannoulis 6 0 1 I I I 


Max. 111,267 v Atlético (h) | Min. 104,394 v Juventus (h) 

2 Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa 14 90 90 90 I 90 

3 Ashley Cole 0 90 45 45 0 


Max. 112,614 v CSKA Moskva (a) | Min. 100,951 v Bayern (h) 

22 Éric Abidal 90 90 90 90 90 90 


13 Maicon 1 90 89 I I I 78 


23 Dimitris Siovas I I I 1 

24 Tassos Avlonitis 0 0 0 0 0 0 

26 Arthur Masuaku 1 90 90 90 90 90 90 

30 Leandro Salino I 0 0 

Long 

46 (12% of total) 

Medium 232 (63%) 

Short 89 (24%) 

23 Davide Astori 90 I 0 I 90 0 

25 José Holebas 7 45 45 90 90 

35 Vasilis Torosidis 90 1 90 90 I I 

44 Kostas Manolas 76 90 90 90 90 90 

Long 

56 (12% of total) 

Medium 289 (61%) 

Short 132 (28%) 


Midfielders 

2 Giannis Maniatis 1 90 90 90 83 45 90 

TEAM SHAPE 

50 Michele Somma 0 0 

Midfielders 

TEAM SHAPE 

5 Luka Milivojević 90 90 90 90 90 I 

6 Ibrahim Afellay 2 1 69 79 21 90 45 13 

8 Delvin N'Dinga 1 21 57 90 77 90 90 

9 Jimmy Durmaz 0 21 0 I I I 

26 

6 

11 

22 

7 

10 

5 

3 

2 

14 

4 Radja Nainggolan 2 90 90 90 90 83 90 

6 Kevin Strootman I I I I 7 0 

7 Juan Manuel Iturbe 1 2 26 18 90 74 13 23 

15 Miralem Pjanić 90 90 79 32 3 90 

25 

27 10 8 

4 

2 

20 

15 

44 

13 

10 Alejandro Domínguez 1 1 57 33 85 72 72 90 

11 Pajtim Kasami 1 3 84 69 90 13 45 90 

16 

16 Daniele De Rossi S I 90 90 90 0 

20 Seydou Keita 90 90 I 90 90 90 

26 

18 Andreas Bouchalakis 0 0 18 0 

24 Alessandro Florenzi 1 64 83 45 58 90 12 

19 David Fuster 1 33 I 5 18 45 77 

COACH 

Forwards 

COACH 

Forwards 

7 Kostas Mitroglou 2 1 90 90 69 90 90 88 

17 Dimitris Diamantakos 0 11 0 7 0 0 

27 Jorge Benitez I I I I 2 



Miguel González 

‘Míchel’ 

Born: 23/03/1963, 

Madrid (ESP) 


Matches in 



01/02/2013 to 06/01/2015 

8 Adem Ljajić 19 0 11 0 87 67 

10 Francesco Totti 2 90 72 45 0 90 70 

22 Mattia Destro 0 0 0 90 0 20 

27 Gervinho 3 1 71 90 90 16 77 90 

1 

Defender on matchday five 



Rudi Garcia 

Born: 20/02/1964, 

Nemours (FRA) 


Matches in 



12/06/2013 


TEAM PROFILES 

91

SPORTING CLUBE DE PORTUGAL 

Portugal 

FC ZENIT 

Russia 

STATISTICS 

STATISTICS 


GOALS SCORED 

12 


GOALS SCORED 

4 



TIME SCORED 

TIME SCORED 

1 

2 1 3 2 

0 2 1 

1 

1 0 0 2 

0 0 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+ 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 


(including two double substitutions) 



0 1 1 1 0 8 6 1 

0 1 0 1 1 5 8 0 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

1-15 16-30 31-45 Half-time 46-60 61-75 76-90 90+ 

Minutes 

Goalkeepers 

G A MRB CHL SCH SCH MRB CHL 

D 1-1 L 0-1 L 4-3 W 4-2 W 3-1 L 3-1 

1 Rui Patrício 90 90 90 90 90 90 

22 Marcelo 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

3 Maurício 90 64 33 so S 90 90 

4 Jefferson 1 2 90 0 90 90 I 

26 Paulo Oliveira 0 26 90 90 90 90 

29 Naby Sarr 1 90 90 52 90 0 0 

33 Jonathan Silva 1 90 90 0 0 90 

41 Cédric 1 90 90 90 90 90 S 

47 Ricardo Esgaio 0 90 

81 André Geraldes 0 

AVERAGES* 


Max. 59% v Maribor (a) 

Min. 44% v Chelsea (a)* 


Max. 464 v Maribor (a) 

Min. 319 v Chelsea (h)* 


Max. 118,809 v Chelsea (a) | Min. 112,181 v Chelsea (h) 



25% 

53% 

23% 



Max. 90% v Chelsea (h), Schalke (a) 

Min. 86% v Chelsea (a), Maribor (a) 

Long 

47 (11% of total) 

Medium 251 (61%) 

Short 115 (28%) 

*Excluding matchday three v Schalke (a) when playing 57 minutes with ten men. 

Goalkeepers 

G A BEN MON LEV LEV BEN MON 

W 0-2 D 0-0 L 2-0 L 1-2 W 1-0 L 2-0 

1 Yuri Lodygin 90 90 90 90 90 90 

16 Vyacheslav Malafeev 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Defenders 

2 Aleksandr Anyukov 45 88 90 90 90 0 

4 Domenico Criscito 90 90 90 90 90 90 

6 Nicolas Lombaerts 90 90 90 90 23 90 

13 Luís Neto 0 0 0 0 67 0 

19 Igor Smolnikov 45 24 0 I 0 79 

24 Ezequiel Garay 90 90 90 90 90 90 

Midfielders 

AVERAGES 


Max. 56% v Benfica (a) 

Min. 48% v Benfica (h) 


Max. 577 v Benfica (a) 

Min. 348 v Benfica (h) 


Max. 117,892 v Monaco (h) | Min. 108,725 v Leverkusen (a) 



18% 

54% 

28% 


Max. 90% v Benfica (a) 

Min. 74% v Leverkusen (a) 

Long 

48 (11% of total) 

Medium 280 (63%) 

Short 115 (26%) 

Midfielders 

TEAM SHAPE 

5 Aleksandr Ryazantsev 1 0 11 65 11 

TEAM SHAPE 

8 André Martins 45 0 0 0 8 20 

14 William Carvalho 90 90 90 90 90 61 

17 João Mário 1 45 90 38 82 82 70 

23 Adrien Silva 2 90 81 90 90 90 90 

24 Oriol Rosell 1 0 0 8 0 

Forwards 

4 

77 

23 

29 

9 

1 

8 

14 

3 

18 

41 

8 Pavel Mogilevets 14 0 0 

17 Oleg Shatov 1 90 66 28 87 25 22 

20 Viktor Fayzulin S 90 62 I 32 68 

21 Javi García 90 90 90 90 58 90 

28 Axel Witsel 1 90 I 82 90 90 90 

35 Danny 1 1 90 90 90 79 90 90 

4 

35 

23 

20 

6 

1 

28 

21 

24 

2 

7 

9 Islam Slimani 2 90 90 25 90 75 90 

44 Anatoliy Tymoshchuk I 0 0 0 0 0 

10 Fredy Montero 1 9 65 0 15 29 

11 Diego Capel 0 9 1 1 0 61 

18 André Carrillo 1 66 81 89 22 24 90 

36 Carlos Mané 1 24 0 68 66 29 

77 Nani 4 2 90 90 90 89 90 I 



COACH 

Marco Silva 

Born: 12/07/1977, 

Lisbon (POR) 


Matches in 



21/05/2014 

Forwards 

7 Hulk 1 1 85 90 90 90 90 90 

10 Andrey Arshavin 5 2 0 3 0 0 

11 Aleksandr Kerzhakov 0 15 8 79 I I 

23 José Rondón 1 76 75 90 11 90 90 



COACH 

André Villas-Boas 

Born: 17/10/1977, 

Porto (POR)) 


Matches in 



18/03/2014 


TEAM PROFILES 

93

Event 

report

COMPETITION IDENTITY 

Best of 

the best 

Woven into the fabric of 

each match, the UEFA 

Champions League brand 

is at the heart of football’s 

greatest club competition 

“Floodlit evening games, 

the stadiums always 

full. It’s why we wanted 

to become professional 

players, why we want 

to play football. 

