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Paris Saint-Germain shocked the football world in Munich when they thumped Inter Milan 5-0 to claim the UEFA Champions League for the first time. The Parisians have been the team to beat on the continental stage this term, eliminating no fewer than three English Premier League sides before making their way to the final. Many thought that the Nerazzurri could well have the answer to the puzzle posed by the French champions, especially considering their resolute defensive record. Still, in the end, they too were overwhelmed.
A brace from teenage prodigy Désiré Doué, as well as goals from Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and youngster Senny Mayulu, were enough to seal the trophy in dominant fashion, and the result has resonated with both fans and online sports betting sites alike. Before the final, the latest odds from Bovada’s sports betting site didn’t consider PSG an outright frontrunner for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, but that sentiment has changed drastically. Odds on them reigning supreme in the States this summer have been slashed down to 6/1, just behind Real Madrid (4/1) and Manchester City (5/1).
The one-sided thrashing in Munich got us thinking about previous one-sided finals from years gone by. But which were the biggest beatdowns on the greatest stage? Let’s take a look.
PSG without Mbappe
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AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona – 1994
Back in 1994, AC Milan met dominant Spanish champions Barcelona, and it was the Catalonians who were huge favorites to emerge with the title. The Blaugrana had won La Liga in each of the last four seasons thanks to manager Johan Cruyff’s possession-based tactics.
The Rossoneri, meanwhile, headed to the Athens showpiece without several key players. The iconic Marco van Basten and the world’s most expensive player, Gianluigi Lentini, were both injured, while stalwart defenders Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta were suspended. Also, UEFA’s foreign player rules meant that Milan had to leave out Florin Raducioiu, Jean-Pierre Papin, and Brian Laudrup, but those same rules also saw Barca leave out Michael Laudrup, and it was that decision from Cruyff that Italian boss Fabio Capello thought was crucial.
The future England manager said that Barcelona’s Laudrup was the player his side feared the most, and without him in the squad, his side ran rampant. A brace from Daniele Massaro had the Rossoneri 2-0 up at half time, while further goals from Dejan Savicevic and Marcel Desailly made it four by the hour mark. The Catalonians couldn’t recover and slumped to a 4-0 defeat, with the margin of victory being the biggest of all time before PSG demolished Inter in 2025.
Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus – 2017
Real Madrid waited 12 years to claim the somewhat cursed La Decima in 2014. However, once they had banished that ghost, they became unstoppable on the continental stage. A fearsome strike force of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema led them to that title, but by the time the 2017 final rolled around, manager Zinedine Zidane had put his own spin on things. Bale was dropped in favor of playmaker Isco, while Ronaldo was moved in from the wing into an outright striker role, and the results spoke for themselves.
Los Blancos met a Juventus side that had reached the final two years prior, where they were downed by Barcelona in Berlin. In 2017, they had very real dreams of ending their streak of four straight final defeats, but unfortunately for them, they were taken apart by Real in Cardiff.
The first half was a tight affair, with Cristiano Ronaldo opening the scoring before Mario Mandzukic equalized with a stunning overhead kick. In the second half, though, Los Blancos took over. Two goals in three minutes just after the hour mark from Brazilian midfielder Casemiro and the aforementioned Ronaldo took the tie away from the Bianconeri, before a late strike from Marco Asensio sealed a resounding 4-1 victory.
Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United – 2011
While the scoreline wasn’t as wide as some other finals back in 2011, it certainly should have been. Barcelona met Manchester United at Wembley with the former well and truly in the pomp of their Pep Guardiola era. The iconic Catalonian boss led them to the title two years prior by also beating the Red Devils, and the two were set for an almighty rematch with the English side on home turf.
Unfortunately for them, though, the star of their campaign two years prior, Cristiano Ronaldo, had departed for the Bernabeu. In the meantime, the Blaugrana was as stacked as ever, with the mercurial Lionel Messi supported by the likes of David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and Sergio Busquets. And unfortunately for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, that proved far too much to handle.
After dominating the early stages, the Catalonians took the lead on the half-hour mark through winger Pedro. United surprisingly hit back just seven minutes later when English striker Wayne Rooney slammed home from the edge of the area. But from then on, it was one-way traffic.
United simply couldn’t get the ball off of their opponents, with both Xavi and Iniesta running rings around the opposition midfield before feeding their attackers. Messi scored a stunning goal in the 54th minute to give his side the lead, before Villa’s sensational curling effort 15 minutes later put the tie to bed.
Speaking after the game, United boss Ferguson was full of praise for the newly minted champions, saying: “In my time as manager, it’s the best team we’ve faced. No one’s giving us a hiding like that.” For those words alone, Barca’s triumphs certainly deserve its place on our list.
