Manchester City’s defeat at the hands of Barcelona ended a miserable campaign for British clubs in the Champions League this season.
Here we look at how City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Celtic failed to live up to expectations in Europe’s premier competition.
Manchester City
City failed to go further than the Champions League last 16 for the fourth season running as they were knocked out by Barcelona. A disappointing 2-1 loss at home in the first leg left Manuel Pellegrini’s men with too much to do at the Nou Camp, where a 1-0 defeat confirmed their exit.
Drawing the much-fancied Catalans proved a costly penalty for coming second in Group E after taking just a point from two games against CSKA Moscow. Last-ditch victories over Bayern Munich and Roma sealed their passage to the knock-out stages, but question marks remain over the team and Pellegrini’s, record against Europe’s elite.
Chelsea
Chelsea were perhaps the only British side considered capable of challenging Europe’s premier clubs, but Jose Mourinho’s men crashed out to the 10 men of Paris Saint-Germain on away goals after extra time in the last 16. The Blues had finished top of Group G after cruising through unbeaten in their opening six matches and a tie against PSG, who they had beaten the year before, was viewed as a favourable match-up. A 1-1 draw in Paris represented a solid result for Mourinho’s side but Chelsea crumbled at Stamford Bridge.
Former Blues defender David Luiz and Thiago Silva’s header sealed an unlikely 2-2 draw for the visitors, whose progress was all the more heroic given star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been sent off in the first half.
Arsenal
Arsenal were dumped out in the last 16 for the fifth year running after a second-leg fightback failed to prevent a disappointing exit at the hands of Monaco. Arsene Wenger’s side finished second in Group D behind out-of-form Borussia Dortmund, but in Monaco the Gunners were handed what many believed to be a plum draw.
Instead the French outfit proved a cunning opponent, snatching a shock 3-1 victory at the Emirates with a classic counter-attacking display. Arsenal came close to overturning the deficit with a brilliant performance in the second leg but a 2-0 win proved too little too late and Wenger’s men were once again left wondering what might have been.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s return to Europe’s top-table came to an early end as just one win in six games saw Brendan Rodgers’ side finish third in Group B. The Reds could have been forgiven for finishing second, having been thrown in alongside reigning champions Real Madrid, but it was harder to justify a draw at Ludogorets and a return of only one point from two matches against Basel.
The two games against Madrid were supposed to herald Liverpool’s reintegration among the elite, but a 3-0 defeat at Anfield and a 1-0 loss at the Bernabeu, where Rodgers fielded a second-string XI, left Reds supporters rightly underwhelmed. There was little to cheer about in the Europa League either as Liverpool were knocked out by Besiktas in penalties in the round of 32.
Celtic
Celtic slipped out of the Champions League before the competition had barely even begun as they lost to Slovenia’s NK Maribor in the qualifying play-off. A 1-1 draw away from home preceded a shock 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park to ensure Ronny Deila’s side played out the rest of their European journey in the Europa League.
Celtic made it through to the last 32 of the tournament but were knocked out by Inter Milan after losing 4-3 on aggregate.
Source: SNAPPA
