Famous Football Comebacks That Got the Blood Pumping!
Football is a funny old game and an incredibly exciting one. Over the years there have been times when one team looks dead and buried only for them to bounce back and win the day. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the greatest in football’s history.
10 Football Comebacks that Should be on Your Radar
1 Barcelona vs PSG - 2017: Known as the 'Remontada', Barcelona overturned a 4-0
first-leg deficit by winning 6-1 in the second leg, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes.
2 Man City vs QPR - 2012: On the final day of the Premier League season, Manchester City scored two stoppage-time goals to win 3-2, securing their first Premier League title.
3 Liverpool vs AC Milan - 2005: In the 'Miracle of Istanbul', Liverpool came back from a 3-0 halftime deficit to win
the Champions League final on penalties.
4 Man United vs Bayern Munich - 1999: In the Champions League Final, Manchester United scored twice in stoppage time to win 2-1.
5 Newcastle vs Arsenal - 2011: Newcastle managed a comeback from 4-0 down at halftime to draw 4-4.
6 Liverpool vs Barcelona - 2019: Liverpool overcame a 3-0 first-leg loss to win 4-0 in the second leg of the Champions
League semi-final.
7 Portugal vs North Korea - 1966: In this World Cup quarter-final, Portugal came back from 3-0 down to win 5-3.
8 West Germany vs Hungary - 1954: Known as 'The Miracle of Bern', West Germany came back from 2-0 down to win the World Cup final 3-2.
9 Tottenham vs Man United - 2001: Manchester United came back from 3-0 down at halftime to win 5-3.
10 Reading vs Arsenal - 2012: Arsenal recovered from a 4-0 deficit to win 7-5 in the League Cup.
These fantastic dramatic football matches and some of them have made our top 5. Let’s take a look at the games that made football history.
Liverpool vs AC Milan, 2005 UEFA Champions League Final
Often cited as the greatest final in the competition's history, Liverpool completed an
incredible comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul. Milan led 3-0 at halftime, thanks to goals from Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernán Crespo. However, Liverpool scored three times in six minutes in the second half through Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso, levelling the match. The Reds eventually triumphed in a penalty shootout, completing what is affectionately known as "The
Miracle of Istanbul."
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
In one of the most dramatic finishes to a UEFA Champions League final, Manchester United overturned a 1-0 deficit against Bayern Munich in injury time. Trailing from the sixth minute, United scored twice in the dying moments of the match, with Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær netting the
goals. This victory completed United's historic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain, 2017 UEFA Champions League Round of 16
After losing the first leg 4-0 in Paris, Barcelona faced an almost insurmountable task in the return leg at the Camp Nou. However, they managed an extraordinary comeback, winning 6-1 on the night and 6-5 on
aggregate. Sergi Roberto's last-minute goal completed the historic comeback, marking the first time a team had overturned a four-goal deficit in the competition's history.
Deportivo La Coruña vs AC Milan, 2003-04 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals
Deportivo La Coruña faced a tough challenge after losing the first leg of their quarter-final match against AC Milan 4-1.
In the second leg, however, Deportivo produced an astonishing performance to win 4-0, advancing to the semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate victory. This match is widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in UEFA Champions League history.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Ajax, 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Semi-final
Tottenham Hotspur faced Ajax in the second leg of the semi-final, trailing 1-0
from the first leg. Ajax extended their lead to 3-0 on aggregate by halftime of the second leg. In the second half, Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick for Tottenham, with the third goal coming in the sixth minute of injury time, securing Spurs' place in the final on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
And the best one and a bonus!…
Shefield Wednesday vs Peterborough United (2nd leg of the League One Playoff Semi-final)
Over two legs against Peterborough United, Sheffield Wednesday overturned a significant deficit. In the first leg, they faced a challenging 4-0 defeat away at Peterborough United, with goals from Taylor, Ward, Poku, and Clarke-Harris for Peterborough.
However, the second leg at Hillsborough was a remarkable turnaround, with Sheffield Wednesday winning 5-1 after extra time, bringing the aggregate score to 5-5. Sheffield Wednesday then won 5-3 on penalties to advance to the final.
Goals in the second leg for Sheffield Wednesday were scored by Smith (penalty), Gregory, James, Palmer, and Paterson, with an own goal by Gregory for Peterborough.
There you have it, the greatest comebacks in football history.