That’s why the UEFA 

Champions League is 

always special” 

Toni Kroos 

The best of the best on the ultimate stage 

– the brand essence of the UEFA Champions 

League focuses on a simple message, which is 

endorsed by the players themselves. “You are 

playing against great teams and great players,” 

says Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. “When 

you face great players, that’s when you discover 

how good you are.” 

From the immediately identifiable starball and 

stadium motifs to the iconic anthem, the brand 

is woven into the fabric of each match. Its 

strength has helped the UEFA Champions 

League establish itself as football’s premier 

club competition, promoting key values such 

as passion, inspiration and excellence. Being 

at a UEFA Champions League match, with the 

stadium decked out in competition livery, is a 

unique experience – as is playing on that 

ultimate stage. 

“It’s always something special – floodlit evening 

games, the stadiums always full,” Real Madrid CF 

midfielder Toni Kroos says. “As a player you look 

forward to matches like that. It’s why we 

wanted to become professional players, why we 

want to play football. That’s why the UEFA 

Champions League is always special.” 

The UEFA Champions League brand is 

complemented each season by the final brand. 

This concentrates on the city where the final is 

held, and begins to grow in prominence during 

the knockout rounds as the remaining teams 

set their sights on the final itself. In 2015, 

Berlin promoted the concept Champions Unite 

– the best of the best coming together on the 

ultimate stage to vie for the UEFA Champions 

League trophy. 

Within the final design, the coveted trophy – 

a powerful symbol of excellence itself – now 

takes prominence, sharing centre stage with 

the host city. Berlin is emblematic of European 

unity, the Brandenburg Gate representing a 

unified Germany and Europe; on 6 June the 

Olympiastadion was the ultimate stage, uniting 

fans around the world to watch the most 

prestigious club fixture in world football. 


COMPETITION IDENTITY 

97

SPONSORS 

Heineken 

Heineken kicked off its Champion the Match 

campaign at the start of the knockout stage, 

with former stars tweeting live analysis during 

games and engaging directly with supporters 

via Twitter videos. Building on the success of 

campaigns in recent seasons, Heineken focused 

on key matches each week, with the likes of Rio 

Ferdinand (in the Netherlands, below), Ruud van 

Nistelrooy (in Mexico) and Ruud Gullit (in 

Switzerland) sharing their insight from cities 

around the world. Champion the Match was 

also the theme of the UEFA Champions League 

Trophy Tour, presented by Heineken. The tour 

took place in the United States, with the trophy 

visiting New York (including the Empire State 

Building), Dallas and Los Angeles, accompanied 

by former winners Éric Abidal, Patrick Kluivert and 

Michel Salgado. Thousands of fans were 

photographed with the trophy and a lucky few 

also met their footballing heroes, who were on 

tour to share their own experiences of the 

competition. Heineken’s campaign culminated 

in Ibiza on the night of the final, with former 

winner Roberto Carlos joining fans outdoors to 

watch the match on a giant screen, while 

tweeting his thoughts on the game to 

supporters around the world. 

Heart of the 

action 

The UEFA Champions League’s six official partners benefited 

from the competition’s prestige, excellence and global reach, 

while bringing fans closer to the action 

UniCredit 

The UEFA Champions League helped bring the 

European bank closer to its clients, and the UEFA 

Champions League Trophy Tour, presented by 

UniCredit, was a particular success. The tour took 

in Bratislava, Vienna (right), Zagreb and Belgrade, 

with over 35,000 people visiting the UniCreditbranded 

exhibitions and having their photo 

taken with the trophy. A further 49 million were 

reached via UEFA’s social media channels. 

Innovations for the 2014/15 campaign included 

new, colourful LED boards at Juventus matches 

to promote one of UniCredit’s Italian banking 

products. In Germany, meanwhile, the Road to 

Berlin final campaign was used to promote the 

HypoVereinsbank brand. This included the 

launch of the HVB arena concept, where private 

screenings presented by popular hosts at key 

branches helped highlight its new, modern 

banking concept. 


SPONSORS 

99

SPONSORS 

Gazprom 

The global nature of Gazprom’s partnership 

with the UEFA Champions League, coupled 

with promotions directly engaging supporters, 

ensured brand awareness increased still further. 

Gazprom’s main promotion, Ticketmania, 

offered tickets to quiz winners at www.gazpromfootball.com, 

while its on-site sole and exclusive 

promotion – Fan of the Match – involved 

interviewing fans about their love for their clubs 

in Gazprom booths at stadiums, before 

encouraging them to get their friends to vote for 

their video. Final tickets were up for grabs for the 

overall winner. The Gazprom Football Club 

presented various activities to further engage 

with fans and keep them entertained. Rock, 

Paper, Scissors allowed registered users to take 

on FC Zenit and Chelsea FC players and even 

Franz Beckenbauer (below left) at the popular 

game. Tickets were again available as prizes, 

plus the chance to compete in fan matches 

the day after UEFA Champions League games. 

Gazprom also ran its Football for Friendship 

project, with 670 children from 24 countries 

across the world taking part under the slogan: 

“Earth is a ball. Football drives the planet.” The 

latter stages were held on the morning of the 

final at the UEFA Champions Festival (below) 

for the first time. 

Nissan 

New partner Nissan’s UEFA Champions League 

Engineers of Excitement programme enlisted 

the help of ambassadors Andrés Iniesta, David 

Silva, Yaya Touré and Max Meyer to spread its 

message that innovation is the key to success. 

They featured in a series of broadcast 

sponsorship idents and television adverts as well 

as making personal appearances at events and 

promoting the campaign on social media. 

Nissan also sponsored the popular goal of the 

week feature on UEFA.com. Fans voted for their 

favourite goal each matchweek with great prizes 

up for grabs, from match tickets to Nissan cars. 

Over 250,000 votes were registered in total. 

Nissan supplied cars for each venue during the 

season – a logistical challenge involving over 

1,000 vehicles. The car manufacturer also 

brought a large fleet of electric vehicles to 

the final to transport guests around Berlin. 

MasterCard 

Priceless Surprises was MasterCard’s main brand 

activation themed around the UEFA Champions 

League. In the Turkish market, for example, an 

orchestra flash mob staged an impromptu 

rendition of the UEFA Champions League 

anthem in an Istanbul shopping centre. 

MasterCard also joined forces with broadcasters 

and other UEFA Champions League partners, 

working with adidas on their pan-European Road 

to Berlin e-commerce card promotion, which 

offered MasterCard holders 20% off when using 

their card at the adidas online store. On its 

Priceless Surprises microsite, meanwhile, quiz 

prizes included UEFA Champions League final 

tickets. MasterCard’s final activities centred on 

its My Final app. Fans in Berlin deciphered a series 

of clues to find a golden ball, among other prizes. 

