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Soccer

What are the famous UCL comebacks by Premier League clubs?

Ross Heppenstall
Ross Heppenstall
Published by Ross Heppenstall
17, Mar
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What are the famous UCL comebacks by Premier League clubs?
Watch the Champions League on DAZN - US, CA & NZ

Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur must all overturn first-leg deficits if they are to progress in their Champions League   Last-16 ties.

All four clubs are at home in this week’s second legs and Premier League sides have shown they can produce something special in the second leg of knockout ties in Europe’s premier competition.

Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall picks out some memorable second-leg comebacks for English clubs in the Champions League.

Chelsea 4-1 Napoli aet (agg 5-4), March, 2012

Chelsea lost the first leg of this Last-16 tie 3-1 in Naples and Andre Villas-Boas was sacked shortly afterwards.

Roberto Di Matteo was placed in interim charge before the second leg and the Italian oversaw a quite stunning victory.

Goals from Didier Drogba and John Terry put the Blues 2-0 ahead, but Gokhan Inler struck for Napoli before Frank Lampard’s penalty sent the tie into extra-time.

Branislav Ivanovic’s thumping finish in the 105th minute won it for Chelsea on a night of huge emotion and drama.

Di Matteo said afterwards: “Some of the players couldn't run at the end because they had cramp but they just kept fighting.

“We knew it would take a lot to win but everybody was incredible.”

Branislav IvanovicGetty Images

Manchester United 3-0 Olympiacos (agg 3-2), March 2014

Robin van Persie's hat-trick overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to send United into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Van Persie's contribution that season had come under scrutiny, but he converted a penalty, scored a clinical second before the break, and then hit a 51st-minute free-kick which won the tie.

United, then under David Moyes’ management, spoke afterwards of his hope that the win could be a turning point in the Red Devils’ disappointing season.

“I don't want to come out and say ‘this is the moment’, but I hope it is,” said the Scot.

Robin van PersieGetty Images

Chelsea 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain (agg 3-3, Chelsea win on away goals), April 2014

Jose Mourinho’s side lost the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final 3-1 in Paris but proved their mettle at Stamford Bridge to go through on away goals.

Andre Schurrle gave them hope with a first-half goal and, in the closing stages, fellow substitute Demba Ba scored from close range to spark wild celebrations as Chelsea went through on away goals.

Mourinho, in scenes reminiscent of his famous sprint down the Old Trafford touchline in 2004 when Porto knocked out Manchester United on the way to winning the Champions League, raced to join his players as they mobbed Ba.

The Portuguese reflected: “If for some reason we hadn't scored the second, or if they had scored from the last corner in the last moment to send us out, everybody in this club would still have been proud of the boys.”

Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Manchester United (Man United win on away goals), March 2019

Romelu Lukaku scored twice before Marcus Rashford's VAR-awarded penalty saw United reach the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals in the French capital.

Lukaku's early opener gave United hope and although Juan Bernat equalised, Lukaku struck again in the first half before Rashford sent the Red Devils through.

United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who famously scored a late winner for the club in the 1999 final, said: “It's this club. It's what we do, that's Man Utd.

“That's the Champions League, it's what it does.”

Marcus RashfordGetty Images

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur (agg 3-3, Tottenham win on away goals), May 2019

Lucas Moura scored a dramatic 96th-minute winner to seal an amazing Tottenham fightback and set up an all-English Champions League final against Liverpool.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Spurs trailed in Amsterdam when 19-year-old Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt headed home early on for Erik ten Hag's exciting young side.

Hakim Ziyech doubled Ajax's lead on the night to leave Tottenham 3-0 behind on aggregate, but Moura scored twice for Mauricio Pochettino's team within five minutes in the second half.

He then completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time as Spurs won on away goals to reach their first Champions League final.

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate), May 2019

This was right up there as one of the greatest European nights ever seen at Anfield as Liverpool reached their second successive Champions League final after an epic second-leg fightback.

It was the first time since 1986 – when Barcelona knocked out Gothenburg in the old European Cup – that a team have recovered a three-goal first-leg deficit to win a semi-final in the competition.

Divock Origi opened the scoring and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum struck twice in the space of 122 seconds after the break against a Barcelona side featuring Lionel Messi.

 Origi then scored his second to put Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3 ahead on aggregate amid raucous scenes at Anfield as they set up a final with Tottenham in Madrid.

An emotionally fraught Klopp said afterwards: “f I have to describe this club then it's a big heart and tonight it was pounding like crazy.  

“You could hear it all over the world and it means so much to all of us.  

“The mix of potential and unbelievable heart is just a mix I never saw before. It shows what's possible in football. It's so nice.”

Watch the Champions League on DAZN

Every Champions League match this season can be watched on DAZN in Canada and New Zealand. 

For US soccer fans, watch Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid and Manchester City vs Real Madrid in the Last 16 exclusively on DAZN, in Spanish language.

AtalantaAtalantaBodo/GlimtBodo/GlimtChelsea FCChelsea FCBayern MunichBayern MunichParis Saint-GermainParis Saint-GermainGalatasarayGalatasarayLiverpoolLiverpoolReal Madrid C.F.Real Madrid C.F.Sporting CPSporting CPSpursSpursLeverkusenLeverkusenNewcastleNewcastleAtletico MadridAtletico MadridBarcelonaBarcelonaMan CityMan CityArsenalArsenalUEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueSoccerSoccer

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