2006/2007 UEFA Champions League Review
The 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League season was the 52nd in the history of the tournament, and served up all the controversy excitement and superb football that has made it the greatest club football competition in the world.
Early Controversy
The 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League was plagued by controversy even before the first kick-off. The spotlight fell on the participation of Italian clubs who were only just recovering from the Serie A match-fixing scandal.
This debacle ended with Juventus and Roma forfeiting their qualification for the tournament, whilst AC Milan was penalised for their role in the scandal by being forced to qualify for the group stages via a third round qualifying fixture.
The Group Stages
The group stages featured 12 former UEFA Champions League winners. The highlight of the group stage of the competition was the performance of the English clubs, who topped each of their four respective pools. No team was able to claim maximum points during this stage, and only Bayern Munich and Valencia progressed without losing a game.
The Knockout Stages
The knockout stages of the 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League featured some intriguing ties. The highlight of the round of 16 stages was the tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, which yielded eight goals in two games, with Bayern progressing on the away goals rule.
The quarterfinals were a triumph for the English clubs with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all progressing to the semi-finals. The only team from the continent to make it through to the semi-finals was AC Milan, courtesy of a comprehensive 4-2 aggregate win over Bayern Munich.
The 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League semi-finals saw Chelsea take on Liverpool, whilst AC Milan clashed with Manchester United. The tie between United and Milan turned into an epic, goal-filled battle, with the Italians eventually knocking Manchester United out of the competition with a 3-0 win at home. The other tie was a closely contested affair, with the final game forced into a penalty shootout won by Liverpool.
2006/2007 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League final was effectively a rematch of the famous 2005 Champions League final which saw Liverpool claim an unlikely win. For the match AC Milan decided to don their 'lucky' white away strip, a decision that appeared to bear fruit as Fillipo Inzaghi played at his vintage best, scoring two goals in the Athens Olympic Stadium to avenge AC Milan's 2005 defeat and hand the club its seventh Champions League title.