At the UEFA Champions Festival, MasterCard’s 

Sharing Box allowed fans to ‘score for their team’, 

while guests at the final were given a MasterCard 

that doubled as their match ticket and pass to 

the Champions Village. MasterCard also 

continued their ever-popular player escort 

programme, giving thousands of children the 

opportunity to take to the pitch with the stars 

of the UEFA Champions League. 

PlayStation 

Continuing its strong partnership with the 

UEFA Champions League, PlayStation became 

the number one brand in the majority of markets 

with its PS4 console. The PS4 was promoted 

across all platforms, with visibility assured on site 

via digital media and in Champions Matchday 

magazine. PlayStation also teamed up with 

Nissan for a joint promotion that featured Gran 

Turismo gaming pods in various Champions 

Clubs, while PlayStation’s Top Five game formed 

an integral part of the UEFA Champions League 

Fantasy Football app and was promoted digitally 

on UEFA.com and social media. Ahead of the 

final, the PlayStation Experience offered visitors 

to the UEFA Champions Festival an array of 

incentivised activities. Fans were able to play 

PES 2015 or test themselves at table football to 

win tickets to the showpiece. Finally, PlayStation 

Plus subscribers got to experience the very latest 

in virtual reality entertainment with Project 

Morpheus. PlayStation further added to the 

festival buzz by inviting German DJ Robin Schulz 

to play in front of a crowd of thousands. 


SPONSORS 

101

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS 

Starring 

role 

adidas and HTC were crucial players 

in their position as official suppliers 

to the UEFA Champions League 

adidas strengthens ties 

adidas’s iconic Finale ball designs are integral 

to the UEFA Champions League’s allure. First 

introduced in 2001, the starball motif is as 

closely associated with the competition as the 

UEFA Champions League anthem. Two unique 

starballs grace the pitches each season – one 

for the group stage and another for the 

knockout matches in the lead-up to the final. 

The brightly coloured Finale Berlin, launched for 

the round of 16, ensured the high standard was 

maintained for 2014/15. adidas’s presence at 

matches was further highlighted by the official 

match ball carrier, who handed the match ball 

to the referee before every game. 

For those watching at home, adidas’s YouTube 

programme Gamedayplus, which aired each 

Monday before UEFA Champions League 

matches, brought fans closer to the stars. 

Seventeen episodes were broadcast in 

2014/15, including interviews and features 

with the likes of Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and 

Manuel Neuer, fascinating insight into the latest 

adidas innovations, and opportunities to win 

exclusive prizes. 

HTC signs off in style 

In the build-up to the final, adidas delivered 

its new UEFA Champions League Trophy Home 

Tour in the host city, with an innovative 

activation allowing three lucky customers the 

chance to have the trophy at their home for 

a day in the company of some top players. 

The trophy was also displayed at the German 

preliminaries of the UEFA Young Champions 

tournament, at the local final – which was held 

at adidas’s new street football hub, aimed at 

young players – and at the company’s flagship 

Berlin store. 

The UEFA Champions League final was the 

stage for the launch of adidas’s biggest and 

most revolutionary football campaign to date, 

with the company’s well-established footwear 

range replaced with two brand new designs, 

X and Ace. These were introduced on the pitch 

at the Olympiastadion decider. 

Licensing 

The UEFA Champions League licensing 

programme expanded into new areas 

during 2014/15, offering new high-quality 

official licensed products as well as 

established favourites carrying the 

competition’s popular brand. Its success 

has provided a great platform to develop 

and expand the programme during the 

2015–18 cycle and promote the 

competition through many engaging 

events and initiatives. 

adidas came on board in 2014/15, 

producing a UEFA Champions 

League-branded male grooming range, 

which helped extend the brand further in 

retail. Other developments included the 

launch of a new concept store – The 

UEFA Champions League Experience 

(below, top) – in Abu Dhabi prior to the 

final. As well as a retail space, the store 

houses a museum and restaurants where 

customers can watch UEFA Champions 

League matches live. 

Konami and PlayStation continued their 

relationship by hosting the PES Virtual 

UEFA Champions League tournament at 

the Champions Festival in Berlin. The two 

eventual finalists were given the incredible 

opportunity to play each other pitchside at 

the Olympiastadion (bottom) in the run-up 

to the final. 

In its final season as a UEFA Champions League 

supplier partner, HTC built on its momentum 

from the previous two campaigns. Photography 

remained a key focus, with many fans getting 

up close and personal to the match action via 

the HTC Fan Photographer experience. This was 

an opportunity for a supporter to become an 

‘official photographer’ at the side of the pitch 

during player warm-ups and the team lineups 

for UEFA Champions League matches. 

By offering a unique experience to fans, HTC was 

able to collaborate with official broadcasters in 

certain markets to amplify the promotion. 

In March, HTC launched its new smartphone, 

the HTC One M9. This is the third flagship 

device from the One series and was intrinsic to 

HTC’s campaign leading up to the final. Once 

on site in Berlin, HTC’s UEFA Champions Festival 

activation used 60 of these devices to create 

an amazing 360° photo for visitors. 

Trophy replica products were again very 

popular with the public and sponsors, 

as were other key products such as the 

official sticker album and branded 

football tables, which also featured 

at the Champions Festival. 

102 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS 

103

EVENTS 

Berlin 

puts on a show 

Star names were certainly not thin on the 

ground in the week of the final, and many 

of them paraded their skills at the UEFA 

Champions Festival, a four-day celebration of 

the game held at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg 

Gate. An estimated 320,000 visitors attended 

the festival to see the likes of Zinédine Zidane 

and Michael Ballack up close, and sample the 

packed programme of events and 

entertainment – but, once Saturday evening 

came, there was only one place to be. 

Fans gather outside the Olympiastadion (above) and at the Brandenburg Gate (right) 

The German capital rose to the occasion as it hosted 

the final for the first time 

“I’m so happy to be here,” enthused Nicolò De 

Marchi, a Juventus fan with a difference. One of 

the tens of thousands of supporters to descend 

on Berlin for European football’s showpiece, the 

22-year-old had shown unique dedication to 

make it to the festivities, arriving in the German 

capital on foot after walking and cycling 

1,000km from Turin. “Once I got to Berlin,” 

he smiled, “the pain disappeared.” 

While few could match De Marchi for 

perseverance, his fellow fans of both teams 

were no less determined to add their own 

colour to the occasion, as Berlin welcomed 

supporters from across the globe. FC Barcelona 

may have been contesting their fourth decider 

in ten years, but the thrill of attending a UEFA 

Champions League final never wanes, and the 

Catalan club’s faithful were out in force around 

the city’s landmarks, enjoying soaring 

temperatures that reminded them of home. 

Five art installations spread around the capital 

added to the sense of anticipation, with each 

one commemorating a legendary moment 

from the competition’s past – as voted for by 

fans themselves in the months leading up to 

the tournament’s climax. As the 60th edition 

of the final approached, history was very much 

in the air and, at a special event on the eve of 

the final, the UEFA President, Michel Platini, 

presented a framed plaque containing the 

original handwritten draft notes for the 

competition to all 22 clubs to have lifted 

the trophy. 

Thoughts turned to the future as well, and UEFA 

donated a new maxi-pitch to Berlin at the Am 

Koppenplatz primary school, ensuring a lasting 

grassroots legacy for the city long after the 

Olympiastadion decider. “We hope that the 

children who start playing football here will one 

day sign up at a club,” said Willi Hink, football 

development director at the German Football 

Association (DFB), during a ceremony also 

attended by UEFA ambassador Cafu. “Maybe 

a future star will start here on this pitch.” 

