For the footballing giants, the Champions League is a place where dreams become reality and legends are born. But for smaller clubs like Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Celtic, Red Star Belgrade, Slovan Bratislava, and Young Boys, it’s often where ambitions are dashed, and harsh realities set in.

As Matchday Three approaches, these teams find themselves bracing for more tough tests. While they dominate their domestic leagues, regularly securing championships, the step up to Europe’s elite competition has proven to be a different kind of challenge entirely. With just 12 goals scored and 49 conceded across their combined first two group-stage matches, these clubs are struggling to keep pace with the financial powerhouses of the Champions League.

Over the past seven years, these six teams have secured a staggering 38 domestic league titles out of a possible 42. Clubs like Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade have been untouchable at home, claiming every available title in Croatia and Serbia respectively. Yet, despite this dominance, translating domestic success into European triumphs has been far from easy.

In their opening two Champions League games this season, these teams have faced a brutal reality, with a combined goal difference of -37. The financial disparity between them and Europe’s elite clubs, like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, is immense, and it shows on the pitch.

Take Slovan Bratislava, for example. According to Transfermarkt, Slovan’s entire squad is valued at around £24 million, and they’ve spent just £2.6 million on new signings over the past three seasons. In contrast, Manchester City have spent £365 million in that same period, and their squad is valued at over £1 billion. It’s no surprise then, that when the two sides met three weeks ago, Slovan’s chances of victory were slim to none.

Slovan Bratislava’s journey to the Champions League has been a long one. After 32 years of failing to qualify, finally making it back to Europe’s top competition this season felt like a victory in itself. Slovan manager Vladimir Weiss even spoke of the dream of facing teams like Manchester City. However, the reality was far less glamorous.

In their home match against City, Slovan were comprehensively outplayed. City dominated with 28 shots, four goals, and an expected goals (xG) of 3.8, while Slovan managed just 24 per cent possession and didn’t register a single shot on target. For many Slovan fans, including Tomas, who attended the game, it was a stark reminder of the gulf in class.

“Just qualifying was a huge achievement,” Tomas said, “but we knew what to expect when facing teams like Manchester City. Still, for us, it’s about the experience and learning from these games.”

Red Bull Salzburg have been regulars in the Champions League in recent years, and they were expected to put up a better fight. With Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders now at the helm, many viewed Salzburg as potential dark horses in the competition. But after two disappointing defeats—3-0 against Sparta Prague and 4-0 at home to French side Brest—it’s clear that things haven’t gone to plan.

Lijnders didn’t shy away from responsibility after the Brest defeat, saying, “We have the quality to do better. It’s not good enough. I don’t want to make excuses about having a young team.”

Salzburg, who are currently fourth in the Austrian Bundesliga, six points behind leaders Sturm Graz, have seen their domestic form mirror their European struggles. Expectations were high, but Lijnders and his team are under pressure to turn things around quickly.

Young Boys, a dominant force in Swiss football, have also found the Champions League to be a harsh reality check. They’ve suffered heavy defeats, including a 3-0 loss to Aston Villa and a 5-0 drubbing by Barcelona. These results led to the sacking of manager Patrick Rahmen, just months into his tenure. With Inter Milan next up on their fixture list, Young Boys are in danger of being completely outclassed, both domestically and in Europe.

Meanwhile, Celtic’s fortunes in the Champions League have been equally challenging. Known for their famous victories at Celtic Park, where they’ve beaten the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United in the past, Celtic struggle when playing away from home. Their 7-1 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund is the latest in a long line of heavy defeats on the road.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has faced criticism for not adapting his tactics, but he remains defiant. “We dominate domestically with our style, and we’ll continue to play that way,” Rodgers said after the Dortmund loss. “We won’t sit back and defend, even against the big European sides.”

However, for Celtic fans who have travelled across Europe to support their team, the frustration is palpable. Despite the enthusiastic away-day atmosphere, the Scottish giants have won just two of their 37 Champions League away matches—a record that leaves many fans demoralised.

For these clubs, competing against Europe’s elite feels like an impossible task. The financial imbalance is widening year after year, and this season’s results have highlighted just how far behind the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Slovan, and Celtic are. The Champions League’s expanded format has created a bigger first stage, leading to more matches but also more one-sided affairs.

So far, this season’s competition has seen a barrage of goals, with 3.19 per game—the second-highest on record—and some brutal scorelines, including 9-2, 7-1, and multiple 4-0 results. With an average margin of victory at 2.57 goals, this is proving to be one of the most one-sided Champions League seasons in history.

While clubs like Slovan and Dinamo may be “happy to be there,” the reality of competing in the Champions League is becoming tougher each season. The financial rewards and exposure are vital for these teams, but the results on the pitch often feel like an uphill battle.

As the tournament progresses, expect to see more of the same: Europe’s smaller clubs struggling to make an impact against the continent’s giants. For fans of these teams, the Champions League remains a bittersweet experience—an opportunity to share the stage with the best, but also a reminder of how wide the gap has become.

Still, for many of these players and their supporters, the chance to face the likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona is a reward in itself, even if the results are often painful. The Champions League may be the pinnacle of club football, but for Europe’s minnows, it’s also a stark lesson in just how tough the competition can be.