The UEFA Super Cup, the curtain-raiser to European soccer’s club season, is often billed as a battle between Europe’s very best: the Champions League winner and the Europa League champion. Yet history shows that victories for the Europa League side are rare — moments that stand out for their drama and significance.
The question remains: When did the Europa League champion last overcome the Champions League holder in this prestigious clash? To answer that, we must revisit one of the most unforgettable nights in modern soccer history.
The Super Cup has been contested since 1973, with the original idea of pitting the best of the continent’s top-tier competition against the winner of its secondary tournament. While Champions League winners usually enter as heavy favorites, there have been occasional, and often spectacular, upsets.
From the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup era to the present-day Europa League, the underdogs have sometimes risen to the occasion. Among the most notable examples:
- 2010: Atletico Madrid (Europa League) stunned Champions League winners Inter 2-0.
- 2012: Atletico Madrid again made headlines, thrashing Chelsea 4-1 in a one-sided affair.
These matches proved that on a single night, Europe’s so-called “second-tier” champions could punch far above their weight.
The last time it happened
It was in 2018 that the most recent and perhaps most dramatic instance took place. On 15 August 2018, at the Lillekula Stadium in Tallinn, Estonia, Atletico Madrid faced their city rivals, Real Madrid, the newly crowned Champions League winners.
The game began at a furious pace, with goals traded early. The match reached full-time deadlocked, sending the Super Cup into extra time. That’s when Atletico took control. Two decisive goals in the additional period secured a 4-2 victory, sending their fans into ecstasy.
Historic hat-trick of triumphs
The 2018 win was not an isolated incident for Atletico. In fact, it was their third victory over a Champions League holder in the Super Cup within a decade:
| Year | Europa League Winner | Champions League Winner | Result |
| 2010 | Atletico Madrid | Inter | 2-0 |
| 2012 | Atletico Madrid | Chelsea | 4-1 |
| 2018 | Atletico Madrid | Real Madrid | 4-2 (aet) |
This remarkable record cements their reputation as specialists in this competition, capable of dismantling the most powerful sides in Europe.
