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The greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks of all time

The Champions League games that rival Barcelona's famous comeback against Paris Saint-Germain!

The greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks of all time

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (L) and Branislav Ivanovic

Barcelona’s 6-1 hammering (6-5 on aggregate) of PSG at the Nou Camp is set to go down as one of the biggest comeback in the UEFA Champions League history.

There have been plenty of reversal of fortunes over the years and surprises could be in store, though. 

The game, however, is set and hopes are high. While fans are waiting with bated breath, here are The Statesman’s top five:

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Manchester United vs Bayern Munich (1999)

The ‘original’ comeback at the Nou Camp, the 1999 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich will forever be etched in footballing folklore. What many don’t know is that the two sides had met each other twice that season itself, in the group stages with both games ending in draws!

Alex Ferguson’s side were missing the suspended midfield duo of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes for the season-ending finale and after going behind as early from as the sixth minute from a Mario Basler free kick, seemed destined to be runners-up as the clock ticked. 

United’s never-say-die spirit was channeled by the two substitutes, namely Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored two goals in injury-time to leave the Bayern’s players shell-shocked and literally unable to carry on. While both the goals came from corners and they weren't exactly pretty, they got the job done and perhaps even more iconically, enable Manchester United to become the first and only English club to complete the Treble (English Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League).

Monaco vs Real Madrid (2003/04)

Real Madrid may have won the Champions League way more times than anybody (11 in all ), but after winning their 9th title in 2002, they had some rotten luck in the continental competition.

And after comprehensively beating unfancied Monaco 4-2 in the first leg, looked odds on to reach the semifinals. And why wouldn't they be? For their side housed the superlative talents of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo (The Brazilian) in one power-packed starting XI.

And after going ahead 1-0 on the night thanks to Raul’s 36th minute strike, there seemed to be no stopping Los Blancos. Up stepped future Barcelona player Ludovic Giuly and Madrid reject Fernando Morientes to put a spanner in the works. While the diminutive Frenchman scored two, including the final goal in the 68th minute, it was Morientes’ second-half goal which really put Madrid’s Galacticos policy under the scanner. 

Tied 5-5 on aggregate, Monaco went through on the contentious away goals rule as they went on a dazzling run to the final that made even the harshest of critics stand up and applaud.

Deportivo vs AC Milan (2003/04)

In the Champions League, where the margins are very fine indeed, a lead of two goals is more than enough on most occasions. Three? Forget about it.

But Deportivo believed when most of the world had written them off after defending champions AC Milan had demolished them 4-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinal. Three goals in a span of eight minutes had seemingly sealed the deal in the Italian giants favour but the Spaniards had other ideas.

Equalling the tie by half time after goals from Walter Pandianin, Juan Carlos Valeron and Ablert Luque had got on the scoresheet, Milan were struggling and Deportivo smelt blood.

Gonzalez Fran then climbed off the bench to score a historic fourth goal in the 76th minute to complete the comeback. Until Barcelona obliterated the record books on Wednesday, the Branquiazuis historic triumph was considered the gold standard comeback of all two-legged ties in Europe.

Liverpool vs AC Milan (2004/05)

Poor AC Milan. The only team to feature twice in the list and that too on the losing side!
And if they felt bad after their loss to Deportivo, nothing could have prepared them for the second-half storm that hit them in Turkey.

Liverpool fans still and in all probability will always sing about the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ no matter how many Champions League titles they add to their kitty and it is hard to begrudge them.

Trailing 3-0 at half-time to an AC Milan side that had the evergreen Paolo Maldini in defence, the combative Gennaro Gattuso and the silky Andrea Pirlo in midfield, with the sharpshooting duo of Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko up top, the odds were against Liverpool before the game started.

Up stepped a player called Steven Gerrard (Name rings a bell?) and took the game by the scruff of the neck starting a remarkable revival which saw the English side score three goals in a span of six minutes. 

This game had it all, including a nerve-racking penalty shootout which was won by the brilliant-on-the-night Jerzy Dudek's hands. His famous final save off Shevchenko is an iconic image–arguably, the mother of all comebacks in a final.

Chelsea vs Napoli (2011/12)

The most recent game on the list and one which was perhaps the most extraordinary, considering the circumstances, Chelsea’s great victory over Napoli is probably their most famous night in Europe barring their triumph in that season’s final.

Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani had ripped Chelsea to shreds in the first-leg of the their round-of-16 tie and Napoli looked certain to qualify after a 3-1 advantage seemed too much for the London club to overhaul.

To make matters worse, trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovic had fired manager Andres Villas Boas and replaced him with Robrerto Di Matteo, a fans favourite as a player but a virtual unknown as a manager.

Didier Drogba got them off to a good start in the second leg and when captain John Terry scored one early in the comeback, Chelsea’s improbable comeback was on. However, Gokhan Inler scored one against the run of play to complicate matters and while Lampard’s penalty forced the game into extra time, the game was not destined to go to penalties.

Branislav Ivanovic forever endeared himself to the Chelsea faithful with a 105th minute goal deep in extra time to ensure the Blues made the last-eight after a remarkable double-legged tie.

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