Originally built for the 1936 Olympic Games 

and reminiscent of arenas in ancient Greece, 

the Olympiastadion offered a spectacular 

venue for the match everyone had been 

waiting for. It was the eighth time Germany 

had hosted the final but a first for Berlin, and 

supporters steadily gathered in the shadows 

of the ‘Marathontor’ (Marathon Gate) and 

‘Glockenturm’ (Bell Tower) as the clock ticked 

down to kick-off. They then set the tone for 

a thrilling final with two stunning fan mosaics, 

the Barcelona contingent spelling out the 

team’s ‘Més que un club’ (More than a Club) 

motto while their Juve counterparts formed 

two hands reaching out for the trophy. 

The silverware ultimately eluded their heroes, 

but Juve’s supporters contributed fully to a 

magnificent atmosphere inside the ground, 

raising the volume levels when Álvaro Morata 

brought the sides level in the second half. Luis 

Suárez and Neymar ensured that Barça would 

prevail on the day, but the respect between 

the two finalists was palpable and had only 

increased by the time the final whistle was 

blown, with both teams forming a guard of 

honour as their rivals walked up to collect 

medals. As walks went, it was nothing compared 

to De Marchi’s epic trek across the continent, 

but everyone – players and fans alike – left 

Berlin changed by an unforgettable experience. 

104 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 BERLIN 2015 

105

UEFA CHAMPIONS FESTIVAL 

Party time 

The iconic setting, legendary players and Old Big Ears 

itself pulled in the crowds in the build-up to the final 

When the club crests of FC Barcelona and 

Juventus beamed in the Berlin night sky from 

the top of the Brandenburg Gate, it was 

impossible not to be swept up in the 

excitement ahead of the UEFA Champions 

League final. Just one highlight from the 

UEFA Champions Festival at the city’s 

world-famous landmark, that memorable 

moment showed once again why the festival 

has become such an integral accompaniment 

to the showpiece itself. 

Running from 4 to 7 June, and boasting more 

entertainment, music and footballing activities 

than ever, the ninth edition of the Champions 

Festival kicked off with the arrival of the trophy 

on the Thursday before the Olympiastadion 

decider, with two-time UEFA Champions 

League winner Christian Karembeu helping 

to officially open the event. 

An estimated 320,000 visitors streamed 

into the venue over the four days of festivities, 

taking advantage of splendid weather to 

immerse themselves in the atmosphere, have 

their photo taken with the UEFA Champions 

League trophy or see some of the biggest 

names in the game up close. 

As ever, the Ultimate Champions match on the 

festival mini-pitch proved the biggest draw on 

the eve of the final, but former stars were also 

fully involved in various competition sponsor 

activations, with Karembeu taking on 

international freestyler David Grubl in a penalty 

shoot-out, former Germany captain Michael 

Ballack offering young players advice as part of 

a skills clinic, and France legend Zinédine Zidane 

showing off his undiminished talent at the 

adidas hub. 

It was by no means just the legends who got 

to parade their abilities either. As part of UEFA’s 

football and social responsibility programme, 

blind footballers, amputee players and 

representatives from Special Olympics also 

staged matches in front of enthusiastic crowds. 

“It was a great experience,” said Mateusz 

Widłak of the European Amputee Football 

Federation. “The atmosphere is special and it’s 

a great advertisement for our sport.” 

The entertainment came thick and fast away 

from the pitch as well, with some of the best 

DJs, bands and artists from Berlin, Germany and 

beyond performing on the Champions Festival 

stage, including Robin Schulz, Tyla Durden and 

The New Roses, AKA, the Blue Man Group and 

the Flying Steps Dance Academy. An hour-long 

Facebook Live TV show also took place on the 

stage on the morning of the final, when 

Juventus great David Trezeguet made a guest 

appearance. Meanwhile, cinema enthusiasts 

were treated to the inaugural Champions 

Festival open-air film night, where the film 

Champions was the main attraction – yet 

another highlight from a wonderful celebration 

of the UEFA Champions League. 

Past masters 

The Ultimate Champions match has 

become the annual high point of the 

Champions Festival and this year was no 

exception, with the stands packed as a 

World All-Stars team coached by Peter 

Schmeichel and Ruud Gullit took on Zico’s 

Juve & Barça Legends. Some of the 

greatest players in UEFA Champions 

League history were involved, as past 

winners such as Clarence Seedorf, Edwin 

van der Sar and Fabrizio Ravanelli rolled 

back the years to the delight of the crowd. 

The game produced some other great 

stories as well: adidas Young Champion 

Paxton Pomykal looked far from out of 

place among the Legends after winning his 

place in the side, while Tom Kinstler – 

winner of UEFA.com’s #UltimateChampion 

competition – flew in all the way from 

Johannesburg, South Africa, and was 

barely able to contain his emotions after 

appearing alongside his Juve heroes. 

Entertainment at the UEFA Champions Festival included the Ultimate Champions match (top), live music and interviews on the 

main stage and the chance to have your photo taken with the trophy itself; action on the mini-pitch included matches involving 

amputee, blind and Special Olympics teams 

106 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 EVENTS 

107

EVENTS 

Picture 

perfect 

A huge media presence 

swelled the ranks of people 

working at the Olympiastadion 

to deliver a faultless final 

As fans flocked to Berlin for the final, so did the 

media in huge numbers. There were 1,625 

broadcast personnel on site, with rights holders 

having access to 130 TV and radio commentary 

positions – with a further 34 non-rights holders 

also covering the game for television and radio. 

In addition, 550 accredited written press 

representatives attended the match, as well 

as 200 photographers, photo editors and 

technicians. A small army of people, meanwhile, 

was involved in making sure the game passed 

without a hitch. UEFA, local organising 

committee and German Football Association 

staff totalled 480, and the numbers swelled still 

further thanks to the 420 volunteers and 170 

drivers, the latter ferrying workers between the 

stadium, the festival and hotels. 

Photographers swarm around 

the celebrating Barça players 


EVENTS 

109

NUMBER CRUNCHING 

Centre stage 

The eyes of the world turned their gaze on Berlin as fans 

played their part in the final like never before. Here we 

take our pick of the key facts and figures that confirmed 

the UEFA Champions League’s status as the world’s 

most watched annual sporting event. 

THE FINAL ON FACEBOOK 

28m people drove 76m interactions 

MOST TALKED ABOUT PLAYER 

NEYMAR 

Top moment: the Brazilian scores 

Barça’s third goal in added time 

1. Brazil 2. Italy 3. Indonesia 

4. Mexico 5. USA 6. Spain 

Top six countries buzzing 

about the match 

UEFA.COM 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TWITTER 

8.6m followers of @ChampionsLeague (51% growth during season) 

Top post (800,000 impressions) 

104m 

SEASON 

2m 

VISITORS 

ON 

FINAL DAY 

VISITS TO THE UEFA 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WEBSITE 

108m 

impressions 

during final 

week 

500,000 people followed the final 

on the official competition account 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FACEBOOK 

500,000,000+ 

season engagements 

(likes, comments or shares) 

