Top 10 Most Thrilling Comebacks in the Champions League (C1 Cup)

Liverpool performed a miraculous comeback in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. Trailing 0-3 to Milan at halftime, they equalized at 3-3 in the second half and won in a penalty shootout.

Barcelona also faced an early exit last year after winning the first leg 4-1 against Roma in the quarterfinals. However, a 0-3 defeat in the return leg in Rome meant Barcelona were eliminated on away goals. Both teams’ histories demonstrate that Liverpool’s comeback was far from impossible. Despite being thrashed 3-0 at Camp Nou, largely due to Lionel Messi’s brilliance, their chances of overcoming the Catalan giants in the second leg seemed slim, especially considering their odds of keeping a clean sheet at Anfield. But a quick goal from Divock Origi sparked hope, and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice in two minutes, sending Anfield into a frenzy.

With the home team on the rise and Barcelona crumbling, a quick-thinking corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold and a subsequent goal from Origi sealed one of the most incredible comebacks in history, sending Liverpool to their second consecutive final, where they defeated Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur.

This was a moment that could have secured Bayern a place in history. The team, led by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller in the 1970s, had previously won three consecutive European Cups but never achieved a treble. They hadn't reached the Champions League final since 1987.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were dominating English football, winning the Premier League and FA Cup double. However, European glory continued to elude them, having last won the title in 1968. In one of the most intense and tightly contested finals in Champions League history, Bayern led for 84 minutes. But Sir Alex knew the significance of the dying moments of the match. United's refusal to accept defeat saw them equalize in injury time through substitute Teddy Sheringham. And just a minute later, another substitute, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sealed the victory, giving United their first Champions League title in over 30 years.

This dramatic comeback not only secured the trophy but also ensured an unforgettable treble for United. No English club has completed the treble since then.

98% of ESPN readers believed that Barcelona would advance before the second leg began. With a commanding 4-1 lead from the first leg, most couldn't imagine Messi and his teammates throwing it away and becoming the underdogs in Europe's most prestigious competition.

However, Edin Dzeko gave Roma a glimmer of hope by pulling them back into the game at Camp Nou. But when Luis Suarez scored just seven minutes later, it seemed the game was effectively over. With a 4-1 advantage at home in the quarterfinal, Roma's coach, Eusebio Di Francesco, told his players to avoid conceding. Once again, it was Dzeko who provided Roma with the crucial away goal, breaking the deadlock. From that point, the match was on. After De Rossi scored an own goal, giving Roma their second, Barcelona mounted a threat through Messi and Suarez.

But as the game went on, Roma held firm, and in the 82nd minute, the Stadio Olimpico erupted following a perfectly executed header from Kostas Manolas.

Chelsea faced a challenging 1-3 defeat against Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 match in Italy, coupled with a 0-1 loss to West Brom in the Premier League. Following these setbacks, Chelsea decided to part ways with manager Villas-Boas at Stamford Bridge.

The decision by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was made to spark a turnaround for the Blues in the remaining fixtures of the season. The managerial change led to a revived Chelsea, as they entered the second leg against Napoli with a newfound confidence after two consecutive Premier League wins. Despite the heavy 3-1 loss in Italy, Chelsea was in crisis under Villas-Boas, but they quickly appointed Roberto Di Matteo as interim manager, hoping for a revival at Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba and John Terry were crucial in breathing new life into Chelsea, scoring in the first half. A goal from Napoli in the 55th minute threatened to crush Chelsea's hopes, but Frank Lampard converted a penalty to send the game into extra time.

As the penalty shootout loomed, Branislav Ivanovic's shot rattled the top of the net, sending Stamford Bridge into a frenzy. Two months later, Chelsea would go on to win the Champions League for the first time in their history. What a remarkable comeback!

After being thrashed 1-4 by Milan in the first leg, Deportivo had nothing left to lose and came out firing in the return leg, spurred on by the fervent support of nearly 29,000 fans packed into the fiery Riazor stadium.

Coach Irureta made three key changes to the lineup that suffered the defeat in San Siro two weeks earlier. Manuel Pablo was brought in to shore up the right flank, an area exploited by Milan in the first leg, replacing Lionel Scaloni. Enrique Romero took over from Joan Capdevila at left-back, and Victor Sanchez returned to midfield after serving a one-match suspension. When Deportivo took the lead 1-0 in Italy, a silent crowd at San Siro feared they might witness an upset. But that brief moment of doubt was quickly extinguished as the home side put in a brilliant performance to maintain their advantage. Deportivo, undeterred by the monumental task ahead, scored four goals of their own, knocking out the European champions in a stunning turnaround.

Now, 17 years later, as Deportivo play in Spain's third division, that remarkable night remains one of the club's greatest moments.

Bước vào trận đấu với tâm thế thoải mái với thắng lợi 2-1 ở lượt đi cùng lợi thế sân nhà, Real Madrid nhập cuộc chủ động và áp đặt thế trận lên phần sân Ajax Amsterdam.

