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An enthralling run Champions League games have ended, and two contenders remain for the prestigious silverware in the form of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Several remarkable performances have taken place in the 2018/19 edition of the European tournament, with teams fighting for qualification until the final whistle. Such a display of indomitable spirit from the contestants has made CL special this year.
The drama commenced in the round-of-16 ties of AFC Ajax versus Real Madrid and Manchester United against Paris Saint-Germain. Red Devils mounted an incredible comeback away from home against the Ligue 1 giants, nullifying a two-goal deficit incurred in the first leg. Whereas, the Dutch outfit blew away the defending champions at the Bernabeu.
We have witnessed many surprising results in the UEFA Champions League, and keeping those instances in our mind, let us explore some of the historic comebacks in the tournament.
#10 Juventus vs Atletico Madrid, Round of 16- 2018/19
First Leg: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Juventus (Gimenez 78', Godin 83')
Second Leg: Juventus 3-0 Atletico Madrid (Ronaldo 27' 48' 86')
Juventus qualified for the quarter-finals with an aggregate 3-2 score.
Atletico Madrid targeted the set-piece frailties of Juventus and secured a vital two-goal advantage via Jose Maria Gimenez and Diego Godin. Los Rojiblancos' robust performance was an epitome of Diego Simone's philosophy.
Juve faced a difficult job to overturn the deficit against the formidable defence of Atleti. Their hopes of a comeback hinged on the Champions League colossus, Cristiano Ronaldo. He didn't disappoint and bagged a terrific hattrick against the Spanish outfit.
Cristiano's two leaping headers and a clinical penalty completed the recovery for Serie A victors and took his Champions League goals-count to 126.
The Old Lady capsized the initial leg's trail for the first time since 2006 and Ronaldo's single-handed effort made it even more special.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#9 Chelsea vs Napoli, Round of 16- 2011/12
First Leg: Napoli 3 -1 Chelsea (Lavezzi 39' 65', Cavani 45+2'; Mata 27')
Second Leg: Chelsea 4-1 Napoli (Drogba 29', Terry 47', Lampard 75', Ivanovic 105'; Inler 55')
Chelsea advanced with a final score of 5-4.
Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat against Napoli at San Paulo Stadium and their dismaying season under Andre Villas-Boas made the prospect of a comeback unlikely.
This defeat was the final nail in the coffin for Andre's disastrous Chelsea tenure and lost his job before the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea's interim manager, fuelled the squad with desire, and his cohesive team produced a stirring recovery against the Gli Azzurri.
Chelsea's legendary marksman, Didier Drogba initiated their scoring spree at 29'. John Terry scored the second goal from Frank Lampard's corner-kick.
Gokhan Inler earned an away-goal which propelled Napoli ahead in the tie. The contest produced another twist as Lampard converted a spot kick in the 75th minute to force extra-time.
Branislav Ivanovic scored the winning goal in overtime to dodge the elimination, and a remarkable journey began for Chelsea en route their maiden Champions League title.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#8 Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain (3-3, United advanced on away goals)
First Leg: Manchester United 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain (Kimpembe 53', Mbappe 60')
Second Leg: Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Manchester United (Bernat ; Lukaku 2',30', Rashford 90+4')
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rejuvenated the Manchester United supporters after an insipid tutelage under Jose Mourinho. PSG provided United with a reality check in the first leg as the French side gained a two-goal advantage through Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe.
Paris' commanding lead at Old Trafford left Red Devils with 'a mountain to climb' in the return fixture at Parc des Princes.
Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock in the second minute, giving United the best possible start in the French capital. The home team replied with a leveller from Juan Bernat.
An individual mistake from Gianluigi Buffon allowed Lukaku to score his second for the night and Marcus Rashford converted a controversial penalty awarded through the VAR. Man United's three goals were sufficient to bypass the Round-of-16.
Ole's team were the first to recover a two-goal deficit in the away fixture.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#7 AS Roma vs Barcelona(4-4)
First Leg: Barcelona 4-1 AS Roma (De Rossi 38' (o.g), Manolas 55' (o.g), Pique 59', Suarez 87'; Dzeko 80')
Second Leg: AS Roma 3-0 Barcelona (Dzeko 6', De Rossi 58', Manolas 82')
AS Roma were dead and buried after Barcelona's 4-1 win against them at the Camp Nou. But, Edin Dzeko's solitary away goal was the deciding factor over the two legs.
FC Barcelona were the tournament favourites and played like one in the first meeting. But Roma pushed back the Catalan side at Stadio Olimpico, compelling Blaugranas to hold onto their advantage. Dzeko's neat finish in the sixth minute impelled Roma players and their fans.
Daniele de Rossi and Kostas Manolas made up for their own goals in the away match by scoring one each in Rome.
The Roma skipper, De Rossi placed a penalty in the 58th minute to establish a platform for his team to push forward.
Manolas scored a near-post header in 82' to level the aggregate margin with an away-goal advantage for the hosts.
The Bosnian hitman was rapturous after the final result, saying,
"You cannot imagine, I mean it was incredible, crazy – I don't know how to describe it. We did it when definitely nobody believed in us."
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#6 Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan, QF- 2003/04
First Leg: AC Milan 4-1 Deportivo (Kaka 45' 45+4', Shevchenko 46', Pirlo 53'; Pandiani 11' )
Second Leg: Deportivo 4-0 AC Milan (Pandiani 5', Valeron 35' Luque 44', Fran 76')
Deportivo advanced with a 5-4 margin.
"Miracles often happen, things you might not rationally expect,"
Javier Irureta said when asked about the chances of Deportivo's comeback against the star-studded AC Milan XI.