FINAL DAY FACTS 

Reach 

60.5m+ 

45.6m 

page likes 

30%+ 

Page 

growth during 

the season 

People engaged 

9.5m+ 

TOP MATCHNIGHT POST 

Reach 15.7m 

Engagements 

630,000+ 

1.6m+ clicks 

THE FINAL ON TWITTER 

#UCLfinal 

1.9m+ mentions of the 

official UEFA hashtag 

TOP MOMENTS 

1. @neymarjr scores 

300,000 

2. @FCBarcelona 

win #UCLfinal 

3. @AlvaroMorata 

equalises 

UEFA CHAMPIONS FESTIVAL 

visitors 

17m 

15,000 

fan photos taken 

with the UEFA 

Champions 

League trophy 

Facebook Live 

pre-final show reach 


SOCIAL MEDIA 

111

BROADCAST NETWORK 

Final ambassador Karl-Heinz Riedle parades 

the trophy during the opening ceremony 

Europe 

Albania 

SuperSport, TV Klan 

Israel 

The Sports Channel 

Armenia 

Armenia TV 

Italy 

Mediaset, Sky Italia 

Austria 

PULS 4, Sky Austria 

Kazakhstan 

KTK 

Azerbaijan 

AZ TV 

Latvia 

Viasat 

Belarus 

Belarus TV 

Lithuania 

Viasat 

Belgium 

2BE, Belgacom, RTL 

Malta 

GO, PBS 

Bosnia & Herzegovina 

BHRT, OBN TV, Telekom Serbia 

Moldova 

Prime TV 

Bulgaria 

bTV Media Group 

Montenegro 

RTCG, Telekom Serbia 

Croatia 

HRT, Telekom Croatia 

Netherlands 

NOS, Sport1 

Cyprus 

CYTA, Sigma TV 

Norway 

Viasat 

Czech Republic 

Czech TV, Prima COOL 

Poland 

ITI 

Denmark 

Viasat 

Portugal 

Sport TV, TVI Portugal 

Estonia 

Viasat 

Romania 

DIGI Sport, Dolce Sport, TVR 

Finland 

MTV3, YLE 

Russia 

NTV, NTV Plus 

France 

beIN Sports, Canal+ 

Serbia 

RTS, Telekom Serbia 

FYR Macedonia 

MKRTV, Telekom Macedonia 

Slovakia 

Slovak TV 

The beIN France studio is decked out with the finest silverware 

Top billing 

UEFA’s broadcast partners descended on Berlin to provide 

optimum coverage of the final to viewers in every market 

The sheer size of the broadcast operation at 

the Olympiastadion final was staggering. Nearly 

1,700 broadcast personnel were on site – up 

125 on the 2014 final in Lisbon – from 76 

broadcast partners covering 109 countries 

around the world. Twenty-three of those 

broadcasters had their own unilateral on-site 

productions, sending customised programming 

from pitch level to their viewers back home, 

including Japan’s Sky Perfect and 2BE – from 

Belgium – for the first time. 

In all, 125 broadcast partners are affiliated with 

the UEFA Champions League. Forty-seven come 

from outside Europe and that interest – from 

Australia to Venezuela – is a clear reflection of 

the insatiable global appetite for world 

football’s premier club competition. Mexico 

is a prime example, and the efforts made in 

promoting coverage there once again paid off 

in exceptional viewing figures. Live coverage 

of the final on the free-to-air channels was 

watched by 3.3 million on TV Azteca and 

2.4 million on Canal2. Fox Mexico hosted a 

successful public screening of the final, while 

ESPN Mexico extensively advertised their 

final coverage through a series of nationwide 

promotions including branded buses and 

electronic billboards. 

In Italy, Mediaset and Heineken worked 

together during the season to produce a 

programme involving players answering 

questions from fans as part of Heineken’s 

Champion the Match campaign. Viewers were 

requested to send in videos of themselves 

asking football-related questions, three of 

which were selected each matchnight, 

projected onto a Heineken-branded 

environment and answered by a player. 

The initiative was a positive example of 

the drive to bring fans closer to the UEFA 

Champions League. beIN France, meanwhile, 

made use of three of the best possible props 

– the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa 

League and UEFA Super Cup trophies – to 

decorate their TV studio for their Club du 

Dimanche programme. 

Georgia 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Iceland 

Ireland 

Outside Europe 

Australia 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Canada 

China 

Costa Rica 

Ecuador 

Georgian Public Broadcaster, 

Global Media Group (GMG), Rustavi 2 

Sky Deutschland, ZDF 

ERT, NovaSports 

DIGI Sport, Sport1 Hungary 

365 Media 

RTE, Setanta Sports, TV3 

ESPN, SBS 

Unitel Bolivia 

ESPN Brazil, Esporte Interativo, TV Globo 

Sportsnet 

CCTV, QQ, Sina 

Repretel 

Canal UNO TV 

El Salvador Canal 4 

Guatemala 

Honduras 

Hong Kong 

Indian subcontinent 

Indonesia 

Japan 

Kyrgyzstan/Ukbekistan 

Tajikistan/Turkmenistan 

Latin America 

Radio Television Guatemala 

Televicentro 

i-Cable 

Ten Sports 

SCTV 

Sky Perfect TV 

StanSport 

ESPN, Fox Sports, OTI 

Slovenia 

SportKlub, Telekom Slovenia 

Spain 

Canal+, TVE, TV3 

Sweden 

Viasat 

Switzerland 

SRG, Teleclub 

Turkey 

Dogan Group 

United Kingdom 

BSkyB, ITV 

Ukraine 

1+1 Ukraine, Media Group Ukraine 

Pan-European 

Eurosport 

Mexico 

Televisa, TV Azteca 

Middle East 

beIN Sports 

Mongolia Channel 1 

Myanmar 

S Media 

Nicaragua 

Ratensa 

Panama 

TVN Panama 

Paraguay 

Paravision 

Peru 

ATV Peru 

Philippines 

Balls 

Singapore 

SingTel 

South Africa 

eTV 

South Korea 

SPO TV 

Sub-Saharan Africa 

Canal+ Afrique, Star Times, SuperSport 

Suriname 

STVS 

Taiwan 

ELTA TV 

Thailand/Laos/Cambodia True Visions 

USA 

Fox Sports 

Macau 

TDM 

Venezuela 

Meridiano TV 

Malaysia/Brunei 

Astro 

Vietnam 

VSTV, VTV 

112 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 BROADCAST NETWORK 

113

MEDIA RIGHTS 

World 

view 

With an estimated global average audience 

of 180 million across 200 countries, the Berlin 

final rivalled records set in Lisbon in 2014 

Netherlands 12% 

The final attracted an average 2.4 million 

viewers on NPO3 – an audience share of 

39.7%. This represented an increase of 

12% on the 2014 final in Lisbon. 

Germany 29% 

German fans may not have had a team of 

their own to cheer on in Berlin, but the 

match was still a massive draw, with more 

viewers tuning in for this final than any 

other not involving a German side. With 

10.1 million viewers, the figures were up 

29% up the 2014 final and drew a 38.1% 

share across ZDF and Sky. And they did 

get to see a German, Marc-André ter 

Stegen, lift the trophy. 

Europe 47.1m 

200+ 

countries aired the final 

Spain 8.5m 

In Spain, 8.5 million people watched 

FC Barcelona’s final victory across La1, 

TV3 and Canal + Liga de Campeones. 

Along with Barça’s semi-final victory 

against FC Bayern München, the final 

was one of the two most watched 

UEFA Champions League broadcasts 

on TV3 since 2012/13. 

The final generated a cumulative 

audience of 47.1m in the top six 

markets – France, Germany, Italy, the 

Netherlands, Spain and the United 

Kingdom. This represented 26% of 

the projected global audience and 

was up 6% on 2014. 

Italy 14m 

Brazil 17m 

More people than ever watched the 

UEFA Champions League final in Brazil, 

with TV Globo posting a record average 

audience of 17 million for their live 

coverage, fittingly culminating in local 

hero Neymar firing in FC Barcelona’s third. 

