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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Nathan Ridley

9 best Champions League comebacks from Man Utd's treble to Barcelona's Remontada, via Istanbul

Everyone loves a good comeback story, especially when it's a chapter of the Champions League knockout stages.

Cast your mind back to March 8, 2017, and the headlines were already written; something akin to ' Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona after doing the business in the first leg'.

Except it didn't pan out that way, PSG's 4-0 aggregate advantage was overturned in the most dramatic fashion as a Catalan hero in Sergi Roberto prodded home a 95th-minute winner, sending ripples around the world of football and the Camp Nou wild.

With the second legs of the 2022 Champions League round-of-16 upon us, plenty of ties hang in the balance, while a number look like forgone conclusions.

But as history shows us, nothing is ever truly sealed in football's elite club competition.

Here are nine of the best comebacks in Champions League history (note, not the European Cup):

Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich

While it may not seem like it now, there was once a time under Sir Alex Ferguson when United weren't expected to win everything.

The 1990s was a decade of resurgence for the Red Devils, ending their 26-year wait for a Premier League title before moving on to the continental front, having last lifted the European Cup in 1968.

It required patience but after already winning two major trophies in May 1999, United had the chance to succeed in what every other team in British football history had failed: win the treble.

Fast forward to the 91st minute of the final, though, and they looked destined to fall at the last hurdle, with Mario Basler's opening goal after just six minutes putting Bayern Munich on the cusp.

But just as 'Fergie Time' had permeated English football over the past decade, the Red Devils had two more tricks up their sleeves in added time: Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Both substitutes scored from corners to stun Bayern and give Ferguson his first true taste of European glory at the Camp Nou.

Solskjaer, meanwhile, earned club legend status and would even return to the stadium as United manager 20 years later.

AS Monaco 3-1 Real Madrid (5-5 on agg)

Ahhh, the away goals rule... we hardly knew ye.

Real Madrid, self-proclaimed kings of Europe thanks to a record 13 titles, had managed a 4-2 lead in the quarter-final first leg against a competitive Monaco side.

Ivan Helguera, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo were all on the scoresheet at the Santiago Bernabeu, a show of Los Blancos' quality.

Monaco's task was made even harder when Raul extended their advantage in the first half, but as Real boss Carlos Queiroz put it, the hosts' "motivation and determination" came through in the second 45.

Ludovic Giuly grabbed two either side of the interval and Fernando Morientes - on loan from Madrid - bagged the goal that put his temporary employers 2-1 up on the night.

Giuly's second gave Monaco the win on away goals and Los Blancos were left to be another victim in the year of the underdogs, with Porto ultimately coming out on top.

The drama didn't stop there though, as the football world was unprepared for what would come just 24 hours later.

Morientes was on loan from Real Madrid when he helped Monaco beat them (REUTERS)

Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan (5-4 on agg)

When the holders head into a second leg with a 4-1 lead, no one should expect them to crash out - especially when it's Milan.

But when the Rossoneri - fresh from winning their sixth crown - travelled to the northern coast of Spain for a quarter-final second leg, their bid to become the first team to retain the newly-named Champions League was well and truly destroyed.

And it was Deportivo, who were making their name as tricky underdogs in Europe, who recorded one of the greatest feats in modern football history.

They'd endured a hammering at the San Siro a fortnight earlier against a Milan side who, up until that point, had not conceded an away goal in the Champions League all season.

But, putting in the performance of their lives, the Spaniards were 3-0 up at half-time.

Then, as if it was the stuff of fairytale, club captain Fran came off the bench in the second half to score a volley 14 minutes from time.

Deportivo's triumph was the first time that a team had ever recovered from a three-goal first-leg deficit to win in the 12-year history of the Champions League, although their journey would end in the semi-finals against Jose Mourinho's Porto.

Deportivo pulled off a shock against reigning champions Milan (AFP/Getty Images)

AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (2-3 penalties)

While the run to the 2005 final was less memorable than its predecessor, no one could accuse the final of being boring.

Arguably the most dramatic 120 minutes of football - as well as penalties - in recent memory, Liverpool ended their own 21-year wait for another major European title on that night Istanbul.

3-0 down at half-time, no one gave Rafa Benitez's side a hope of stopping Milan romp to a seventh crown.

Step forward, Steven Gerrard; driving his team on to an incredible comeback and canceling out a first-minute goal from Paulo Maldini and Hernan Crespo's double.

After Gerrard's first, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso struck, giving Jerzy Dudek the opportunity to be the penalty shootout hero after extra-time.

The Polish goalkeeper pulled off some iconic moves between the posts, putting off three Milan stars with his Bruce Grobbelaar-esque technique.

They call this one a 'miracle' for a reason.

Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a comeback victory over Milan (Getty Images Sport Classic)

Join the debate! What's your favourite Champions League comeback? Give us yours here.

Barcelona 6-1 Paris-Saint-Germain (6-5 on agg)

Speaking of miracles, 'La Remontada' - the comeback.

