Every UEFA Champions League Final Ranked From Worst To Best
9. Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Juventus (1997)
Dortmund sprang a major surprise at the Olympiastadion in Munich against the holders and overwhelming favourites Juventus.
The Bianconeri had demolished a talented Ajax in the semis, winning 6-2 on aggregate and came into the game with a wealth of attacking riches at their disposal.
Indeed, Juve boss Marcelo Lippi was even able to leave Alessandro Del Piero on the bench, with Christian Vieri and Alen Boksic starting up front with Zinedine Zidane just behind them in midfield.
What Lippi didn’t count on, however, was BVB boss Ottmar Hitzfeld doing his homework. While Juventus had appeared imperious throughout the competition, he noticed a susceptibility to conceding from crosses. Dortmund took full advantage in the first half with Karl Heinz Riedle nodding two goals past the hapless Angelo Peruzzi.
In another masterstroke, Hitzfeld also deployed Paul Lambert to man-mark Zidane, with the Frenchman’s impact effectively nullified for the duration of the game.
2-0 down at half-time, Juventus fought back early in the second period with Del Piero, on as a sub, scoring with a sublime backheeled flick to reduce the arrears.
That might have ended up being the goal of the game were it not for Lars Ricken, the homegrown youngster who, seconds after coming on, lobbed Peruzzi from 20 yards to seal a first-ever European Cup for Dortmund. A classic Champions League upset.