400m 

Estimated global unique 

viewer reach 

With 14 million viewers, Berlin was the 

most watched final in Italy since 2010, 

when FC Internazionale Milano won the 

UEFA Champions League in Madrid. The 

match also attracted 25% more viewers 

than the Coppa Italia final between 

Juventus and SS Lazio, which had aired 

on Rai 1 on 20 May. The final two 

matchnights of the season also drew 

the highest free-to-air audiences in Italy 

since AC Milan defeated Liverpool FC in 

the 2007 final. 

180m 

Estimated global average 

audience for the final 


MEDIA RIGHTS 

115

TV PRODUCTION 

Maximum 

exposure 

Embracing new technology 

has kept UEFA Champions 

League broadcasting 

ahead of the game 

UEFA continues to be at the forefront of 

broadcasting innovation, and while the Berlin 

final brought a hugely successful three-year 

broadcaster rights cycle to a close, it also 

provided an opportunity to showcase the 

next-generation services that UEFA Champions 

League broadcasters will receive during the 

2015/16 campaign. 

Changing viewing habits present both 

challenges and opportunities, and UEFA is 

meeting the evolving landscape head-on with 

a range of services that were comprehensively 

piloted across the 2014/15 season. The 

offerings for the new cycle were also presented 

at a special Olympiastadion showroom, where 

UEFA broadcast partners were given a chance to 

see how fans will be able to access even more of 

the television content produced on and 

off-venue across all platforms. 

UEFA’s investment in 4K production continues as 

well, and the Berlin match became the first UEFA 

Champions League final to be broadcast live in 

4K. Twelve 4K cameras were installed to capture 

the action in stunning 3840x2160 resolution, 

and UEFA TV Production specifically brought in 

4K director Knut Fleischmann to oversee the 

most comprehensive final coverage ever. 

While the TV landscape may be shifting, the 

nearly 80-year-old Olympiastadion posed a 

unique challenge for host broadcaster ZDF. 

TV match director Andreas Lauterbach 

managed a complex production plan that 

included 40 cameras around the venue, ranging 

from a helicam and aerial spidercam system to 

mini-cameras in the goal and goal-line cameras 

fixed on catwalks high above the stadium. 

Working within a national monument and listed 

building, UEFA likewise elected to install a series 

of non-invasive temporary TV structures, 

including a 96m-long cable bridge to hold over 

600m of TV cabling. With no stand directly 

behind the left goal, ZDF took the additional 

decision to use a large crane camera to provide 

a unique viewpoint of the match. However, 

despite the challenges, the 23 visiting 

broadcasters and nearly 1,700 broadcast 

personnel were provided with 130 TV and 

radio commentary positions, 17 pitchside 

presentation positions, 16 flash interview 

positions, eight studios with panoramic pitch 

views from the Marathon Gate, and three indoor 

studios to ensure cutting-edge coverage. 

Throughout the season, broadcasters were 

also supplied with even more additional 

programming than before. Promotional trailers, 

club and city profiles, matchnight profiles, 32 

magazine shows and dedicated footage for the 

final were all made available. In addition, a 

one-off video – 60 Years of the UEFA Champions 

League – provided a fitting end to the season 

and cycle. 

As the dramatic final reached its climax, back in 

Nyon the UEFA quality control team were once 

again on hand at the match command centre 

to review every minute of the action, as they 

had been doing all season, ensuring a quality 

of broadcast and additional programming that 

befitted the exciting, changing landscape of 

UEFA Champions League coverage. 

116 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 TV PRODUCTION 

117

COMMUNICATIONS 

Social 

scene 

With rapid growth across 

the board, UEFA’s social 

media campaigns hit the 

target in 2014/15 

Facebook 

Barcelona’s guard of honour at the 

final became the first post on the 

UEFA Champions League Facebook 

page to receive more than 1m likes. 

23m 

People reached 

1.3m 

Likes 

32k 

Shares 

The 2015 UEFA Champions League final 

underlined the fixture’s status as the world’s 

most watched sporting event, and some 

equally remarkable figures ensured it was also 

the most successful occasion in UEFA social 

media history. In June 2014 UEFA developed its 

new social media strategy for the UEFA 

Champions League with one of its objectives 

being for it to become the most followed 

competition in the world. After a thrilling 

UEFA Champions League final in Berlin, the 

numbers indicated that target had been hit. 

Social media coverage of the final captured the 

imagination of fans worldwide. Instagram tours 

of the Olympiastadion and the one-hour live 

pre-final Facebook show from the UEFA 

Champions Festival – featuring David Trezeguet 

live and interviews with Lionel Messi, Xavi 

Hernández, Zinédine Zidane and Gianluigi 

Buffon among others – reached 17 million 

people. The Brandenburg Gate was also lit 

up in the colours of both finalists after 

Juventus and FC Barcelona fans rose to the 

challenge of 5,000 retweets per team set by 

@ChampionsLeague Twitter. Some 28 million 

people had 76m Facebook interactions about 

the final, while there were almost 2m mentions 

on Twitter of the competition’s official hashtag: 

#UCLfinal. Having enjoyed growth in excess of 

30% during the season, the UEFA Champions 

League Facebook page was firmly on course to 

be the first league or association page to reach 

50 million followers. 

Those impressive statistics were the culmination 

of a productive year-long campaign in which the 

UEFA Champions League Facebook page swelled 

from 31.6 million to 45.8 million fans and the 

Twitter account almost doubled in size, from 

4.8 million to 8.7 million followers. Rapid growth 

was spurred by a focus on shareable behind-thescenes 

images, videos, archive footage, facts 

and statistics, and exclusive content offering 

supporters a truly unique experience. The 

YouTube and Google+ accounts were merged 

and rebranded as UEFA.tv, providing an exciting 

new hub for videos that made the most of UEFA 

Legacy’s footage in a topical and engaging way. 

By the end of the season there were more than 

123,000 subscribers. 

The implementation of bespoke infographics 

added an essential shareable element to timely 

and engaging posts. This boosted reach and 

also benefited competition sponsors, whose 

logos reached almost 30 million people on 

Facebook via one graphic alone during the 

semi-final draw. 

A focus on exclusive 

behind-the-scenes content 

has spurred growth 

UEFA Champions League partners gained 

from the creative freedom of social media. 

A UEFA social team member was present for 

the Heineken trophy tour in the United States, 

for example, delivering exclusive behind-thescenes 

content and running interviews with 

ambassadors in a series of tour stops that 

reached over 43 million fans on Facebook and 

attracted thousands on the ground. 

Meanwhile, the creation of exclusive campaigns, 

such as UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year and 

Legendary Moments, enabled the social media 

channels to become a starting point for 

conversation and allowed fans’ voices to be 

heard. Clubs shared this content, encouraging 

their own supporters to participate, and an 

initiative that brought employees of the last 16 

clubs to UEFA headquarters in Nyon for a social 

media workshop proved particularly fruitful in 

this regard. 

Clubs have since publicly interacted with each 

other and used the UEFA Champions League 

account handles and hashtags where possible, 

while also making players available to UEFA for 

exclusive social media Q&A sessions. David Luiz, 

Thibaut Courtois and Gerard Piqué were among 

the big names to take fans’ questions in 

activations that proved very popular. New 

audiences were reached in spontaneous 

interactions with players such as Gareth Bale 

and celebrities such as One Direction band 

members throughout the season, while over 

150 followers with 1 million-plus followers 

of their own kept track of events via 

@ChampionsLeague Twitter. 

The hugely increased follower counts are 

testimony to the impact that a refocused social 

media strategy had on reach and engagement. 

