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Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 to reach Champions League final – but where does Liverpool’s stunning turnaround compare to the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history?
Last Updated: 08/05/19 1:15pm
Liverpool’s stunning 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield wrote Jurgen Klopp’s side into the Champions League history books as they reached the final with one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history.
No side had previously come back from such a margin at the semi-final stage in the Champions League era, but where does it rank alongside the greatest turnarounds in Champions League history?
Here, we look back at seven classic comebacks and ask whether Liverpool’s is the greatest…
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate) – Semi-final, 2019
It was the result that everyone inside Anfield hoped for, but one which even the most ardent supporters would have been forgiven for thinking it was beyond their team. But this Liverpool side, under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp and backed all the way by their inspirational home support, completed the most remarkable of comebacks to stun Barcelona.
Divock Origi’s seventh-minute opener set Liverpool on their way before Georginio Wijnaldum’s quick-fire double made the Reds dare to dream early in the second half. Origi then sealed the victory with an instinctive finish from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quickly-taken corner, the final act on a night that will live on long into the Anfield memories.
Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Man Utd (United progress on away goals after 3-3 draw) – Round of 16, 2019
United travelled to Paris needing to overturn a deficit following the Ligue 1 champions’ victory at Old Trafford, a tough assignment with a midfield three of Scott McTominay, Fred and Andreas Pereira in the absence of Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez.
Romelu Lukaku’s first-half double either side of Juan Bernat’s strike left United needing just one goal to progress and, after a dogged defensive display, they got it in a moment of high drama. Presnel Kimpembe was adjudged to have blocked Diogo Dalot’s late shot with his arm after a VAR check, handing Marcus Rashford the chance to smash United into the quarter-finals with a nerveless penalty.
Roma 3-0 Barcelona (Roma win on away goals after a 4-4 draw) – Quarter-final, 2018
Barcelona have been here before, and only a year ago. After a 4-1 win in the Nou Camp, they went to Roma looking certain of a place in the semi-finals. But it all went wrong for the Catalans inside the Stadio Olimpico.
Edin Dzeko struck early to give Roma confidence and Daniele De Rossi added a second from the penalty spot just before the hour to set up a tense finish. Barcelona could not find the goal they needed and Kostas Manolas’ 82nd-minute header sent them out of the competition.
Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Barcelona win 6-5 on aggregate) – Round of 16, 2017
Of course, they have seen the other side too. The Catalans suffered a shock 4-0 defeat to PSG in the French capital in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie – a result which was assumed to be PSG’s coming-of-age moment in a competition they had been built to win.
Without an away goal, Barca were given little chance of turning things around. They began well, with Luis Suarez scoring after just three minutes, but it took until five minutes before the break for a second to follow through Layvin Kurzawa’s own goal.
Lionel Messi’s penalty made it 3-0 in the 50th minute but when Edinson Cavani netted for PSG just after the hour the odds seemed against Barca. Instead, a most remarkable finish followed. Neymar scored in the 88th and 91st minutes, the second from the penalty spot, before Sergi Roberto scored in the fifth minute of time added on to spark wild scenes.
Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (Liverpool win on penalties) – Final, 2005
The semi-final victory over Barca ranks only as Liverpool’s second best Champions League comeback, because the first entry on the list – the Miracle of Istanbul – came with the trophy.
Rafa Benitez’s team were dead and buried at half-time as they trailed 3-0 to AC Milan, a side filled with some of the greatest names in European football. Paulo Maldini had opened the scoring in the first minute before Hernan Crespo’s double.
But everything changed in the space of six mad minutes in the second half as Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso scored before the hour mark to level the game. Liverpool took it to extra-time and penalties, when Jerzy Dudek pulled out the dance moves and Andriy Shevchenko missed the decisive spot-kick.
Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan (Deportivo win 5-4 on aggregate) – Quarter-final, 2004
Milan, the defending champions and tournament favourites, thrashed Deportivo 4-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie and seemed set for a cruise into the last four. But Deportivo pulled off a performance for the ages in the second leg.
Walter Pandiani opened the scoring in the fifth minute, Juan Carlos Valeron got a second in the 34th minute and Albert Luque made it 3-0 a minute before the break. Milan seemed certain to respond but mustered nothing, and Depor’s club captain Fran sealed the comeback in the 76th minute.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich – Final, 1999
However, his spell in charge works out, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United will always have this night in Barcelona. Chasing an historic treble, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked to have run out of steam in the Champions League final as they trailed to Mario Basler’s sixth-minute goal.
Ferguson threw on Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham as time ran down, and it paid off in some style. Sheringham levelled in the first minute of stoppage time before Solskjaer prodded in a winner two minutes later.
Is Liverpool’s comeback the greatest?
When is the Champions League final?
The Champions League final, the 27th in its current format and 64th of Europe’s elite-club competition, will take place on June 1, 2019.
Kick-off is at 8pm (BST), 9pm (CEST).
Follow Ajax vs Tottenham in our dedicated live blog on the Sky Sports app and SkySports.com on Wednesday evening.
Title race final day live on Sky Sports
The last act of The Run In will be shown live on Sky Sports on a defining final day of the Premier League season.
Manchester City’s trip to Brighton is live on Sky Sports Main Event from 2.30pm, while Liverpool vs Wolves at Anfield is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 2pm on Sunday, May 12. Kick-off for both games is at 3pm.