Although Barcelona's recent history suggests that they are prone to flopping in European football, this was a side who had won the tournament two years prior and had their sights set on lifting the 'big ears' again in 2017.

So it came as a shock when PSG slapped them 4-0 in a quarter-final first leg in Paris.

Luis Enrique's men knew that they would need everything to go their way in round two, backed by a 96,000-strong crowd.

A goal from Luis Suarez after just three minutes set them on their way, but it would take until the 40th to get their second.

And while a third came shortly after half-time, Edinson Cavani nabbed an away goal for PSG to give Barcelona the task of scoring three unanswered goals in just over 30 minutes.

Then came the Neymar show, only months before he would join the visitors in a world-record transfer, who scored twice and stepped to take a free-kick in the 95th minute.

The ball floated into the penalty area, and as the world held their breath, Roberto got his foot to it and pulled off the seemingly impossible.

Roma 3-0 Barcelona (4-3 on agg)

While 2017 wasn't their year, 2018 looked to be at least another semi-final after the Blaugrana beat Roma 4-1 at the Camp Nou in the last eight.

Lionel Messi and co headed to the Italian capital confident of qualifying, knowing only an almighty slip-up would see them crash out.

Six minutes in and things already weren't going to plan, as Edin Dzeko - the man who netted an all-important consolation goal in the first leg - got the Stadio Olimpico believing.

Daniel De Rossi's penalty put the pressure on at 2-0 on the night and - well, take it away, Peter Drury.

The commentator appeared to have written the script when Greek defender Kostas Manolas nodded home in the 82nd minute.

"Roma have risen from their ruins! Manolas, the Greek God in Rome! The unthinkable unfolds before our eyes," Drury bellowed down the microphone.

"This was not meant to happen. This could not happen. This is happening. It's a Greek from Mount Olympus who has come to the seven hills of Rome and pulled off a miracle!"

'Greek God' Manolas sunk Barcelona with a late header (Catherine Ivill)

Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Manchester United (3-3 on agg)

We're back with the Red Devils, whose last triumph in the Champions League came 14 years ago - but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been drama in the time between.

Decimated by injuries and 2-0 down from the first leg at Old Trafford, where PSG nabbed two away goals, Solskjaer told us that "mountains are there to be climbed" but not many believed United could reach the summit of this one.

Yet Romelu Lukaku's opener with just two minutes on the clock made everyone sit up and take notice.

Juan Bernat gave the Parisians breathing room shortly after, but Marcus Rashford's swerving shot foxed legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon before half-time.

The Red Devils knew they only needed one goal to go through thanks to the away rule, then still in effect.

And in typical United fashion, they left it late - very late.

Man Utd came back to beat PSG in 2019 (TF-Images/Getty)

Diogo Dalot hit a speculative shot from range that hit Presnel Kimpembe's arm, handing Solskjaer's team a chance in the 94th minute to reach the quarter-finals.

Rashford, 21 at the time, stepped up without a nerve in his body and blasted past Buffon - game over, tie over, celebrations just starting.

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (4-3 on agg)

Another year, another Barcelona entry - and once more not for the right reasons.

Yet again boasting what looked to be an unassailable lead from a home first leg, the Catalan giants came to Anfield knowing all they had to do was avoid capitulating and they'd make the 2019 final.

But there's one word in their plan that made all the difference: Anfield.

Liverpool, days away from losing the Premier League title on the final of the season, had been battered in round one but came out fighting on Merseyside despite the absences of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Jurgen Klopp's men only led 1-0 at the break but two goals from Georginio Wijnaldum in three minutes made it look like Barcelona were still in the away dressing room.

And you know what comes next - a quick corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Anfield cult hero Divock Origi, who slammed home for his second strike of the night and somehow, some way sent the Reds through to Madrid.

Origi's brace helped Liverpool beat Barcelona (Getty Images)

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur (3-3 on agg)

Capping off a bonkers 2019 tournament, Tottenham's run to the last four was on course to be sacrificed for Ajax's storyline, with the men from Amsterdam winning 1-0 in north London and scoring two before half-time back home.

Without the talismanic presence of Harry Kane, Spurs needed a hero and it came in the form of Lucas Moura.

The Brazilian scored a hat-trick as Erik ten Hag's youngsters buckled under the weight of expectation, having toppled behemoths in Real Madrid and Juventus along the way.

Lucas' third and most remarkable came in the 85th minute, getting enough on the ball with a hopeful strike to slide it past a number of Ajax men including goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Emotions - ecstasy and agony in equal measure - poured out onto the pitch and from one look at manager Mauricio Pochettino, you could see what Tottenham had just done.

Unfortunately for them, Liverpool had the last laugh in the final, winning 2-0 in what many coincidentally consider to be the least dramatic showpiece of them all.

Still, it was fun along the way and there's lots more to come over the coming weeks.

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