Bayern Munich cruised to Champions League success in record-breaking style last season, winning a sixth European crown following a flawless campaign to create competition history.
The holders have begun the new season in similarly ominous fashion to secure their qualification to the knockout stages, though saw their winning run ended following a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last time out.
Following the ending of Bayern’s winning run we’ve decided to look at how their sequence compares to the greatest the tournament has seen, here are the five sides with the most consecutive wins in Champions League history:
Barcelona – 9 games (2002/03)
Barcelona endured a disappointing domestic campaign during the 2002/03 season as they slumped to a sixth-placed finish in Spain, their poor performances leading to the end of Louis van Gaal’s second spell in charge at the Camp Nou.
Despite their lowest league finish in more than a decade, the Catalans fared much better in European competition and breezed into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Spanish giants won all six fixtures during the first group stage, making light work of a group containing Club Brugge, Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow to reach the now defunct second group stage.
Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United and Inter Milan were all beaten in their opening three fixtures of the next round as Barcelona took control of the group, their run halted with a goalless draw at the San Siro in the reverse fixture at Inter.
Barcelona progressed once more to reach the last eight, though were defeated 3-2 on aggregate after extra time in the quarter-finals against eventual runners-up Juventus.
Barcelona – 9 games (2014/15)
Barcelona have twice compiled a winning run of nine consecutive fixtures, their second coming over a decade later during the 2014/15 season.
Luis Enrique’s side were beaten 3-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in their second fixture of the group stage, before winning their final four fixtures to qualify for the last 16 as group winners in comfortable fashion.
Manchester City were beaten home and away in the last 16, before PSG were thrashed 5-1 on aggregate in the last eight in a rematch of their group stage encounters.
Lionel Messi’s virtuoso display saw Bayern Munich beaten 3-0 in the first leg of their semi-final clash, with Barcelona progressing to the final despite losing the second leg 3-2 in Germany and seeing their winning run ended.
The Catalans bounced back to beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin and be crowned as champions of Europe for a fifth time, however, a side fired by the goals Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez completing a historic continental treble.
Real Madrid – 10 games (2013/14 & 2014/15)
Real Madrid’s 10-game winning run came over the course of two seasons, beginning on their way to winning La Decima and a record-extending 10th Champions League crown.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s run began with victories in both legs of their semi-final against Bayern Munich, memorably thrashing the Bavarians 5-0 on aggregate including a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired 4-0 thrashing in Germany.
Real emerged victorious in an all-Madrid final by beating Atletico after extra time in Lisbon, before beginning the defence of their crown in flawless fashion by progressing from the 2014/15 group stages with a perfect record of six wins from six fixtures.
Schalke were beaten 2-0 in the first leg of their last 16 clash with the Bundesliga side to make it 10 consecutive victories, before the Germans responded with a thrilling 4-3 victory at the Bernabeu in the return fixture as Real sneaked through to the last eight.
Ancelotti’s side progressed to the last four, though were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Juventus.
Bayern Munich – 10 games (2013/14 & 2014/15)
Bayern Munich completed the first treble in their history during the 2012/13 season, Jupp Heyncke’s side securing the Champions League in hugely impressive fashion during an unforgettable season for the German giants.
Their winning run started in the quarter-finals during one of the most emphatic runs to Champions League success in the competition’s history, thrashing Juventus and Barcelona by a combined aggregate score of 11-0 to progress to the final.
Borussia Dortmund were beaten in the first ever all-Bundesliga final at Wembley, Arjen Robben redeeming himself from a penalty miss in the previous season’s final to score a late winner and crown Bayern champions.
The Germans won each of their opening five group stage fixtures the following season to progress to the knockout stages, their run ended by a 3-2 home defeat to Manchester City with qualification already assured.
Bayern eliminated both Arsenal and Manchester United to reach the latter stages once more, though were beaten 5-0 over two legs by the aforementioned Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Bayern Munich – 15 games (2019/20 & 2020/21)
Bayern’s current champions have compiled the longest winning run in the history of the Champions League, an incredible 15 consecutive victories that culminated in another European Cup heading to Munich.
Bayern became the first side ever to lift the trophy after winning every single fixture last season, scoring 24 goals in just six group stage fixtures as the likes of Tottenham, Red Star Belgrade and Olympiakos were beaten convincingly.
Chelsea were thrashed over a two-legged last 16 encounter before the coronavirus pandemic led to reformatted latter stages, Bayern beating both Barcelona and Lyon in one-off fixtures to reach the final – the former humiliated 8-2 in one of the Champions League’s most stunning results of all-time.
Hansi Flick’s side were crowned as champions following a hard-fought victory over PSG in the showpiece, with Kingsley Coman scoring the decisive goal against his former side in Lisbon.
Four wins from four in this season’s group stages have booked the Bavarian’s place in the knockout stages, Bayern remaining the team to beat despite Atletico ending their record run of victories.
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