Deportivo La Coruna opened the scoring in the first leg, but Kaka's brace aided Rossoneri to register a 4-1 win at San Siro.
Los Branquiazuis needed a miraculous effort to recover against the gigantic Milan team- consisting of Kaka, Rui Costa, Inzaghi, Maldini, Seedorf, and others.
Irureta's side scored three goals before the half-time through Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valerón, and Albert Luque. The substitute, Fran Gonzalez scored in the 76th minute to put his side ahead on aggregate. Deportivo defended their result valiantly and staged an astonishing victory.
#5 Liverpool vs Barcelona, SF- 2018/19
First Leg: FC Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool (Suarez 26', Messi 75' 82')
Second Leg: Liverpool 4-0 FC Barcelona (Origi 7' 79', Wijnaldum 54' 56')
Liverpool went through 4-3 on aggregate.
Barcelona outclassed Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool XI at Camp Nou, and an ex-Red, Luis Suarez, scored the first goal. Lionel Messi's close-range finish and a sublime free-kick made it 3-0 for the Catalan outfit. A comprehensive victory for Barca almost confirmed their spot in the finals.
The absence of key players made the matter worse for the Reds as injuries to Mohammed Salah, and Roberto Firmino forced Klopp to field a weakened eleven at Anfield. Divock Origi scored early to set the tone for his team.
Jurgen's second-half substitution of Georginio Wijnaldum proved to be an inspired move as the Dutch midfielder scored two goals in as many minutes. Later in the game, Origi blasted his second for the night from a clever corner-kick by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool's four-goal rally allowed the Anfield faithful to witness another memorable European night at the historic stadium.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#4 Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Ajax, SF- 2018/19
First Leg: Tottenham 0-1 Ajax (D. van de Beek 15')
Second Leg: Ajax 2-3 Tottenham (De Ligt 5', Ziyech 35'; Lucas 55' 59' 90+6')
Tottenham advance due to greater away goals.
Ajax extended their aggregate to 3-0 in the return leg's first-half, and Spurs' hopes of playing in the maiden Champions League final looked bleak. But, a different script followed in the final 45 minutes of the game.
Lucas Moura's stunning hat-trick terminated Ajax's dream run in the competition- with his third goal coming in the dying seconds of injury-time. The Brazilian is the unsung hero of Tottenham as his equalizer against Barcelona group stage ensured his side's qualification for the Knockouts.
The absence of their superstar number nine- Harry Kane made Spurs' turnaround even more special. Tottenham's astonishing turnaround is a testament to Pochettino's diligence and tactical nous as the Argentinian didn't strengthen his squad in the summer.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#3 Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain, Round of 16- 2016/17
First Leg: PSG 4-0 Barcelona (Di Maria 18' 55', Draxler 40', Cavani 72')
Second Leg: Barcelona 6-1 PSG (Suarez 3', Kurzawa 40'(o.g), Messi 50', Neymar 88' 90+1' Roberto 90+5'; Cavani 62')
Barcelona advanced with an aggregate score of 6-5.
Barcelona endured a shocking 4-0 defeat at Parc des Princes. The resurgence of Blaugrana against PSG's four-goal advantage was flabbergasting.
Angel Di Maria scored a brace in Paris' rollicking performance against Barca in the first-leg. The Catalan side faced an improbable task of inclining the tie in their favour.
The electrifying Camp Nou environment stimulated the Azulgranas, and they staged a historic Champions League comeback.
Luis Suarez scored in the third minute, and his early strike laid a perfect platform for Barcelona. Neymar's 88th-minute free-kick provided the final adrenaline rush to the Barcelona players, and they pushed hard until Sergi Roberto found the net in the dying moments.
#2 Liverpool vs AC Milan, Final- 2004/05
AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (Maldini 1', Crespo 39' 44'; Gerrard 54', Smicer 56', Xabi Alonso 60')
Liverpool won on penalties(3-2).
AC Milan enjoyed an ideal start to the game as Paulo Maldini scored for his side in the first minute. Carlo Ancelotti's men dominated the first 45 minutes, and Hernan Crespo scored a quickfire brace later in the half to put his side ahead by three goals.
Liverpool would have opted for damage control against the world-class Rossoneri side. However, Steven Gerrard's passionate team talk during the break galvanized the players, and they produced three goals in a breathtaking span of six minutes.
The Reds' fairytale began with Gerrard's headed goal. Vladimir Smicer drove a shot outside the box to make it two goals for his side. Dida managed to block Xabi Alonso's penalty, but the Spaniard scored from the rebound to level the scores.
Rafael Benitez's side sustained the deadlock and forced a penalty shootout. Jerzy Dudek's spot-kick save off Andriy Shevchenko confirmed Liverpool's fifth Champions League title in Istanbul.
The belief of skipper Steven Gerrard made 'that night in Istanbul' possible for the Liverpool faithful.
#1 Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, Final-1998/99
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich (Sheringham 90+1', Solskjaer 90+3'; Basler 6')
Manchester United fans will cherish the commentated phrase. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tapped-in a goal in 'Fergie-time' to win the final for Man United against Bayern Munich.
Mario Basler swerved a free-kick around the wall to score in the sixth minute, and United chased Bayern team for a significant part of the game. Red Devils did not allow the German side to extend their lead further, thus staying in contention until the end.
Sir Alex Ferguson gambled by substituting Solskjaer to support Teddy Sheringham and Andrew Cole. The venture worked out as Sheringham equalised from close-range, and Ole sealed a remarkable comeback for the English Champions.
A stunning feat handed Manchester United side an unprecedented Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
