Bursaspor may yet spring a shock. STV Sport looks at five teams who have hit the heights on their first Champions League appearance.
Bursaspor, who travel to face Rangers on Wednesday have already endured a chastening start to their first Champions League campaign. A 4-0 defeat at home to Valencia was a stark reminder for the Turkish champions that Uefa’s flagship competition is a step up from the challenges of domestic football.
Not every club takes time to find their feet at this level though, either defying the odds to progress further than they could hoped for, or simply taking a scalp or two to make sure that nobody forgets their moment in the sun. Here are five of those who made a favourable first impression at the top table.
Rubin Kazan 2009/10
Having won the Russian League for the first time in their history, Rubin went into the group stage pot with the fourth lowest co-efficient of the teams in the draw. Even with no chance of getting an easy draw, Rubin fans must have felt they had no luck when they were drawn against Barcelona, Inter Milan and Dinamo Kiev.
Barcelona were the defending champions and would lift an unprecedented six trophies in 12 months. Inter, managed by Jose Mourinho, had serious designs on the trophy and would go on to win it that year. All the more reason to get off to a good start by taking something from their first match, away to Dinamo Kiev.
It started brightly, with Rubin going ahead after 25 minutes but a late collapse saw them lose 3 goals and end up pointless with matches against two of the biggest names in world football to follow.
What happened next was remarkable. A 1-1 draw at home to Inter saw Mourinho’s side criticised more than Rubin were praised but on matchday 3 they travelled to Barcelona and pulled off what was arguably the shock of that year’s competition. As our video shows, Rubin showed no fear as they took on the side that the world was talking about and were good value for a win that made Europe sit up and take notice.
Pessimistic fans feared a backlash in the return fixture but Lionel Messi and company were held to a goalless draw in Kazan and a further draw, at home to Kiev, saw the newcomers going into the final match with a realistic chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
The Russians travelled to Italy knowing that a win would knockout Inter but sadly fell to a 2-0 defeat. Inter went on to lift the trophy in Madrid in May, Rubin dropped into the Europa League but had memories of that stunning win in Barcelona to console them.
CFR Cluj 2008/09
Romanian football, to outside observers, has always been about the Bucharest sides but in 2008, Cluj burst onto the scene. Having been in the Third Division seven years previous, their meteoric rise in the domestic game saw them take seven trophies in three years abut that first league win saw them face the big boys of the European scene.
Drawn against Roma, Chelsea and Bordeaux, Cluj were handed a trip to Italy on matchday one. After 17 minutes, veteran Roma defender Christian Panucci put his side ahead but the Romanians showed they had something about them, coming back to win 2-1 thanks to a double from Argentine midfielder Culio.
Next up was their home debut in the competition, playing host to a Chelsea side that had scored four on opening day through goals from Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Joe Cole. Any of that quartet was probably worth more than the entire Cluj team and they were expected to steamroller the group minnows.
It was not to be. Cluj played a tight, tactically aware game and frustrated their multi-millionaire opponents. An impressive 0-0 draw was their reward and they held second place in the group after two matches.
Alas, that was the high point and losses in their four subsequent games saw the new boys disappointed but having comfortably proved that on their day they could live with the giants. They went on to maintain their domestic form though and are in this season’s competition, winning their first group game against Basel, who have a bit of previous form themselves…
Basel 2002/03
In 2002 a Basel side managed by Christian Gross, best known for his failed spell at Spurs, won the domestic Double and with it a place in the Champions League qualifiers. A win over Zilina in the second qualifying round set up a tie against Celtic and, as Scottish fans know only two well, an away goals win over the Parkhead club saw them become only the second Swiss side to make the group stages.
While the previous two debutants made our five because they gave bigger sides a bloody nose before being dumped on the canvas, Basel managed the knockout. Inspired by the Yakin brothers Hakan and Murat, as well as Scott Chipperfield and Christian Giminez, the Swiss side beat Spartak Moscow home and away, bounced back from a 6-2 hammering at the hands of Valencia to draw the next game against the Spaniards 2-2 and won a point at Anfield against Liverpool.
