Top 5 comebacks in Champions League history! Take a look back at the competition’s most memorable turnarounds

The Champions League knockout matches always promise to be a thrilling and entertaining spectacle. The first quarter-final matches are over and this week the millionaire competition continues with the return leg. In today’s matches, London Chelsea and Bayern Munich will be looking to make up for last week’s loss. So let’s take a look at the top 5 spectacular comebacks in the history of this competition.

#1 Barcelona 6::1 Paris Saint-Germain (2016/17)

The 2016/2017 season saw one of the most memorable turnarounds in the competition’s history. Already in the eight-finals, football giants in the form of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona ran into each other. In the first match played at the Parc des Princes, the home side won by a high margin of 4:0, with former Real Madrid player Ángel Di María leading his team to a star-studded upset of Barcelona.

The rematch at the Camp Nou should have been a mere formality and the Parisian side should have clearly reached the quarter-finals. However, the opposite was true and one of the greatest games in the history of the competition was born. The Catalan trident of Messi – Suárez – Neymar destroyed their French opponents in a crazy match and Barcelona, led by coach Enrique, advanced to the next round after a resounding 6-1 victory.

#2 Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (2018/19)

The second place in our rankings will also involve a team from sunny Catalonia, but this time in the opposite sense. In the 2018/2019 season, the star-studded Barcelona were awarded the semi-final draw by English side Liverpool. Barcelona dominated the first match at Camp Nou and, after a convincing performance, took home a comfortable 3: 0 victory on the islands.

The return leg in the city of the Beatles should have been played at a leisurely pace from the perspective of the Catalan fans, but the opposite was true. The home players of Liverpool broke the confidence of Barcelona players in the seventh minute with Origi’s goal, and then in the second half they stunned the football world and the Catalan giant with an amazing chase. After two goals from Wijnaldum and Origi, they advanced to the final and lifted the Champions League trophy above their heads in the match against Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitana.

#3 Deportivo La Coruña 4-0 AC Milan (2003/04)

The 2003/04 quarter-final between Spain’s La Coruña and AC Milan went down in bold letters in the history of the millionaire’s competition. In the first match played at the San Siro, the Spanish team opened the scoring, but Kaká scored twice and Pirlo and Shevchenko once, and Milan won 4-1.

But the rematch in Spain brought an amazing comeback and in the hellish environment of the Riazor stadium the players prepared an unprecedented turnaround for their fans. With four goals, they decapitated the favoured Italian side and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals in a historic moment. However, they later fell short to the overall winner of the competition, Portugal’s FC Porto.

#4 AS Roma 3-0 Barcelona (2017/2018)

Once again Barcelona and another great comeback by its opponent. The quarter-final draw awarded the Catalan outfit to AS Rome. After a comfortable 4-1 win at Camp Nou, the trip to the Italian capital was supposed to be more in the nature of a sightseeing tour and a night out. However, the tenacious opponent from Italy had a completely different view that April evening.

Barcelona again cashed in in the first ten minutes, giving the Italian players a chance to boost their confidence after Džeko’s sixth-minute goal. In the second half, De Rossi scored from the penalty spot and with eight minutes to go, Greece’s Manolas decided that Barcelona’s stellar run in the competition was over. Later in the semi-final, the Romans tried to replicate their feat against Liverpool, reaching for a sensational turnaround after losing 5-2 at Anfield, but unfortunately a 4-2 home win was not enough.

#5 AS Monaco 3-1 Real Madrid (2003/04)

The sensation of the 2003/04 season in the form of AS Monaco wrote a truly remarkable story. Los Galácticos were facing a favourable draw in the quarter-final matches. A star-studded Real Madrid squad was expecting a midget from the Principality of Monaco and progression should have been a given after a 4-2 home win at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, a goal from former Los Blancos strike partner Raúl’s former teammate Fernando Morientes seemed to be the key in a memorable rematch.

Although the rematch in Monaco started off fabulously for the star club from the Spanish capital, with Raúl scoring first in the match, the favoured Real side had to bow to the Frenchmen’s ferocity in the end. After two goals from Guily and one from Morientes, Monaco won 3-1 and advanced to the Champions League final on away goals rule. However, as we have already mentioned, they lost to FC Porto.

Will we see history rewritten this time in the form of memorable comebacks or will the teams keep their advantage from the first matches? We can watch the quarter-final showdown today and tomorrow.

Source: Wikipedia, Twitter