The "Same Country Derby" in the European Finals丨The most 6 times in the Premier League, the fifth to the bottom just ended in the Europa League

In the early morning of the Europa League final, Tottenham Hotspur finally defeated Manchester United, which also came from the Premier League, ending the 17-year championship drought. For the first time in six years, the UEFA Cup final was fought for the championship by two clubs from the same country - Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur staged an all-English showdown at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

Of course, although this is not the most strictly a "derby battle" (i.e., a match between two arch-enemy clubs in the same city), European finals from clubs in the same country are still relatively rare.

Although this game is difficult to be called a classic, the result of Tottenham's 1-0 victory over Manchester United is still the 10th "same country final" in the history of the Europa League. The UEFA Cup was formerly the UEFA Cup founded in the 1971-72 season - coincidentally, that was the first time that the "same country final" appeared, when Tottenham defeated Wolves in two rounds to win the championship (at that time, two-round system at home and away, which was not cancelled until 1998). This season is also the first time since the 2018-19 season that the same national team met in the UEFA Cup final. That year, Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.

If the UEFA Cup is merged with the Champions League, there are only 18 cases of "same country finals" in the entire UEFA event history, and since the UEFA Champions League was founded in the form of the "European Champions League" in the 1955-56 season, there have been only 8 such cases. The most recent time was in 2021, when Chelsea defeated Manchester City in Porto, becoming the most recent Premier League civil war in Champions League history.

The following are reviews and inventory of 19 "national finals" (including this season's Europa League finals) since the 1950s, and are ranked according to their competitive level, historical influence and ornamental value.

19. AC Milan 0-0 Juventus (3-2 penalty kick), the 2002-03 Champions League final held at Old Trafford Stadium in 2002-03, is known as one of the least spectacular finals in history. The two Italian giants performed gloomy and cold, like two heavyweight boxers who were unwilling to confront each other. After 120 minutes of fierce battle, AC Milan finally narrowly defeated his old opponent in the penalty shootout, and Andre Shevchenko scored the winning goal, putting a perfect end to the game.

However, both goalkeepers - Dida (AC Milan) and Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) - were criticized for failing to stabilize their position in the penalty shootout.

18. Porto 1-0 Braga, 2010-11 UEFA Final

The 2010-11 UEFA Final in Dublin was the first UEFA Final between two Portuguese teams. In the end, Porto's Ladamel Falcao decided the victory with a goal. The Colombia striker broke through Braga's tight defense a few seconds before the end of the half and scored the goal, which was also the only time Andre Villas Boas's team shot straight in the whole night. The game was extremely dull.

17. Inter Milan 2-1 Roma (total score), the 1990-91 UEFA Cup final

The 1990-91 UEFA Cup final was contested by two Italian teams for the second consecutive year, and Inter Milan won the championship, and despite losing in the final game, they still held the trophy. In a two-round match, Inter Milan won 2-0 at San Siro Stadium, but in the second leg, Inter Milan lost by one goal at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, which undoubtedly overshadowed the glorious moment of the Nerazzurri.

16. Juventus 3-1 Fiorentina (total score), 1989-90 UEFA Cup final

This is the third time the League Cup final was played by a team from the same country, and it is also the first time in the history of the event that two Italian teams face to face. Both consecutive League Cup finals were Italian teams, and the first game showed a rather one-sided situation: Juventus won 3-1 in the first leg, drew 0-0 with Fiorentina in the away game in the second leg, and finally won the cup.

Just a few months later, five players in the game helped host Italy reach the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, including the stunning star Salvatore Skirachi and future Golden Globe winner Roberto Baggio.

15. Tottenham 1-0 Manchester United, 2024-25 Europa League final

As expected, the Premier League No. 16 and No. 17 teams performed plainly in the finals in Bilbao, with low quality and relatively dynamic starts, but the game gradually became frustrating, and the game started to go and ended with a chaotic goal. Postkoglu delivers on his promise to pick up the long-awaited trophy for Tottenham, both eager to make up for the poor domestic league performance by winning the European trophy, Tottenham broke the deadlock just minutes before the halftime, Brennan Johnson received a low pass but the ball bounced through Luke Shaw's forearm.

For much of the second half, both sides created some opportunities, except for sporadic chances and Rasmus Hoylund's header, but was flew to clear by Van Devin. Tottenham Hotspur stabilized its position within seven minutes of stoppage time. Finally, the final whistle sounded and the San Mames stadium was filled with joy. Tottenham celebrated winning its first important trophy in 17 years.