The creativity of the social and graphic teams 

increased audience participation, with the UEFA 

Champions League Facebook page alone 

enjoying more than half a billion engagements 

(likes, shares or comments) over the course of 

the season. The challenge now is to go one step 

further in 2015/16. 

Twitter 

The Barcelona emblem lit up the 

Brandenburg Gate after fans responded to a 

challenge set by the UEFA Champions 

League Twitter account. 

7.1k 

Retweets 

3.1k 

Favourites 

Instagram 

Brazilian legend Zico’s successful pre-match 

prediction proved a massive hit with 

followers of the UEFA Champions League 

Instagram account. 

29k 

Likes 


COMMUNICATIONS 

119

MARKETING 

Legendary 

moments 

From Manchester United’s 

stirring comeback in 1999 

to Real Madrid winning ‘La 

Décima’, fans voted on their 

favourite UEFA Champions 

League moments 

While the action unfolded in 2014/15, UEFA 

tapped into the UEFA Champions League’s 

rich history to grow the tournament brand 

via the Legendary Moments campaign. A 

digital-led initiative, Legendary Moments 

proved a huge success as it set out to engage 

a global audience, inspire new fans and leave 

a positive legacy. 

Launched to coincide with the knockout stage 

and running all the way up until the final in 

Berlin, supporters were encouraged to vote in a 

global poll to decide the top five legendary 

moments in European Cup history, with an 

initial list of 60 iconic events selected from 

the competition’s first six decades. 

The poll resulted in more than 712,000 site 

visits to UEFA.com and over 2.8m page views, 

with more than 163,000 unique voters 

registering an average of 1.75 votes each. 

The campaign was also heavily promoted 

on the UEFA Champions League Facebook, 

Twitter and Instagram pages, while clubs 

including FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC and Paris 

Saint-Germain urged their fans to take part. 

The five most popular moments proved to 

be Manchester United FC’s comeback (1999), 

Zinédine Zidane’s volley (2002), Liverpool FC’s 

fightback (2005), Didier Drogba’s parting gift 

(2012) and Real Madrid CF completing ‘La 

Décima’ (2014) – all of which were 

commemorated in short films on UEFA.com 

featuring interviews with the protagonists 

and current stars. 

Towards the end of April, a high-profile city 

tour was then organised in Berlin to unveil art 

installations capturing each of the top five 

moments, in the presence of former German 

international Arne Friedrich and tennis ace 

Sabine Lisicki. This received extensive coverage 

in the press and generated media value of 

close to €1.3m. 

Television presenter Palina Rojinski and Arne Friedrich 

parade the trophy during the city tour 

Branded Nissan vehicles displaying the 

Legendary Moments and UEFA Champions 

League logos, and playing the competition 

anthem, also spread the message in Berlin, 

where a Legendary Moments trophy photo 

experience at the Champions Festival 

heightened the experience and helped further 

build UEFA’s fan database. Lastly, a few lucky 

supporters got to play in the Fan Match the 

day after the final – the final act of a highly 

successful promotion. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjær celebrates his 

winning goal, which was recreated as an 

art installation in Berlin (opposite) 

120 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 PROMOTIONS 

121

UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

Frankfurt 

back on 

top 

Frankfurt captain Kerstin Garefrekes lifts the 

UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy 

The German side collected 

a record fourth title in a 

dramatic final in Berlin 

Deep into added time, substitute Mandy Islacker 

pounced on a loose ball in the area and flicked 

it brilliantly on the half-volley with the outside 

of her left foot to score the goal that earned 

1. FFC Frankfurt a dramatic 2-1 victory against 

Paris Saint-Germain and the UEFA Women’s 

Champions League crown. 

It was Frankfurt’s fourth European title, and the 

game at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark 

in Berlin had turned their way when Célia Šašić 

headed in her competition-equalling 14th goal 

of the season in the 32nd minute. Paris were 

contesting their first final, but having knocked 

out holders VfL Wolfsburg in the semi-finals, 

had already served notice of their strength. They 

drew level five minutes before the break when 

Marie-Laure Delie got on the end of Kenza Dali’s 

cross to power in a header at the far post. 

Frankfurt were on top in a tight second half 

watched by 18,300 spectators, and victory 

came in the second minute of added time 

when Islacker struck. German sides have now 

won nine of the 14 UEFA women’s club titles, 

with Frankfurt the most successful team 

following triumphs in 2002 – the first edition 

of the UEFA Women’s Cup – 2006 and 2008. 

BOQUETE SHOWS THE WAY 

UEFA ambassador for women’s football 

Verónica Boquete was leading by example 

as she helped push Frankfurt to victory in the 

UEFA Women’s Champions League final. The 

Spanish international was appointed to the role 

in February through the UEFA Women’s Football 

Development Programme, and works alongside 

Camille Abily, Laura Georges – the Paris defender 

who appeared as a second-half substitute in 

Berlin – and Lotta Schelin to offer guidance and 

inspiration to women players across Europe. 

After losing to a late goal in the 2014 final with 

Tyresö FF in Lisbon, lifting the European title 

for the first time was extra special for forward 

Boquete. “It means the world,” she said. “I’ve 

been fighting so long to win this trophy, and 

after last year’s loss with Tyresö, this was more 

special. You always have to come back and keep 

trying and dreaming big.” 

It is the perfect advice from the ambassador 

who earlier in the year had visited Croatia 

to impart her wisdom to players at a UEFA 

international development tournament for 

Under-16 girls. “The majority of us – including 

us ambassadors – didn’t know it was possible 

to become a professional player when we were 

young,” said Boquete. “It’s a fantastic project 

because it’s an opportunity to motivate 

younger girls by showing them what’s possible.” 

What better way to do that than by winning a 

European final? 

122 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

123

UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE 

Making 

the grade 

A thrilling second season 

supported the decision to 

make this development 

competition a regular fixture 

“It’s a great experience,” said Izzy Brown in 

summing up Chelsea FC’s victorious UEFA 

Youth League campaign. The Chelsea captain 

had scored twice in the 3-2 final win against 

FC Shakhtar Donetsk and was one of many 

players across the continent to applaud a 

competition that, following a two-year trial 

period, has become a permanent fixture in 

the UEFA calendar. 

It is not hard to see why. Brown was among a 

group of Chelsea UEFA Youth League players 

who stepped up to the senior squad in 

2014/15. Two of them, Ruben Loftus-Cheek 

and Dominic Solanke – the UEFA Youth 

League’s 12-goal leading marksman – even 

made UEFA Champions League debuts. 

Chelsea may have lifted the Lennart Johannson 

trophy, but they are not alone in seeing the 

benefits of participation in this European 

Under-19 competition. “It certainly gave us a 

lot, being able to measure ourselves against 

other players of our age, from different nations, 

different football cultures,” said AS Roma 

defender Arturo Calabresi, whose side lost out 

to Chelsea in the semi-finals. “We’re working 

to get to the top of our profession, and getting 

this far is something we and the whole club 

should be proud of.” 

Throughout Europe the story is the same. In just 

two seasons, 31 teenagers have graduated 

from UEFA Youth League to UEFA Champions 

League, fulfilling one of the competition’s goals 

of helping bridge the gap between youth and 

senior football. Players are learning what it 

takes to reach the top off the pitch as well, with 

76% of UEFA Youth League teams travelling 

with the seniors during the group stage. 

“It’s an important experience, those hectic 

weeks playing Wednesdays then Saturdays,” 

said FC Basel 1893 striker Breel Embolo, a 

UEFA Champions League debutant in 2014/15 

having sparkled in the UEFA Youth League 12 

months before. “It was great to fly with the first 

team, get to know them better, get a few tips 

from them. There was a lot of communication. 

