This is the second part of this two-part series, taking a look back at the most unexpected upsets in cup play across Europe this past term. You can read part one here.
Biel-Bienne 1-0 Young Boys, Swiss Cup, semi-finals
Third-tier club Biel-Bienne were one of the stories of the European campaign if we are looking at cup runs. Beating four professional teams in their run, they became the first semi-pro team to reach the semi-finals since 1999. En route to that stage, they knocked off a Lugano team who had reached the final in each of the last three seasons.
Their story continued at the final four stage, where they faced the 2023/24 league champions Young Boys. Seven years on from their previous cup meeting - which the capital club prevailed in extra time - it was expected that Biel-Bienne's wonderful run would come to an end.
It turned out to be anything but that. A near-full house at the Tissot Arena saw their side pull off their biggest shock of their cup season. Kastriot Imeri was sent off for Young Boys in the second half just moments after coming on. The key moment came in the ninth minute of extra time, as Maiko Sartoretti converted a penalty for the only goal of the game.
Biel-Bienne's story ended in the final, as they were defeated 4-1 by Basel, who completed a domestic double. Still, few will forget this memorable run anytime soon.
Bourgoin-Jallieu 2-2 Lyon, 4-2 on pens, Coupe de France, round of 32
Next is one of the biggest cupsets in Europe throughout the 2024/25 season, which came in France. The fifth round of the Coupe de France saw fifth-tier Bourgoin-Jallieu face Olympique Lyon, five-time winners of the competition. This was supposed to be a walk in the park for Lyon, who reached the Europa League quarter-finals.
Instead, they suffered perhaps their most embarrassing defeat in cup history. Mehdi Moujetzky scored the game's opening goal 20 minutes in. Lyon responded just before half-time through Nemanja Matic, before Georges Mikautadze gave them the lead midway through the second half.
The visitors' lead would not last long, as Moujetzky levelled five minutes later. Bourgoin-Jallieu managed to survive the final 20 minutes, forcing a penalty shootout. Ronan Jay then stopped the first two penalties, helping his side go 2-0 up. Lyon could not turn things around, losing 4-2 via the spot kicks.
The fans at the Stade Pierre Rajon erupted with their team's stunning victory. Bourgoin-Jallieu advanced to the round of 16, where another Ligue 1 side, Reims, needed a penalty shootout to knock off the fifth-division club. They ultimately finished fourth in their National 3 group, and will remain there for the 2025/26 campaign.
Limavady United 1-0 Larne, Irish Cup, fifth round
We head to Northern Ireland next for a highly unexpected cupset. Larne, who played in the Conference League's inaugural league phase last fall, were on the wrong side of a shocking defeat. This came a couple of weeks after they ended their European campaign with a 1-0 defeat of Gent, a remarkable result for the Inver club.
Playing their fifth-round tie in the Irish Cup, Larne headed to Limavady to meet Championship side Limavady United. The club had just been promoted to the second division. As such, expectations were high for the two-time Premiership winners.
Instead, Limavady United managed to take the game to extra time, where Ruairi Boorman's 114th-minute goal sent the underdogs through. That left the 2020/21 finalists being dumped from the cup. It was their earliest exit in the competition since 2016/17, when Portadown knocked them out at the same stage.
Limavady United went on to face Crusaders in the next round. Unfortunately for them, a heartbreaking 92nd-minute goal ended their cup run. Still, it was a very successful campaign for them, as they narrowly missed out on back-to-back promotions.
Arminia Bielefeld 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen, DFB Pokal semi-finals
Biel-Bienne were not the only third-tier side to make their cup final, as Arminia Bielefeld also accomplished the same feat. Their run was arguably more impressive. After all, they managed to take out four different Bundesliga clubs on their way to Berlin. Union Berlin, Freiburg, and Werder Bremen all faltered to the side who suffered consecutive relegations in 2020/21 and 2021/22, leaving them in the third tier.
Bielefeld then met last year's domestic double winners Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals. Although Die Werkself did not have as good a year as 2023/24, they still had a more than decent campaign. They finished second in the Bundesliga, while making the last 16 of the Champions League. They lost out to Bayern on both occasions.
Still, not much was expected from Die Arminen in this match. Things did not start well for them in this match, as Jonathan Tah put Leverkusen ahead 17 minutes in. However, the hosts did not back down, levelling the game three minutes later through Marius Worl. Maximilian Grosser scored what proved to be the winner on the stroke of half-time, as the 3. Liga side held their nerve to advance.
Sadly for Bielefeld, they could not match Stuttgart in the showpiece, falling 4-2 in the capital. However, they had an incredible run in the tournament, reaching their first-ever final. They will also return to the 2. Bundesliga for the 2025/26 season after winning the third division.
Rilindja 1-1 Ballkani, 10-9 on pens, Kosovar Cup round of 32
The last major cupset on this list comes from the Kosovar Cup, as second-tier Rilindja 1974 took out the domestic double-winning Ballkani. Xhebrailat had enjoyed Conference League group stage football in 2022/23 and 2023/24, and were expected to make another deep run in the cup.
Instead, they ran into an unexpected roadblock, as Rilindja managed to do the unthinkable to knock them out. Although the Superliga side went in front before the break, they were pegged back in the second half. Penalties were ultimately needed after 120 minutes of football, where the lower division club held their nerve.
Converting all 10 of their kicks, Rilindja managed to end the shootout in the 10th round, as Ballkani suffered their earliest cup exit in six years. Their dismal campaign - at least for the club's standards - continued to worsen. Shortly after the match, the club's coach Artim Pollozhani resigned from the team.
That was as well as things went for Rilindja, as they lost in the last 16 to Ferizaj. A late goal there brought an end to their cup campaign. They did not have the best domestic league season either, finishing eighth in their group, narrowly avoiding relegation. Ballkani, who lost in UECL qualifying last summer, finished second to Drita in the league.
Honourable mentions
We conclude with a pair of honourable mentions. In the first article, there was mention of O Elvas' shock elimination of Vitoria Guimaraes in the Taca de Portugal. They were not the only fourth-tier side to cause a notable shock in the tournament. In fact, Lusitano GC managed to do so twice. First, they took out Estoril on penalties in the third round after a goalless 120 minutes.
They then managed to beat AFS in the fifth round. They twice held a two-goal lead, ultimately prevailing 3-2. Their reward was a date with Sporting Braga in the round of 16, where they fell 2-1. Still, things ended very well for Lusitano, who achieved promotion to the third tier.
The other honourable mention goes to FC Hlucin, from the third division of Czech football. They managed to stun Czech Liga club Slovan Liberec in the third round. Winning their previous two games against sides from the league below them, they were up against much better opposition this time around.
Yet, an Ondrej Moucka penalty just before the hour mark decided the game. FC Hlucin moved on at the expense of Liberec, who just missed out on the title playoffs in the top flight. Their story ended in the next round in a narrow 2-1 loss to Teplice. Hlucin also finished in midtable in their domestic league.