14. Parma 2-1 Juventus (total score), 1994-95 UEFA Cup final

Parma faced three-time League Cup champion Juventus, and in the end the weaker team won by a narrow advantage. Parma first won 1-0 at Tardini Stadium and drew 1-1 two weeks later. Despite the two energetic players on the striker, Gianfranco Zora and Fostertino Asprira, Parma finally won the League Cup for the first time with a brace from midfielder Dino Baggio - four years later, they made history again, and in the 1998-99 season, the star-studded Parma defeated Marseille at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

13. Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur, the 2018-19 Champions League final

Tottenham reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time, Liverpool entered the final for the ninth time, and the 2018-19 Champions League final in Madrid is the fourth time in nearly a decade that two teams from the same country have participated. Perhaps it was burdened by the thrilling reversal against Ajax in the semi-finals, Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham failed to ignite the fighting spirit, while Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool won easily.

Two decisive goals were on both ends of regular time, with about 100 seconds left when Mohamed Salah scored a penalty and the Reds led the way before Divok Origi secured the victory in the 87th minute. During this period, Tottenham performed better than many people remember. Allison made eight saves and was named the best player of the game, but the Reds were the well-deserved winner.

12. Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City, 2020-21 Champions League finals

Manchester City missed the Champions League final for several consecutive seasons. In order to realize their fate, they are eager to win the Champions League championship. They viewed the match against their old rival Chelsea as a good opportunity to win the championship, but things did not develop according to the script. The Blues broke through Guardiola's over-strength game plan and won in Porto.

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel just took office in January this year to replace Frank Lampard, and he held the trophy in his second attempt – he led Paris Saint-Germain to lose last season. In the end, Kay Havertz's only goal determined the game's victory and, minutes before the end of the first half, Havertz pushed the ball into the goal and crossed the attacking goalkeeper Ederson. This goal is not bad, but it is not a classic either.

11. Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Wolves (total score), the 1971-72 UEFA Cup final

UEFA Cup new format aims to replace the old City Fair Cup, and in the first season of the new season, two teams from the English League One advanced to the two-leg finals at Molyneux Stadium and White Hart Lane Stadium respectively.

Tottenham Hotspur won the first leg 2-1 with England international Martin Chiffers scored a 25-yard win in the 87th minute. They then drew 1-1 with Wolves to win the second European Cup trophy in team history, after they won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in the 1962-63 season.

10. Inter Milan 3-0 Lazio, the 1997-98 UEFA Cup final

The 1997-98 UEFA Cup decided to cancel the two-round final and change it to a single-round final, and the winner took all to improve the viewing of the game, rather than splitting it in two matches with different styles. It is not that the first single-leg final is just a formality, but Inter Milan is one of the most brilliant Italian clubs in the European arena, and Lazio has never reached the European final. Their best results are to reach the quarter-finals in 1994-95.

Ivan Zamorano, Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo Nazario's goals scored for the Nerazzurri to secure the victory at the Princes Stadium. The young Brazilian striker lived up to the reputation of "phenomenon player" and won the best player of the game.

9. Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (5-3 penalty kick), 2015-16 Champions League final

Under the professional command of Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid resisted tenaciously, suppressed the city's arch rival Atletico Madrid in 120 minutes, and finally eliminated his opponent in the penalty kick, winning the European champion for the 11th time. Ramos scored a close push and Real Madrid took the lead early, but Diego Simeone's side launched an iconic counterattack, with Anthony Griezmann hitting the crossbar before Janik Carrasco equalized at the last minute of the game, dragging the game into overtime.

In the penalty shootout, both sides attacked and defended each other, with a score of 3-3. Ramos then scored a 4-3 shot. At this time, Juan Fran's shot hit the post. In the spotlight at San Siro Stadium, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and, as expected, the Champions League top scorer scored the winning goal and immediately took off his jersey to celebrate.

8. Frankfurt 3-3 Mönchengladbach, 1979-80 UEFA Cup final

Mönchengladbach advanced to the final as the defending champion, and almost no one expected the trophy to change hands because Frankfurt performed mediocrely in the mid-range Bundesliga that season.

Sure enough, Frankfurt lost 2-3 to Borussia Mönchengladbach away in the first leg, and seemed to be powerless to make the situation come true. However, in the 81st minute of the second leg, Fred Schob scored a key away goal, dramatically turning the situation around, with a significant away goal advantage - which surprised most of the 59,000 fans at Wald Stadium.

7. Bayern Munich 2-1 Dortmund, the 2012-13 Champions League final

The first German final in the history of the Champions League was held at Wembley Stadium. Bayern Munich won the league, cup and UEFA Champions League triple-championship led by popular coach Yup Heinx. Bayern eventually led second-place Dortmund with 25 points in the Bundesliga and once again easily defeated his obviously exhausted opponent.

With the goal of Mario Manzukic and unstoppable Aryan Robben, the Bavarians finally got rid of the bad luck of the Champions League - they were two runner-ups in the previous three seasons.

6. Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia, the 1999-00 Champions League final

The 1999-2000 Champions League final is the pinnacle of the encounter between two major La Liga powerhouses in Paris, and is also a very important watershed in the 45-year history of La Liga, because this is the first time that the two final teams have come from the same country. However, Real Madrid rarely showed their compatriot spirit, with Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul scoring two goals in a row, eventually defeating Valencia, winning Vincent del Bosque his first important honor as head coach.

McManaman's wonderful scissors foot volley was often considered one of the most exciting goals in the Champions League final and also reflects the insurmountable strength of the fighting team of Valencia led by Ector Cooper in the French Stadium.

5. Atletico Madrid 3-0 Athletic Bilbao, 2011-12 Europa League final

This dynamic final in Bucharest was almost entirely dominated by Atletico Madrid striker Ladamel Falcao with his superb skills. Falcao also scored a winning goal for Porto in the final last season, and he made his mark on the competition stage again.

The Colombia international scored with a left-footed arc ball in the corner of the penalty area just seven minutes into the opening game, bringing the game to a fever pitch. Then Athletic Bilbao could only shoot intermittently until the end of the half, Cruyff turned around cleverly in front of the goal, and Falcao scored again, effectively locking in the victory. Diego's third goal in the final moments of the game secured the victory for Atletico Madrid, and they won the UEFA Cup for the second time in three seasons.

4. Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 penalty kick), 2007-08 Champions League final

Moscow On a rainy night, Premier League powerhouse Manchester United and Chelsea had a fierce 120-minute showdown. Both goals occurred in the first half of regular time, with Cristiano Ronaldo heading the ball and Manchester United then taking the lead, before Frank Lampard equalising for the Blues before halftime. Chelsea's shot hit the goal frame several times and caused a player to be sent off in overtime. Drogba slapped Vidic in the final stage of the game - a conflict that originated from the personal grudges that the two players had been around before the game began.

However, what really impressed that night was the subsequent penalty shootout. After Ronaldo's shot was saved, Blues captain John Terry slipped on the slippery lawn and missed a goal that could have secured the victory. Terry watched Manchester United win back and Edwin van der Sar resolved Anelka's weak shot.

3. Sevilla 2-2 Espanyol (3-1 penalty kick), 2006-07 Europa League final

Sevilla won the UEFA Cup championship the most times among other clubs, and there is no doubt that the Spanish team was the defending champion in the 2006-07 season final against La Liga rival Espanyol. In fact, Sevilla is in full swing in the league and reaches the Copa del Rey final, so they are dreaming of a triple-winning champion when they face the Hampton Park Stadium in Glasgow.

They led twice, but each time they were quickly equalized by the Spaniards until overtime and dragged the game into a penalty shootout. However, the real hero at the time was Sevilla goalkeeper Andre Spalop, who successfully resolved the faint shots of Luis Garcia, Jonatas and Mark Torrejon in the penalty shootout, saving the trophy for the Polo Legion.

2. Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal, 2018-19 Europa League final

2018-19 The UEFA Cup final is the tenth time the UEFA Cup final was played by two teams from the same country, the second All England final, and the first time the final was played by two teams from the same city. The final is essentially a Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal, with the match being played at the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, more than 2,000 miles from his hometown, with an empty and weird venue.

Olivier Giroud scored the first record for Chelsea, opponent of former Blues legendary star Cech, and the game became the last game of the 37-year-old star's brilliant career. Since the suspense of the summer transfer to Real Madrid has not been finalized, Eden Hazard is about to join Chelsea. With his amazing personal performance, he scored twice and assisted Pedro to complete the assist, helping Sarri's team achieve an amazing and unstoppable victory.

The Blues became the first team to win the Champions League unbeaten; while Arsenal returned empty-handed in the first season of the post-Winger era, which was also Emery's only full season in coaching Arsenal. After the game, while the winning players cheered on the Chelsea bus, Giroud waved the trophy while saying "Thank you, Arsenal" to his old club in a sarcastic tone.

1. Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (overtime), 2013-14 Champions League final

2013-14 Champions League final is not only a contest between two clubs from the same country, but also two clubs from the same city meet in the final for the first time, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid face off in Lisbon after a tough season.

Atletico Madrid, who had just won the La Liga champion, took the lead with a goal from Diego Godin in the 36th minute, and then they were forced to defend desperately for the rest of the regular time. And Real Madrid - driven by the mission of winning the tenth Champions League and completing the "10th Champions League" - tried their best to try to pull themselves back from the edge of the cliff. Despite facing fierce offensives again and again, Atletico Madrid's wall seemed to hold its ground, and one hand had touched the trophy when the whistle was about to sound. However, in the last moment of injury time, Sergio Ramos' header dragged the game into overtime, and the unbelievable team's determination was brutally destroyed.

Atle Madrid eventually lost in overtime, with three goals from Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo helping Real Madrid narrowly defeat their opponents 4-1, ending 12 years of waiting and winning their 10th Champions League title.