Champions League: 5 Greatest comebacks no one saw coming
Here are five iconic match comebacks in the UEFA Champions League no one saw coming since the inception of the tournament.
The UEFA Champions League has witnessed some truly unforgettable comebacks over the years across different stages of the tournament itself. Every comeback has become a defining moment of the tournament, but some have been categorized as comebacks that redefined the concept of club football. Here are a few of the most iconic ones:
The "Miracle of Istanbul" - Liverpool vs. AC Milan (2004/05 Champions League Final)
The 2004/05 Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan produced one of football's greatest comebacks. After falling behind 3-0 at halftime through goals from Maldini and Crespo (2), Liverpool staged an incredible second-half revival. Steven Gerrard sparked the comeback with a header, followed quickly by a Vladimir Šmicer strike and Xabi Alonso's penalty rebound, scoring three goals in just six minutes to level the match at 3-3.
The drama continued through extra time, with Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek making a miraculous double save from Shevchenko. In the penalty shootout, Dudek's tactics helped unsettle Milan's shooters, and he ultimately saved Shevchenko's decisive penalty to seal Liverpool's fifth European Cup with a 3-2 shootout victory, completing what became known as the "Miracle of Istanbul."
"La Remontada" - Barcelona vs. PSG (2016/17 Champions League)
In one of football's most astonishing comebacks, Barcelona overturned what many had categorized as an impossible 4-0 first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain with a breathtaking 6-1 victory at Camp Nou in the second leg.
After PSG dominated at Parc des Princes, few believed Barcelona could advance, but Luis Enrique's side produced a performance for the ages. The dramatic climax came in the final minutes when Neymar scored twice before Sergi Roberto's 95th-minute volley completed "La Remontada" (The Comeback), sending Barcelona through 6-5 on aggregate and leaving PSG players in shock as the Camp Nou erupted in scenes of unbridled celebration.
The match featured incredible drama throughout, with Barcelona scoring three times in the final seven minutes to complete the comeback. After Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi had put Barcelona in position, Neymar took over in the closing stages with a spectacular free-kick and penalty before delivering the perfect assist for Roberto's winner. The comeback represented the first time in Champions League history that a team had overturned a four-goal first-leg deficit, cementing its place in the history of football.
Liverpool vs. Barcelona (2018/19 Champions League)
Liverpool's comeback against Barcelona in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final stands as one of football's most extraordinary turnarounds. After suffering a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou in the first leg where Lionel Messi scored twice including a magnificent free-kick, Liverpool faced what seemed an insurmountable task.
Making matters worse, they entered the second leg without two key attacking players, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were both sidelined with injuries and given the quality on the pitch for Barcelona, only a handful gave Jürgen Klopp's team any chance of progressing to the final.
What unfolded at Anfield on May 7, 2019, was nothing short of miraculous. Divock Origi gave Liverpool early hope with a seventh-minute goal, but they still needed three more without reply. In the second half, substitute Georginio Wijnaldum transformed the tie with two goals in just 122 seconds (54th and 56th minutes), suddenly leveling the aggregate score at 3-3. The decisive moment came in the 79th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold caught Barcelona's defense napping with a quickly-taken corner that found Origi unmarked, who finished clinically to make it 4-0. Anfield erupted as Liverpool completed an improbable comeback that left Barcelona's players shell-shocked.
Deportivo La Coruña vs. AC Milan (2003/04 Champions League)
Deportivo La Coruña's remarkable comeback against AC Milan in the 2003/04 Champions League quarter-finals remains one of the competition's most unexpected turnarounds. After suffering a comprehensive 4-1 defeat at the San Siro in the first leg, with Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko, and Andrea Pirlo dominating for the Italian giants, few gave the Spanish side any chance of progression.
Milan, the defending European champions with a star-studded lineup, appeared to have one foot in the semi-finals. Walter Pandiani's away goal seemed merely a consolation for Deportivo.
The return leg at the Riazor Stadium on April 7, 2004, witnessed one of football's greatest shocks. Deportivo needed to score at least three goals without reply, but remarkably went one better. They came flying out of the blocks with Pandiani scoring after just five minutes. Juan Carlos Valerón headed in a second before halftime, and Albert Luque added a third shortly after the break to level the tie on aggregate.
The turning point came in the 76th minute when substitute Fran González scored Deportivo's fourth, completing what the Spanish media called "La Resurrección" (The Resurrection). The 4-0 victory (5-4 on aggregate) stunned the football world, as the modest club from Galicia had eliminated the reigning European champions.
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich (1998/99 Champions League Final)
The 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium produced arguably the most dramatic conclusion in football history.
For most of the match, Bayern Munich appeared destined for victory after Mario Basler's early free-kick in the 6th minute gave them the lead. The German side dominated large portions of the game and hit the woodwork twice, while Manchester United struggled to create clear chances.
As the match entered its final minutes with Bayern still leading 1-0, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson threw caution to the wind by introducing strikers Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from the bench in desperate pursuit of an equalizer.
What followed in the three minutes of stoppage time defied belief. In the 91st minute, Ryan Giggs miscued a shot from the edge of the box following a David Beckham corner, but Sheringham swept the ball into the bottom corner to level the score.
Just 30 seconds after the restart, United won another corner. Beckham again delivered, Sheringham flicked it on at the near post, and Solskjaer instinctively stuck out his foot to divert the ball into the roof of the net.
The Norwegian's goal at 92:17 completed an astonishing turnaround, leaving Bayern's players collapsed on the turf in disbelief. The final whistle blew moments later, confirming Manchester United's incredible 2-1 victory. Sir Alex Ferguson's post-match comment summed it up perfectly: "Football, bloody hell."
When is Real Madrid vs Arsenal (2nd Leg)?
All eyes would be at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid will be looking to replicate one of the most iconic comebacks of the Champions League history in their fixture against the Mikel Arteta led Arsenal. All eyes would be on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the date scheduled for the second leg of the Real Madrid vs Arsenal fixture as the current champions look to bounce back from the 3-0 defeat suffered in the first leg.
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