The Champions League has had its fair share of big wins, but every one of these ten thrashings have held some deeper meaning beneath the scoreline.
Real Madrid 8-0 Malmo (2015):
Real Madrid were already through, and Malmo were already out. However, this match was ultimately about one man – Cristiano Ronaldo. After Karim Benzema put Real 2-0 up after 24 minutes, the Swedish champions could do nothing but look on as Ronaldo tore their woefully outclassed defence to pieces.
His first goal arrived five minutes before the break, but a 12-minute ‘hat-trick’ after half-time made Ronaldo one of a select few to score a quartet in the Champions League:
Barcelona 7-1 Bayer Leverkusen (2012):
Ronaldo vs Messi has been a major theme of European football’s highest echelons over the past decade. Great though Ronaldo’s star turn against Malmo was, it was Messi who beat him to another record three years prior, as he became the first man to net five in a single Champions League game.
Messi fans will perhaps cite the context – a knockout tie against a major German club, rather than an inconsequential group stage finale against Malmo – as a factor that makes this achievement worth more. Regardless of any stance, it was a display that can only be described as a privilege to watch.
Juventus 7-0 Olympiakos (2003):
The aforementioned Ronaldo now plies his trade for Juventus, and shows no sign of slowing up. Despite being 35 years old, he continues to make the real difference, and there is no doubt that the exciting odds surrounding Juventus' chances of glory on all fronts would lengthen drastically without him.
Back in December 2003, Juventus were made to look like they had an entire team of Ronaldos, in their group stage finale against eliminated Olympiakos. David Trezeguet opened the scoring after just 14 minutes, and he would become the first of an historic six different goalscorers in the same Champions League match:
Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Praha (2007):
Successive finishes of fourth in 2006 and 2007, during a transitional period that saw Arsenal lose key members of the invincible 2003/04 side, were fully illustrative of the hangover from the Gunners’ golden era.
If nothing else, this massive win was a reminder of what the club can do on its day. Cesc Fabregas opened the scoring after five minutes, and by the full-time whistle, he and Theo Walcott had scored a brace apiece.
Alexander Hleb also had a night to remember, providing a goal and the assist for Walcott’s second, contributing to Arsenal’s biggest European home win at the time.
The result also gave them the confidence to avoid defeat in all but one Premier League game over the following three months, and stay in touch with the title race until a brace of spring defeats against the eventual top two.
Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas (2007):
Another side seeking vindication for their ambitious purchases during the prime of the Benitez era, Liverpool started 2007/08 strongly on the domestic scene. However, a return of just one point from the opening three Champions League group games put them on the verge of an early elimination.
Liverpool needed a big win to turn the tide, and after Peter Crouch gave them a 19th minute lead over Besiktas on matchday four, the dam burst. Yossi Benayoun smashed a hat-trick and £11.5m summer arrival Ryan Babel got a brace, as the Kop rediscovered its famous voice at last.
Liverpool went on to win their next two matches with almost the same ease, and reach the semi-finals after a double over the great Inter Milan and a memorable 5-3 aggregate win over Arsenal.
Žilina 0-7 Marseille (2010):
Similarly, to Liverpool, Marseille needed a win to reignite a faltering Champions League campaign back in 2010, after successive defeats to nil in the first two matchdays and an unconvincing 1-0 home win over Žilina.
Marseille raced into a 3-0 lead inside just 24 minutes, with Andre-Pierre Gignac netting twice in that early period. Lucho, meanwhile, netted a second-half brace, sandwiched by Gignac’s third goal.
The goal-fest acted as a catalyst to Marseille winning their final group away match 3-0 (at Spartak Moscow), and going on to proceed as group runners up.
Bayern Munich 7-0 Basel (2012):
Unquestionably, the eight-goal haul enacted upon Barcelona by ‘Die Roten’, in this year’s Champions League is far more admirable, given the calibre of opposition and the actual goal tally. However, this classic rout is often overlooked, and regardless of the gulf in class, it was still the biggest knockout-stage win in a single game at the time.
Mario Gomez notched four goals, in turn becoming the first German player to score a quartet in a Champions League match. Arjen Robben was also at his imperious best, slicing through the Basel defence, and going beyond his duty in order to achieve the resounding final scoreline.
Honourable mentions:
Several other ‘magnificent sevens’ also deserve a mention for unique reasons.
Valencia 7-0 Genk (2011):
In addition to yielding Valencia’s greatest winning margin in the Champions League, this match saw Roberto Soldado bag the competition’s quickest hat-trick at the time, breaking an eight-year record.
Barcelona 7-0 Celtic (2016):
Lionel Messi’s sixth Champions League hat-trick was a sight to behold, as Celtic were swept aside in a one-sided group stage opener. It was poetry in motion between the front trio, with each of Messi, Neymar and Suarez getting at least one goal and assist apiece.
Liverpool 7-0 Maribor (2017):
Ten years on from their thrashing of Besiktas, Liverpool racked up another landslide, and it was an early indication of what Mane, Salah and Firmino – now the most feared front three in the world – could do when working in perfect harmony.
