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This week, 80,000 Roma fans got to witness one of the biggest comebacks in Champions League history as their team managed to sweep Barcelona aside with a 3-0 victory. It was enough to neutralize the Catalans 4-1 victory in the first leg and gain them access to the competition's semi-final.
The confidence of the AS Roma players and their unwillingness to accept defeat was what brought the Serie A side a victory is nothing short of miraculous. Team captain Daniele De Rossi echoed the sentiment when he told reporters: "For a team like Roma, it's truly incredible. This is certainly one of the happiest days of my Roma career. I was almost moved seeing the fans before the game. I told my team-mates: if they believe, we can do the same."
Today we take a look at the greatest examples of second leg comebacks in the Champions League's history. This should be enough to remind fans and players alike that nothing is ever won or lost before the final whistle has been blown.
#5 PSG 5-6 Barcelona (Round of 16, 2016-17)
Starting off with a recent example of an incredible second leg comeback, last season, Barcelona produced an amazing performance in the replay game against Paris Saint-Germain, that saw them neutralize the initial 4-0 defeat.
The Parisians would naturally have felt comfortable about their chances after the team managed this landslide victory in the first encounter. With the final result seemingly in their back pocket and players such as Di Maria and Cavani in top form, the Ligue 1 side were heading confidently into the second leg.
But the Spaniards came out swinging, leaving PSG in shock. Barcelona refused to give up and ended up winning 6-1. The victory goal was scored late in the game, in the 95th minute by Sergi Roberto, further adding to the drama.
PSG representatives may have had some harsh words about the refereeing decisions, but nevertheless, Barcelona showed once and for all that there are no lost causes or matches already won when it comes to the Champions League.
#4 Porto 4-7 Bayern Munchen (Quarter-Finals, 2014-15)
Porto performed an excellent first leg on home grounds against Bayern. A double from Quaresma and one goal courtesy of Martinez gave them an unlikely victory over the German champions. It was a terrific 3-1 result, but the Portuguese team made the terrible mistake of thinking the qualification had already been won.
But German sides are well known for playing to the maximum of their abilities until the final whistle. The Munchen rematch saw Bayern dominate and create copious amounts of chances.
Bayern had 19 shots on goal. Six of these went in. It ended 6-1. And although the Bavarians were knocked out of the Semi-Finals by Barcelona, it reminded fans that they should never give up hope.
#3 Chelsea 5-4 Napoli (Round of 16, 2011-12)
You don't end up being champions by quitting! This is what Chelsea proved in their Round of 16 encounter against Napoli. With manager Andre Villas-Boas' job already in turmoil, the London side succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in Italy.
By the time of the second leg, the managerial hot seat had been taken over by former Chelsea player Roberto Di Matteo. The English side managed a rousing performance and were 3-1 up by the end of the 90 minutes.
It went to extra time and defender Branislav Ivanović scored a dramatic 105th-minute winner. Chelsea would go on to reach the final in which they played and won against Bayern Munchen.
#2 Real Madrid 3-2 Wolfsburg (2015/16, Quarter-Finals)
True world-class players shine through when they're needed most. This is what Cristiano Ronaldo managed to do for Real Madrid. But before all that, Real had managed to lose the first leg against a brave German side who produced a 2-0 victory despite being dominated for most of the game.
Wolfsburg looked set to create a major UCL upset. But Ronaldo had other things in mind and produced an excellent display in the second leg. By the 17th minute, the Portuguese had scored twice for the Spanish giants. The Bundelisga side's attempt to break down Real's attack was to no avail, with Ronaldo completing his hat-trick in the 77th minute.
Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League trophy that season. They did the same next year. Just goes to prove the importance of never giving up.
#1 Deportivo La Coruna 5-4 Milan (2003/04, Quarter-Final)
This is a game that goes into contention as one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history. AC Milan were heading into this match as title holders, after their win the previous year against Juventus.
The first leg went as planned for the Serie A side. A team featuring the likes of Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo managed a comfortable 4-1 victory over their Spanish opponents. The qualification seemed pretty much in the bag and the club was likely already considering another participation in the competition final.
And it was perhaps a case of over-confidence for Milan as they headed into the second leg. Deportivo produced an incredible result that still ranks as one of the greatest in the team's history, managing a truly unexpected 4-0 victory.
Deportivo would go on to lose their Semi-Final tie against Porto, but the participation would remain etched into the memory of their fans. Another example of a team managing to salvage the result in a seemingly impossible situation.
With these in mind and Roma's recent upset of Barcelona, we are reminded that no Champions League encounter can be called before the game is truly over.