They were always asking how we were doing.” 

Cooperating with youth academies around 

Europe also offers UEFA an excellent 

opportunity to impart key educational 

messages to the youngsters – early lessons 

that will aid them as their careers progress. 

In 2014/15 classes were given to squads on 

match-fixing prevention, the Laws of the Game 

– with UEFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi 

Collina – and anti-doping, among other topics. 

For the players, the greatest memories will 

be of the matches themselves. None of the 

RSC Anderlecht squad will forget their run to the 

semis given they twice played in front of record 

crowds. A new competition record 13,162 

attendance at the Constant Vanden Stock 

Stadium in Brussels witnessed Anderlecht’s 

quarter-final victory against FC Porto, 

highlighting how the UEFA Youth League has 

captured the imagination of fans keen to see 

the next generation come through the ranks. 

That passion was fully evident during the 

semi-finals and final at the Colovray Sports 

Centre on UEFA’s campus in Nyon, Switzerland. 

Some 10,800 spectators watched the three 

games over two sun-drenched days in April – the 

community in Canton Vaud getting behind the 

sides, and local children enjoying the chance to 

see such talented prospects on their doorstep. 

Key to the success of final week was the high 

standard of football, and from 2015/16 more 

clubs will have the opportunity to take part. 

For its first two seasons, the UEFA Youth League 

was open to the U19 teams of the 32 clubs 

involved in the UEFA Champions League; from 

2015/16 that number will double to 64 to 

incorporate domestic youth champions too. 

After a UEFA Youth League campaign of drama, 

quality and excitement, the expanded format 

will provide plenty more of the same. 

Anderlecht take on Shakhtar in the semi-finals 

Izzy Brown celebrates scoring in the UEFA Youth League final 

124 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2014/15 UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE 

125

2015/16 SEASON PREVIEW 

Return to 

Milan 

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza will 

stage the final for a fourth time 

2015 

AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 

PLAY-OFFS 

GROUP STAGE 

FIRST LEG 

MATCHDAY ONE 

MATCHDAY THREE MATCHDAY FOUR 

MATCHDAY SIX 

18th / 19th 15th / 16th 20th / 21st 3rd / 4th 8th / 9th 

SECOND LEG 

MATCHDAY TWO 

MATCHDAY FIVE 

ROUND OF 16 DRAW 

25th / 26th 29th / 30th 

24th / 25th 14th 

GROUP STAGE DRAW 

27th 

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is steeped in 

European Cup history. It was here in 1965 that 

Jair scored the solitary goal that allowed holders 

FC Internazionale Milano to reclaim the trophy 

on home soil; in 1970 Ove Kindvall’s extra-time 

strike took the trophy to the Netherlands for 

the first time as Feyenoord defeated Celtic FC 

2-1; and in 2001 Oliver Kahn’s shoot-out 

heroics ensured FC Bayern München edged 

Valencia CF in a cagey final. 

The ‘Scala del Calcio’ – so called after the 

famous Milan opera – has been the focus of 

city’s footballing drama since it opened in 1926. 

It underwent significant renovations in 1955, 

when the second tier was completed, and 

ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup to create the 

magnificent 80,000-capacity arena that Inter 

and AC Milan compete in today. Its towering 

stands, curling stairways in each corner and 

translucent roof are synonymous with 

cutting-edge Milanese design, and it will 

have another facelift before the 2016 UEFA 

Champions League final, the ninth to be held 

in Italy, further modernising the iconic venue. 

Formerly known as the San Siro after the district 

where it is located, the stadium was renamed 

in 1980 in honour of Italy’s 1934 and 1938 

World Cup winner who played for both Milanese 

teams. Between them, the Rossoneri (seven) 

and Nerazzurri (three) have won the European 

Cup ten times, a feat for one city matched only 

by Madrid. Inter and Real Madrid CF (in 1957) 

are the only two sides to have lifted Old Big Ears 

on home turf. 

2016 

FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY 

ROUND OF 16 QUARTER-FINALS SEMI-FINALS/FINAL 

FIRST LEG 

SECOND LEG 

FIRST LEG 

SECOND LEG 

16th / 17th 8th / 9th 5th / 6th 

3rd / 4th 

FIRST LEG 

SECOND LEG 

SECOND LEG 

FINAL 

23rd / 24th 15th / 16th 12th /13th 28th 

QUARTER-FINAL DRAW SEMI-FINAL DRAW 

18th 

15th 

SEMI-FINALS FIRST LEG 

26th / 27th 


2015/16 SEASON PREVIEW 

127

Roll of honour 

2015 FC Barcelona 

2014 Real Madrid CF 

2013 FC Bayern München 

2012 Chelsea FC 


2010 FC Internazionale Milano 


2008 Manchester United FC 

2007 AC Milan 


2005 Liverpool FC 

2004 FC Porto 

2003 AC Milan 






1997 Borussia Dortmund 

1996 Juventus 

1995 AFC Ajax 

1994 AC Milan 

1993 Olympique de Marseille 


1991 FK Crvena zvezda 

1990 AC Milan 

1989 AC Milan 

1988 PSV Eindhoven 

1987 FC Porto 

1986 FC Steaua Bucureşti 

1985 Juventus 


1983 Hamburger SV 

1982 Aston Villa FC 


1980 Nottingham Forest FC 

1979 Nottingham Forest FC 






1973 AFC Ajax 

1972 AFC Ajax 

1971 AFC Ajax 

1970 Feyenoord 

1969 AC Milan 


1967 Celtic FC 




1963 AC Milan 

1962 SL Benfica 

1961 SL Benfica 






Credits 

Managing editor 

Michael Harrold 

Technical report editorial 

Ioan Lupescu, Graham Turner 

Technical assessor 

Sir Alex Ferguson (UEFA coaching ambassador) 

Technical observers 

Jean-François Domergue, Dušan Fitzel, Roy Hodgson, Stefan 

Majewski, Ginés Meléndez, Mixu Paatelainen, Peter Rudbæk, 

Willi Ruttensteiner, Dany Ryser, Thomas Schaaf, Ghenadie 

Scurtul, Gareth Southgate, Dušan Tittel 

Design 

Oliver Meikle (TwelfthMan) 

Assistant editor 

Phil Atkinson 

Contributors 

Patrick Amen, Kevin Ashby, Richard Bibby, Sam Crompton, 

Emmanuel Deconche, Rob Esteva, Joanna Greene, Patrick Hart, 

Tom Hawkins, Martyn Hindley, Andy James, Andy Lockwood, 

Elodie Masson, Dominique Maurer, Paul Murphy, Hampus 

Löfkvist, Dan Ross, Santi Solsona, Amy Wright, Adrian Wells 

Translation 

Doris Egger, Zouhair El Fehri, Corinne Gabriel, Servane 

Gauthier, Alexandra Gigant, Helene Kubasky, Patrick Pfister, 

Cécile Pierreclos, Christian Pöpplen, Sabine Redlich, Florian 

Simmen, Anna Simon, Sandra Wisniewski, Frédéric Wyler 

Administration/coordination 

Stéphanie Tétaz, David Gough 

Photography 

Getty Images 

Printing 

Identity 

This publication is issued by the UEFA President and 

Executive Office (Communications) in coordination with 

the National Associations, Competitions, Operations and 

Marketing divisions. 

©UEFA 2015. All rights reserved. The UEFA word, the 

UEFA Champions League logo and trophy are protected 

by trade marks and/or copyright of UEFA. No use for 

commercial purposes may be made of such trade marks.

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