Liverpool’s record in European semi-finals blows every other English side out of the water.
The Reds have contested 10 semi-final ties and have progressed through to the tournament’s showpiece on an impressive eight occasions.
It is some feat for the Merseyside outfit and they will hope to better that 80 per cent record over the coming week against the stiff opposition of Barcelona.
Tottenham on Tuesday will face Ajax in a bid to reach the Champions League final
Liverpool, meanwhile, face the vaunted Barcelona on Wednesday in their own semi-final clash
Liverpool, who of course featured in last year’s final against Real Madrid, will be bidding to win their sixth European title should they reach this year’s showdown at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Tottenham, meanwhile, who on Tuesday night come up against Ajax in north London, will be hoping to reach the first top-flight European final in their history.
Spurs have contested just one semi-final tie in their history, back in the old European Cup days in 1961-62. They were eventually undone by Benfica, losing 4-3 on aggregate over two legs.
But make no bones about it, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will hope to go one better against the sleek Dutch outfit as they bid to claim their first Champions League crown.
Liverpool have won the European Cup on five occasions, most recently in 2005
Tottenham’s only other semi-final came in 1962, when they lost 4-3 to Benfica (Spurs’ full-back Peter Baker, right, picks the ball out of the net after Benfica score their second goal in Lisbon)
The English team to have featured in most European Cup semi-finals is Manchester United, who have played in 12 ties.
They have won the competition on three occasions, including securing a famous treble in 1999.
Midlands clubs Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are the two teams who boast the best records, neither team having lost a semi-final match in the top European competition.
In two consecutive seasons in the late 1970s, under the stewardship of Brian Clough, Forest won the European Cup, and beating Malmo and Hamburg respectively.
Villa also won the competition in 1982 having seen off Anderlecht in the semi-finals with a narrow 1-0 aggregate lead. They beat Bayern Munich by the same margin in the final courtesy of a Peter Withe strike.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped Manchester United win the Champions League back in 1999
Gary Mills and Martin O’Neill of Nottingham Forest parade the trophy after winning it in 1980
(L-R) Aston Villa’s Peter Withe, manager Tony Barton and Nigel Spinks after their 1982 success
Chelsea have a pretty modest return of only two finals in seven chances, losing the first to their English rivals Manchester United in 2008 before going on to win the competition in 2012.
Fellow London side Arsenal have reached only one Champions League final, in 2006. The Gunners, then spearheaded by Thierry Henry, lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the final.
Derby reached the 1972-73 European Cup semi-final having won the old First Division the previous season.
The Rams lost 3–1 on aggregate to Juventus in controversial circumstances, with then boss Clough claiming the game was rigged and accusing the Italians of cheating.
Chelsea have reached the final twice, winning the competition in 2012
Arsenal reached the Champions League final in 2006 before being undone by Barcelona
Leeds have reached the European Cup final just once, but have fallen at the final hurdle on a further two occasions.
The season in which they did reach the final, in 1974-75, they lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in Paris.
And last, but certainly not least, is Manchester City. The club have reached the Champions League semi-finals on just one occasion, losing to eventual champions Real Madrid in 2016.
Leeds reached the European Cup final in 1975 and lost to Bayern Munich
Man City have reached the Champions League semi-final once, losing to Real Madrid in 2016
Team | Games | W | D | L | F | A | Total Ties | Progressed From |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manchester United | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 32 | 12 | 5 |
Liverpool | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 20 | 10 | 8 |
Chelsea | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
Leeds United | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
Arsenal | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Nottingham Forest | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Aston Villa | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Derby County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Manchester City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 80 | 31 | 24 | 25 | 96 | 92 | 40 | 20 |