Manchester City and Liverpool are both battling it out for supremacy across Europe and England in the final few weeks of the campaign, and as of now, following the Reds’ victory over City in the FA Cup, the season has become even more enthralling.
As a result of Liverpool’s win, Pep Guardiola’s men can no longer win the treble they desired. They’ve already forfeited the League Cup to Jurgen Klopp’s side, who can now win the FA Cup and a Champions League as long as they win their final three games across the cup competitions.
It could be the most successful season in football history. Here, we look at the most incredible campaigns ever witnessed down the years.
Manchester United – 1998/1999
The first team in the modern era to accomplish a treble and the only English side to ever do it to this day. Manchester United won the FA Cup in stunning fashion by beating Liverpool, and dispatching Arsenal in incredible fashion in the semi-finals, before edging past Newcastle United in the final.
They sealed their league title with a win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on the final day, and not long after, that famous game at the Nou Camp sealed some of the most unbelievable scenes in sporting history as United scored twice with minutes to go in the Champions League final.
It’s perhaps the most memorable season of all time as much of their team was filled with the famous Class of ‘92.
Inter Milan – 2009/10
Inter Milan took the treble home in 2009/10 when they beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, Roma in the Coppa Italia final, and claimed the Serie A title by two points.
It remains the most successful Italian campaign ever, led by the legendary Jose Mourinho, players like Diego Milito, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto’o, Lúcio, Maicon, and Javier Zanetti established themselves as some of the greatest to ever do it in Serie A.
They racked up plenty of draws however, with 13 coming from 57 games, winning 37. They scored 99 goals and let in 46 across these fixtures, as they were incredible on the defensive front.
Bayern Munich – 2012/13
Bayern Munich’s first treble and the winningest side on this list saw them win the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, the DFL-Supercup, and the Champions League in one season.
Bayern broke or equaled 30 records during that campaign, including being top of the table for every gameweek of the league season and winning the league title in just 28/34 games. They would lose only three times all season long, and register stunning victories along the way like their 4-0 aggregate win in the Champions League over Juventus, and a 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona.
Bayern Munich – 2019/20
Bayern Munich’s 2019/20 campaign is about as dominant as a club has been in the past decade when it comes to 90 minutes of action. After their 2013 heroics, they became the second European club to win the continental treble twice this season, and ended the campaign undefeated in 30 consecutive matches in all competitions with 29 wins (including a record-breaking 8–2 Champions League victory against Barcelona). Their only significant loss was the DFL-Supercup defeat at the start of the season.
The German outfit finished the season with a stunning 43 wins from 52 games, only five defeats, and scored an outrageous 159 goals, while letting in just 50. With Robert Lewandowski scoring 55 times throughout the season, this is perhaps the best goalscoring team ever assembled.
Barcelona – 2010/11
“No one has given us a hiding like that. They were unplayable,” said the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson when quizzed on the best team he ever played against. And he was right; they probably were the best team that’s ever played the sport.
It was a few years into the tika-taka style of play that took over the world, and this was the perfect accumulation of 11 players on one team. Lionel Messi was a Ballon d’Or-winning 24-year-old, Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta were forming the greatest midfield trio ever, and the likes of Carlos Puyol, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves and David Villa made up a unique set of players.
Led by arguably the best coach to ever do it, Pep Guardiola, Barcelona won La Liga, the Supercopa de España, the Champions League, and only lost the Copa del Rey final by a mere goal.
Barcelona – 2008/09
Two years prior to winning the Champions League for a second time under Guardiola, Barcelona conquered Europe becoming the first Spanish side to win the treble, as they won La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey.
The front three was made up of Thierry Henry, Eto’o and Messi, with the usual suspects behind them that stuck around for years after. Yaya Toure was also an integral part of this setup, and it was the first real introduction to football style that had been crafted in Barcelona for decades.
Barcelona – 2014/15
Barcelona did it all again in 2014/15 when they won another treble, as Luis Suarez, Neymar, and Messi became arguably the greatest front three in history. They scored a stunning 122 goals as a trio, won everything in their path, and led by Luis Enrique, they broke countless records.
They were in some ways, even better than they were in 2011 with the likes of Xavi and Iniesta still around in 2015 too.
-Grant McQuillan
Twitter: @Grant_McQuillan