Thậm chí, cột dọc và xà ngang đã 2 lần từ chối những pha dứt điểm của Raphael Varane hay Gareth Bale. Gã khổng lồ Tây Ban Nha đánh bại Ajax 2-1 tại Amsterdam không phải là một cú sốc quá lớn, khi mà triều đại của họ đối với bóng đá châu Âu đã nhìn xa hơn. Vào cuối trận, trung vệ Nacho còn khiến nỗi đau của Real thêm sâu hơn khi bị đuổi khỏi sân sau khi nhận 2 thẻ vàng liên tiếp. Chung cuộc, Ajax có thắng lợi 5-3 sau 2 lượt trận. Như vậy, Real Madrid trong năm đầu tiên chia tay Cristiano Ronaldo cũng đã rời xa luôn ngai vàng Champions League mà họ đã thống trị 3 năm. Viễn cảnh Madrid phải chịu thua và thủng lưới hai lần tại Bernabeu dường như gần như không thể xảy ra, nhưng họ đã phải choáng váng trước đẳng cấp của Ajax trẻ trung không biết sợ hãi này. Một màn trình diễn xuất sắc của đội khách đã giúp họ ghi ba bàn chỉ trong vòng hơn một giờ, làm thui chột hy vọng của các nhà vô địch châu Âu lúc bấy giờ.

Pha lập công ở phút 70 của Marco Asensio đã châm ngòi cho sự hồi sinh ngắn ngủi cho đội chủ nhà, nhưng hai phút sau trận đấu đã kết thúc sau một pha sút phạt tuyệt đẹp của Lasse Schone. Lần đầu tiên sau 4 năm, Real Madrid bị loại khỏi Champions League.

After a brilliant goalless draw at the Nou Camp, Chelsea showed great determination and completely transformed their performance in the return leg of the 2009 semi-final at Stamford Bridge on May 6th.

Chelsea started strong with Michael Essien's sensational goal in the 9th minute putting them ahead. Chelsea created numerous chances but lacked luck, especially with controversial decisions by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo. According to former star Michael Ballack, there were at least four moments where Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty, but Ovrebo ignored them. Two first-half goals from Rivaldo and Luis Figo for Barcelona set the stage for a thrilling contest, which Chelsea responded to with a stunning strike from Tore Andre Flo, changing the course of the match. With just seven minutes left, it seemed Chelsea had done enough to reach the final. However, a missed penalty and a superb strike by Dani Garcia for the hosts took the game into extra time.

In the 99th minute, the Spanish side was awarded another penalty, and this time Rivaldo didn't miss. The home side sealed their dominance, scoring a fifth goal on the night and securing a 6-4 aggregate victory.

That was the feeling of those who witnessed the Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan on the morning of May 26th (Vietnam time). It was one of the most dramatic matches in football history, with Liverpool becoming the first team to come back from a 3-goal deficit in a Champions League final.

After a dominant first half with Crespo's brace and captain Maldini's opening goal just 52 seconds in, AC Milan seemed to have the title in their grasp. But in football, anything can happen. After a poor first half, Liverpool completely transformed in the second half, stunning the Italians with three quick goals from Gerrard, Smicer, and Alonso in just six minutes. Milan regained control in extra time, but Liverpool's newfound resilience couldn’t be broken. The Italians then faced a disastrous penalty shootout, leaving the championship trophy within reach of the Reds. The heroics of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek secured the win for the English side, with Andriy Shevchenko's penalty miss proving decisive.

To this day, Istanbul remains a constant reminder in football that it’s never truly over until the final whistle blows.

For the first time in European football history, a team managed to advance after being down by 4 goals in the first leg. Coach Luis Enrique thanked the Catalan supporters who continued to believe in his team despite the 0-4 deficit from the first match.

In the 62nd minute, PSG pulled one back to make it 1-3 with a powerful shot by Edinson Cavani. PSG's manager Unai Emery jumped for joy, believing Barcelona couldn’t score 3 more goals in the remaining time. However, with Luis Suarez scoring less than three minutes into the second leg, the unthinkable seemed possible. A clumsy own goal and a penalty by Lionel Messi meant Barcelona only needed one more goal. But, Cavani's strike in the 62nd minute complicated matters. The home team now needed three goals and could not concede any more in the remaining 30 minutes. With PSG seemingly heading to the quarterfinals, a late goal by Kevin Trapp changed everything. Neymar’s free kick and another penalty brought life back to Camp Nou, and in the 95th minute, Sergi Roberto’s volley sent them through, winning 6-5 on aggregate. Barcelona proved they were still not out of the fight.

After losing 0-1 at home in the first leg, Tottenham travelled to the Netherlands facing an uphill challenge. Before they could even execute their game plan, they were already trailing. From a corner by Schoene, Ajax captain De Ligt made a brilliant run and leapt to head the ball past Lloris, putting Ajax ahead early.

54 minutes into the second leg in Amsterdam, Tottenham found themselves 3-0 up on aggregate, with their hopes of reaching the Champions League final no longer needing a miracle. Despite star striker Harry Kane's injury absence, Spurs had struggled, with Ajax dominating the early exchanges. But Lucas Moura’s genius turned the tide. Two quick goals in the second half brought Tottenham back, and in the final minute of the match, Moura completed an incredible hat-trick, securing a place in Tottenham's first-ever Champions League final. Mauricio Pochettino was moved to tears, kneeling in disbelief, while Kane couldn't resist joining the celebrations on the pitch.