The UEFA Super Cup, which is currently played between the winners of last season’s Champions League and Europa League, has been serving as the opening game on the European calendar since 1973. Teams that qualify for the Super Cup aim to get a mega win on the board, knowing it will boost their morale ahead of a long campaign. We are sure the contenders of the 2024 Super Cup, Real Madrid and Atalanta, will also try their hardest to get off to a flyer.
Over the last 51 years, we have seen some mega wins in the UEFA Super Cup. And ahead of Wednesday night’s (August 14) showdown, we will revisit the five most emphatic single-match victories the competition has ever witnessed. Let’s begin!
Note: Until 1998, the UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged affair. To maintain parity, we will only consider the biggest single-game wins.
#5 Atletico Madrid 4-1 Chelsea – 2012
Historically, the UEFA Super Cup has been dominated by Champions League winners. They generally possess the superior squad and come into the game with a pep in their step. La Liga giant Atletico Madrid, the winner of the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League, however, flipped the script in 2012 by beating then-Champions League holder Chelsea 4-1 in Monaco.
It was a Radamel Falcao show at the Stade Louis II, with the Uruguan scoring a sensational first-half hat-trick (6′, 19′, 45′) in the first European game of the season. Miranda had put Atletico 4-0 up in the 60th minute, but Gary Cahill did a bit of damage control by pulling one back for the Blues in the 75th minute.
#4 Ajax 4-0 Zaragoza – 1995
Ajax claimed its second and last European Super Cup in 1995, beating La Liga side Real Zaragoza 5-1 on aggregate. The first leg was a pretty even contest, with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw. In the second leg, however, the Dutch side took control of proceedings, bagging a mega 4-0 victory.
Winston Bogarde opened the scoring for Spurs in the 43rd minute. Nine minutes into the second half Finidi George doubled Ajax’s advantage before Danny Blind sealed the win with two penalties (65′, 69′).
#3 Juventus 6-1 PSG – 1996
After conquering Europe at the end of the 1995-96 season, Juventus qualified for the European Super Cup for the second time in its history. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), meanwhile, appeared in their first Super Cup after claiming the 1995-96 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
The two teams squared off at the Parc des Princes for the first leg, with the home fans doing their best to push Les Parisiens to the prestigious European crown. Unfortunately, all their efforts were in vain, as Juventus marched on to an emphatic 6-1 victory in Paris. Sergio Porrini, Ciro Ferrara, Atillio Lombardo, and Nicola Amoruso all scored one goal each whereas Michele Padovano bagged a brace to fire the Bianconeri to glory. Ex-Brazil international Rai scored PSG’s consolation goal.
The scoreline was considerably more respectable in the return leg in Turin, as Juventus could only eke out a 3-1 win (9-2 on aggregate).
#2 Ajax 6-0 AC Milan – 1973
European champions winner Ajax locked horns with 1972-73 European Cup Winners’ Cup champion AC Milan in the inaugurating edition of the European Super Cup. Unlike all future Super Cups, the first edition took place at the start of the following calendar year.
Milan started the tie well, claiming a 1-0 victory in the first leg at San Siro. However, they completely fell apart in the second leg at Olympisch Stadion in Amsterdam, suffering a record 6-0 loss. Jan Mulder, Piet Keizer, Johannes Neeskens, John Rep, Gerrie Muhren (penalty), and Arie Haan all chipped in with a goal to cement Ajax’s place in Super Cup history.
#1 Liverpool 6-0 Hamburger SV – 1977
Liverpool, winner of the 1976-77 European Cup, and 1976–77 European Cup Winners’ Cup champion Hamburger SV squared off in the 1977 European Super Cup. The first leg took place at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg where the hosts secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw. The Reds needed to win the second leg by a goal to secure the Cup. But they refused to settle for a narrow victory. Playing at their absolute best, the Merseysiders came away with a sensational 6-0 victory.
Philip Thompson, David Fairclough, and Kenny Dalglish each scored a goal while Terence McDermott bagged a sensational hat-trick to seal a 7-1 aggregate win.
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