UCL 2026/27: Every German club's best effort in the Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is finally back, and for German giants Bayern Munich, it's familiar territory. The Bavarians have reached at least the quarterfinals in each of the last seven seasons, but they remain without a final appearance since that famous night in Lisbon back in 2020. As ever, though, Vincent Kompany's men head into the new continental campaign as one of the teams that online betting sites are tipping to make a major impression. 

The latest odds from popular crypto betting outlet https://thunderpick.io/ currently position Bayern as a 6/1 fourth-favorite to leave Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium next June. Only outright 5/1 favorites Barcelona, 11/2 three-peat-seeking Paris Saint-Germain, and the similarly priced English champions Arsenal are considered more likely champions. 

Germany's Bundesliga will have four representatives in Europe's elite competition this season. Bayern, for the 19th straight season, is of course one of them. Another is Borussia Dortmund, who will feature in the Champions League for the fifth straight year, while RB Leipzig and Stuttgart return after multiple seasons away. But what is the best result that each of those teams has managed in the tournament throughout their respective histories? Let's take a look. 
 

Bayern Munich — Six-Time Winners 

Only two teams in the entire history of European football have won the Champions League more times than Bayern Munich. The first of them is, of course, Real Madrid, who stand alone with a whopping 15 titles. Then comes AC Milan with seven titles, with the most recent of them coming some 20 years ago. And finally, there is Bayern and their haul of six titles. 

The Bavarians claimed three European Cups on the bounce throughout the 1970s, becoming just the third club to achieve such a feat after Real Madrid and Ajax. Led by captain Franz Beckenbauer and the prolific Gerd Müller, Bayern beat Atletico Madrid in a replay in 1974 before defending their crown a year later with a 2-0 victory against Leeds United in Paris. The three-peat was then completed in 1976 with a 1-0 win against French outfit Saint-Étienne in Glasgow. 

But following that triumph, Bayern would have to wait a quarter of a century to add to their haul of titles, losing three finals in the process, including famously conceding twice in injury time to Manchester United in 1999. By 2001, however, they were back on the top step of the podium, courtesy of a penalty shootout victory against Valencia in the San Siro. 

Bayern reached three finals in four seasons between 2010 and 2013, losing the first two of them, the second being a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to a destiny-fueled Chelsea side on home turf at the Allianz Arena. But in 2013, they finally had their hands on the trophy for the fifth time as Arjen Robben's last goal-winning goal downed compatriots Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. 

The most recent title arrived in 2020, when global events saw supporters removed from stadiums, although that didn't bother Bayern at all. Kingsley Coman’s goal dispatched a Kylian Mbappe- and Neymar-powered Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon to secure their sixth crown. They are still waiting for the seventh. 
 

Borussia Dortmund — Winners

Borussia Dortmund have also tasted Champions League glory before, albeit only once. That triumph came back in 1997 when they upset Italian giants Juventus at Munich's Olympiastadion. 

The Bianconeri boasted a squad containing the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, and Christian Vieri, and were rightly considered massive favorites, but the Italians were stunned by a quickfire first-half double from BVB striker Karl-Heinz Riedle. A young Alessandro Del Piero pulled a goal back for Juve in the second half, but the joy was short-lived as substitute Lars Ricken scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League history with his first touch off the bench, lobbing past Juve goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi from all of 40 yards to hand his side a stunning 3-1 win. 

Dortmund have twice reached the final since, but came up empty-handed on both occasions. They were beaten by rivals Bayern in that 2013 showpiece at Wembley after Robben's heartbreaking late goal. They were also beaten by Real Madrid at the same stadium in 2024, with the likes of Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Füllkrug missing a host of first-half chances, allowing Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr. to steal a 2-0 win for Los Blancos. 
 

RB Leipzig — Semifinals

RB Leipzig have enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks of German football over the last 15 years or so. Since the Red Bull group bought fifth-tier side SSV Markranstädt back in 2009, the Red Bulls immediately mounted an all-out assault on the Bundesliga. They reached the top tier in 2016 and immediately finished as runners-up to Bayern Munich, securing the club a spot in the Champions League for the first time ever. 

Leipzig would qualify for the Champions League in six of the next seven seasons, with their best effort being a run to the semifinals in 2020. That year, they knocked off big names such as Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, but were ultimately downed by a dominant PSG side in Lisbon. This year, they will be aiming to mount a similar deep run after one year away from the tournament.
 

VfB Stuttgart — Round of 16 

Of this year's four German challengers, VfB Stuttgart have by far the weakest pedigree. They have never made it past the Round of 16 in the Champions League, falling at that stage against Chelsea in 2004 and Barcelona in 2010. This year, they return to the tournament after two years away, and making it to the knockout rounds would be considered a success.