da pinup bet： Inter will be huge underdogs when they face Manchester City in the final of this season's competition, but history suggests they can spring an upset

da mrbet： Pep Guardiola is on the cusp of immortality. The Spaniard is already revered as one of the greatest managers of all time, but he will have no equal if he brings the Champions League back to Manchester City.

City have dominated English football under Guardiola over the last six seasons, but a maiden European title has so far proven elusive. After several years of underachieving, they finally reached the final in 2020-21, only to be beaten by English rivals Chelsea, and suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.

Guardiola's men exacted revenge over Real at the same stage this time around, though, and are now the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy in Istanbul. Coppa Italia winners Inter are the only team left standing in their way, and no one is giving the Nerazzurri a chance against the Premier League champions. But that could be an advantage for Simeone Inzaghi. His Inter side can play without pressure in the final, having already exceeded expectations by making it this far.

The Italian giants can also draw confidence from the past. The Champions League has seen a whole host of surprise results since the turn of the century, with lesser teams often raising their level to overcome insurmountable odds.

But which upsets have sent the biggest shockwaves through the footballing world? GOAL takes a look…

Man Utd 1-1 Porto (Last 16, 2004)

UEFA Cup holders Porto qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League after finishing second in their group behind Real Madrid, and were rewarded with a huge tie against Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

The Red Devils were expected to blow past the Portuguese side, but Jose Mourinho's team flipped the script at Estadio Do Dragao. Porto won the first leg of the last-16 encounter 2-1 thanks to a Benny McCarthy brace, with United's misery compounded by a red card for Roy Keane.

United had to make do without their captain for the return leg at Old Trafford, but they still managed to put one foot in the quarter-finals thanks to a first-half header from Paul Scholes. The hosts held onto their lead until Porto won a free-kick 25-yards from goal in stoppage-time.

McCarthy tried to bend the ball into the top corner, but didn't quite get enough pace on it, and Tim Howard really should have made a simple catch. Unfortunately for United fans, the American fumbled, and midfielder Costinha was on hand to turn the rebound into the net.

Mourinho leapt from his seat in the dugout and ran down the touchline to celebrate with his players as Ferguson was left speechless. Porto captain Jorge Costa aptly summed up the incredible scenes in his post-match interview: "When Costinha scored, I was going crazy. Mourinho was going crazy. Everybody was going crazy."

Porto would go on to win the tournament, beating fellow underdogs Monaco 3-0 in the final. Mourinho then made the jump to Chelsea, renewing his rivalry with United and Ferguson in the process.

AdvertisementGettyReal Madrid 1-4 Ajax (Last 16, 2019)

Real Madrid looked nailed on for a place in the last eight of the 2018-19 Champions League after beating Ajax 2-1 in the first leg of their last-16 tie in Amsterdam. Confidence should have been high in the Real ranks after Marco Asensio's late winner, but they allowed complacency to creep in at Santiago Bernabeu.

Ajax stunned Los Blancos by racing into a 2-0 lead inside 18 minutes, with Hakim Ziyech and David Neres scoring the goals. Dusan Tadic made it three just after the hour mark with a brilliant curled strike from just outside the area, leaving Real with a mountain to climb.

Asensio pulled one back in the 70th minute, but Lasse Schone scored a spectacular free-kick to put the game to bed for Ajax moments later. Nacho was then sent off for a second bookable offence as frustrations boiled over for Madrid late on, with the Dutch giants ultimately holding on for a famous victory.

Real were sliced open in the absence of Sergio Ramos, who was handed a two-match ban for deliberating forcing a yellow card in the first leg. But even if he had been available, it seems unlikely that the Spanish giants would have stopped Ajax.

Erik ten Hag's exciting young team repeated the trick against Juventus in the quarter-finals, winning 2-1 in Turin before picking up a 1-1 draw at home to progress. Ajax were the victims of an incredible Tottenham comeback in the semi-finals, but their unlikely run was still the biggest story of the European season.

GettyJuventus 0-3 Villarreal (Last 16, 2022)

After signing from Fiorentina in January 2022, Dusan Vlahovic scored the quickest-ever goal from a Champions League debutant to give Juventus the lead after 33 seconds against Villarreal at El Madrigal. Dani Parejo scored a second-half equaliser for the Yellow Submarine to level the last-16 tie, but there was a general feeling at full-time that Juve had already done the hard work in Spain to qualify.

Massimiliano Allegri's side pushed for a winning goal right from the off in the second leg at the Allianz Stadium, while Villarreal seemed happy to sit back and absorb pressure. They defended deep and in numbers throughout the second half too, but sprung into life just as Juve started to tire.

Substitute Gerard Moreno broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, and Pau Torres stunned Juve with a close-range finish to double Villarreal's lead four minutes later. Arnaut Danjuma then had the final say in stoppage-time as he also converted a penalty after Matthijs De Ligt was punished for a handball in the box.

Allegri struck a bitter tone after the game, telling reporters: "Villarreal defended with 11 men, clearly trying to bring the game to extra-time. Then that goal changed everything."

Unai Emery, meanwhile, conjured up another masterful gameplan in the quarter-finals as Villarreal beat the Bayern Munich 1-0 at home before earning a 1-1 draw with the German giants at Allianz Arena. Liverpool ended their journey in the last four, but Villarreal also came tantalising close to another upset in that tie, and exited the competition with their heads held high.GettyDeportivo La Coruna 4-0 Milan (Quarter-finals, 2004)

Deportivo's 2003-04 Champions League campaign was quite the rollercoaster ride. The Spanish side finished second in their group behind Monaco, who battered them 8-3 at the Stade Louis II in one of the craziest games the competition has ever seen.

They shored up their defence in the last 16, however, to beat Juventus 2-0 on aggregate, which set up a blockbuster quarter-final tie against holders AC Milan. Deportivo then made a dream start in the first leg at San Siro.

Walter Pandiani fired Javier Irueta's side ahead after just 11 minutes to silence the home crowd, but it would prove to be a false dawn. Milan's class shone through in the end as a Kaka double and goals from Andriy Shevchenko and Andrea Pirlo wrapped up a comprehensive 4-1 victory.

The Rossoneri should have been home and dry, but this Deportivo team didn't know when to quit. Pandiani scored another early goal in the return leg at Estadio Riazor, and this time they didn't buckle.

Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque made it 3-0 before the break, and club captain Fran added a fourth in the latter stages of the game to cap a remarkable performance. Irueta said after the final whistle: "The game turned out exactly the way I dreamed. It was almost mission impossible."

Eventual champions Porto knocked Deportivo out in the semis, but they were already winners in the eyes of their supporters. The memory of Milan's capitulation has never left former boss Carlo Ancelotti, who said in 2017: "I want to forget, but I'm not able to."