On Tuesday, Manchester United fell out of European competition as they limped to defeat against Bayern Munich 1-0 at Old Trafford, capping off a disastrous group stage for The Red Devils who even failed to qualify for the Europa League knockout phase.
Then on Wednesday, Newcastle United made it the second English team in two days to finish bottom of their group, falling to a late 2-1 home defeat to AC Milan, meaning the Italians finish ahead of them and The Magpies crash out of Europe altogether.
In all, there have been three other examples of English teams finishing rock bottom of their UEFA Champions League group – here are the other teams who have suffered the same plight.
Blackburn Rovers – 1995/96
Fresh from winning the English Premier League the season before in dramatic fashion, many fans expected Blackburn Rovers’ star-studded side to perform well in Europe after being given a favourable draw in the group stage.
With one of Europe’s top marksmen in Alan Shearer leading the line and host of international players such as Graeme Le Saux and David Batty in support, Rovers slumped to defeat in four of their six matches and only managed to get a win on the board in the last match of the group against Rosenborg.
Manchester United – 2005/06
This season wasn’t the first time that United have fallen out of Europe at the first hurdle – in 2005/06 they finished bottom of a group containing Benfica, eventual semi-finalists Villarreal and Lille.
Their fate was decided on the last matchday when they travelled to Portugal, knowing a win would secure their place in the quarter-finals. Paul Scholes put them ahead early but two goals from Benfica meant that the Portuguese side leapfrogged United into the knockout stage.
Despite boasting talent like Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo up front, United scored just three goals across their six matches.
Manchester City – 2012/13
This was Manchester City’s second season in the UEFA Champions League and first since winning their first English Premier League title, but it was one to forget.
Drawn in the group of death alongside Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, City failed to register a win across six games – with their standout performance being a thrilling defeat to Real Madrid on the opening matchday that is now famous for Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner.
How would you compare both Newcastle and Man United’s performance this season with these other sides? Let us know here!
