Leicester City (in blue, England), 2016-2017 season. After their surprise Premier League title in 2015-2016, Leicester City continued to defy expectations in their first Champions League campaign. They topped their group, which included FC Porto, Club Brugge, and Copenhagen. The English side then defeated Sevilla 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 before losing 1-2 to Atletico in the quarter-finals.

Hoffenheim (in green, Germany), 2018-2019 season. Finishing third in the 2017-2018 Bundesliga secured Hoffenheim's first Champions League appearance. They qualified for the group stage alongside Man City, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Lyon. However, the German team disappointed, finishing bottom of the group without a single win, drawing three and losing three.

Krasnodar (in white, Russia), 2020-2021 season. After finishing third in the Russian Premier League and eliminating PAOK in the qualifying round, Krasnodar reached the Champions League group stage. They finished third with five points, including two 1-0 victories over Rennes and draws against Rennes (1-1) and Chelsea (1-1). Chelsea and Sevilla advanced with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Rennes (in red, France), 2020-2021 season. A third-place finish in the 2019-2020 Ligue 1 earned Rennes a spot in the Champions League group stage. However, future stars like Eduardo Camavinga, Serhou Guirassy, and Jeremy Doku lacked the necessary experience for the intense competition. They finished bottom of the group with one point, behind Chelsea, Sevilla, and Krasnodar.

Midtjylland (in white, Denmark), 2020-2021 season. After winning the Danish Superliga and eliminating Slavia Prague in the qualifying round, Midtjylland found themselves in a group with Liverpool, Atalanta, and Ajax. As expected, they finished bottom of the group with two points. After losing their first four matches, the Danish side drew their last two games 1-1 against both Atalanta and Liverpool.

Basaksehir (in orange, Turkey), 2020-2021 season. Following their first national championship, Basaksehir landed in a tough group with Man Utd, PSG, and Leipzig. They finished last with three points but pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory against Man Utd. PSG and Leipzig advanced with 12 points each, while Man Utd finished third with 9.

Sheriff (in black, Moldova), 2021-2022 season. After winning their domestic league and eliminating Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifying rounds, Sheriff joined Real Madrid, Inter, and Shakhtar in the group stage. They caused a major upset by defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu. They also beat Shakhtar 2-0, finishing the group stage in third place with 7 points, just three behind Inter. Real topped the group with 15 points. The top two teams advanced, while Sheriff secured a Europa League spot.

Girona (Spain), 2024-2025 season. A fourth-place finish in the 2023-2024 La Liga granted Girona direct entry into the Champions League group stage. However, a loss of key players and a dip in form meant Barca's neighbors couldn't live up to expectations. They won one and lost 7 matches, finishing 33rd out of 36 in the new group stage format and becoming one of the 12 eliminated teams.

Bologna (Italy), 2024-2025 season. Similar to Girona, Bologna underperformed in the Champions League after a surprising fifth-place finish in the 2023-2024 Serie A. They won one, drew three, and lost four, finishing 28th out of 36. However, Bologna never lost by more than two goals, even against Liverpool (0-2).

Brest (striped shirts, France), 2024-2025 season. Brest qualified for the Champions League by finishing third in Ligue 1. They surprised everyone in the group stage by winning three and drawing one of their first four matches, ultimately finishing with 13 points and in 18th place out of 36. However, they lost 0-10 on aggregate to PSG in the play-off round.