Eight points from five games set up an all or nothing final group game against Liverpool. A dream start saw them lead after two minutes before Michael Owen equalised for the Reds. Two home goals had Basel winning 3-1 and looking comfortable at half-time but a spirited comeback saw Liverpool pull level with five minutes left on the clock. Gross’ side stood firm to finish a point ahead of the English side and take the place in the knockouts that Gerard Houllier’s side had doubtless assumed would be theirs.
In those days, the competition had a second group stage and Basel’s exploits saw them drawn against Manchester United, Juventus and Deportivo la Coruna. Expected to be the whipping boys once again, they started badly with heavy losses against the English and Italian sides but bounced back with a win against Deportivo, a draw in Manchester and a famous home win over Juventus.
They fell just short. Level on points with Juventus and Deportivo, their goal difference saw them finish third and they exited the competition, though with their heads undoubtedly held high.
Valencia 1999/00
Valencia may be looked upon as a top-tier European side now but in 1999, they had won only one cup in 20 years and qualified for the Champions league as the side behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in every way. Third place in la Liga saw them go into the qualifiers and a 4-0 aggregate win over Hapoel Haifa saw them through to Group F and matches against PSV Eindhoven, Rangers and Bayern Munich.
As the only side in the group competing in the competition for the first time, teething problems could have been anticipated. Not so.
Home and away draws against Bayern, two wins over Rangers and four points from the games against PSV put Valencia top of the group, unbeaten and into a second group alongside Manchester United, Fiorentina and Bordeaux. This time, the Spaniards tasted defeat against both Manchester United and Fiorentina but racked up 10 points, three behind United but enough to make the quarter-finals and keep their impressive run going.
Crack Italian side Lazio lay in wait and after a thrilling 5-2 home win, they travelled to Rome knowing only a heavy defeat would knock them out. They did lose, but only by a solitary goal and matched on into the semi-finals.
Any thoughts that this would make them front page news at home were diminished as Real and Barca also made the semi-finals. Bayern Munich were paired with the Madrid giants in the draw, putting Barcelona between Valencia and a place in the final.
A remarkable 4-1 home win set up a thriller at Camp Nou for the return where Barcelona still believed they could turn the tie around. Key man Gaizka Mendieta got the vital away goal though and Barca’s two late goals may have won them the match but not the tie.
Valencia were in the Champions League final at the first time of asking. Unfortunately, they were up against the might of Real Madrid. In the Stade de France, Morientes, McManaman and Raul all scored to give Madrid a 3-0 win and deny Valencia the most romantic of triumphs. Defeat though, should not take away from what is arguably the best performance by Champions League debutants.
Chelsea 1999/00
Valencia weren’t the only side to make a splash at the first time of asking that season. Chelsea, not yet the plaything of Roman Abramovich, were still a few years from their first Premier League win but had a powerful side under the management of Gianluca Vialli.
The qualifying round paired the Londoners with Skonto Riga and though a 3-0 home win was fairly routine, a 0-0 draw in Latvia hardly suggested Vialli’s side were ready to announce themselves on the big stage.
Topping a group ahead of Galatasaray, Hertha Berlin and Milan served notice of their intention. A 5-0 win in Turkey and a 1-1 draw at the San Siro were the highlights as Chelsea breezed through to set up a second group stage battle with Lazio, Feyenoord and Marseille.
The Italians topped the group, but Chelsea did the double over Feyenoord, beat Marseille at home and drew at Stamford Bridge against Lazio to make the quarter finals.
The draw pitted them against Barcelona and two memorable matches. Gianfranco Zola inspired the English side to a 3-1 home win and they travelled to Spain full of hope. Barcelona dominated proceedings and scored twice before Tore Andre Flo netted to put Chelsea in the driving seat. Diego Garcia scored to force extra time though, and Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert killed Chelsea’s dreams.
First time unlucky, and the top prize continues to evade them. Since that run in their debut appearance though, they have reached the semi-finals on four occasions and the final once.
