After Liverpool smash Barcelona, the top Champions League comebacks

We take a look at the other games where victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat.

Liverpool players celebrate reaching the Champions League final
Reuters

Liverpool players celebrate reaching the Champions League final

English giants Liverpool have swept aside Spanish champions Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League in the most dramatic fashion.

Having lost the first leg at the Nou Camp 3-0, a brace each for Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum sent Barca flying out of the competition.

The 4-0 win at Anfield is being praised as one of the greatest comebacks in footballing history.

For Barcelona, it was a case of history repeating itself.

In last year’s competition, Barca blew a 4-1 home lead against Italian side Roma - losing 3-0 on the night and crashing out on the ‘away goals’ rule.

Liverpool is no stranger to dramatic comebacks in European football’s premier competitions. 

Here’s our ranking of the top five comebacks in Champions League history.

5. 1999 Champions League Final: Manchester United beat Bayern Munich

The Red Devils trailed the German side after a sixth-minute goal from Mario Basler and left it late to make amends.

Bayern failed to clear an injury-time corner from David Beckham, and the ball eventually found its way to striker Teddy Sheringham, who struck without hesitation.

The Germans had barely recovered when another Beckham corner found its way to current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who etched his name into United lore with the winner.

AP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates with his players

4. 2017 Champions League Second Round: Barca stun PSG

Barcelona is no stranger to comebacks themselves. In the 2017 Champions League Round of 16, the Spaniards found themselves on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing by the French giants at the Parc de Princes.

Manager Luis Enrique’s men pulled no punches in the reverse fixture, leading 3-0 with just 30 minutes to go, but a goal by PSG’s Edison Cavani seemed to have ended their hopes.

On the away goals rule, Barca now needed to find another three goals to advance to the quarter finals.

Cue a Neymar masterclass with just minutes to go. The Brazilian striker, scored twice, including a penalty to make it 5-1, and in the dying moments, Sergio Roberto pounced on a floating ball into the penalty area, sending it to the back of the net and securing Barcelona’s place in the next round. 

3. 2018 Champions League Quarter Final: Roma turn the tide against Barca

Few could have predicted that a Roma side that eventually finished third in Serie A could overturn a 4-1 defeat against the Spanish giants at the Nou Camp, but well, that’s exactly what happened.

Goals from Dzeko, De Rossi, and Manolas, sent the Stadio Olimpico wild with disbelief.

2. 2019 Champions League Champions League Semi-Final: Liverpool shell shock Barca

A Messi masterclass in the first leg at Nou Camp made it seem as though the tie was over and that Liverpool was playing for little more than pride.

With a 3-0 lead going into the game at Anfield, Barca striker Luis Suarez was more contemplative about how he would celebrate than whether his former side posed a credible threat.

It turned out that he need not have worried. There would be no celebrations for Suarez or his teammates.

Instead, it was the city of Liverpool that went delirious when Divock Origi’s winner completed a legendary rout.

1. 2005 Champions League Final: The miracle in Istanbul

Liverpool were never favourites going up against an AC Milan side packed with stars like Cafu, Maldini, Kaka, and Crespo.

Even the most optimistic fans would have lost hope by the half time whistle. Goals from Maldini and Crespo seemed to seal the tie before the players went back into the dressing room.

But Liverpool came out a rejuvenated side. Gone was the timidity and nervousness that marked their first-half performance and in its place was the confidence of a side that believed it had something to play for.

Captain Steven Gerrard began the comeback with a clinical header from a John-Arne Riise cross. Within minutes Vladimir Smicer’s long-ranged effort deflected its way past the Milan defence and into the back of the net.

Liverpool smelt blood and in a counterattack a few minutes after the second, Gerrard was brought down while through on goal, resulting in a penalty.

Spaniard Xabi Alonso stood up to take the penalty, which was saved on the first attempt but went in off the rebound.

Milan spurred chances to go back ahead in extra-time thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Jerzy Dudek, and when the time for the penalty shootout had arrived, it seemed as though they were a team that had run out of steam.

Liverpool won the shootout 3-2, winning the Champions League trophy for the fifth time.

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