3 greatest comebacks in the UEFA Champions League
May 8, 2019
The UEFA Champions League is the most coveted cup any European football club would want.
The intensity of the competition puts extra pressure on teams to perform at their best levels, and this had given football fans some of the best spectacle of football moments in this era.
That said, here are three greatest comebacks in the UEFA Champions League so far.
#3 Liverpool overturned Barcelona aggregate lead to march to the finals
Liverpool’s comeback in the semi finals against Barcelona in 2019 on 8 May 2019 is the third best in my observation. The Reds were already down by 3-0 from the first leg encounter at Camp Nou, and Barcelona looks set to seal a spot in the finals at Anfield. However, not only did Barcelona fail to score, Liverpool scored four goals through D. Origi and G. Wijnaldum, to book their spot in the finals of the Champions League with a 4-3 aggregate. To make it more impressive, Liverpool did so without some of their key players like Mohamad Salah.
#2 La Remontada
Known as La Remontada (The Comeback), Barcelona put their solemn 3-0 defeat in the first leg of the round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain to record the largest comeback in UEFA Champions League history. In this match played at Camp Nou, Barcelona came into the match knowing they had a 3-goal deficit to reduce. Luis Suárez scored the first goal of the game in the 3rd minute and PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa scored an own goal for Barcelona’s second. Lionel Messi balanced the aggregate in the 50th minute before Edinson Cavani scored for PSG in the 62nd minute. Cavani’s goal meant that Barcelona needed three more goals to win due to the away goals rule but two strikes from Neymar just as they clock hit 90, with another slotted in by Sergi Roberto in the 95th ensured Barcelona won the match with a 6-5 victory on aggregate.
#1 The miracle of Istanbul
This was probably the greatest game ever played in the Champions League. The match is dubbed by many as ‘the miracle of Istanbul’ with Liverpool coming back from the grave to cancel out AC Milan’s 3-0 lead at half time. The Reds looked set to finish runners up in the match competition, but goals by Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso pegged both teams at 90-minutes before Liverpool dragged the match into extra time, and eventually lifted the championship by winning the spot kicks.
Also Read:
Why Jeffrey Lana’s public appeal to MFL bad for Sarawak FA?
Will the Malaysia Football League heed Sarawak’s request to change imports?
How did Kuching FA stay undefeated in Liga M3?
This article is brought to us by our Sports Writers Club resident columnist – Cyril Dason.
