Now the dust has settled on the first legs of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, the pressure has shifted completely. For teams like Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham, the task is simple but brutal – produce something special or go home.
Across this week’s second legs, several clubs are staring at three-goal deficits, while others are chasing narrow margins. History says it is unlikely. But the Champions League has never been about logic. It is about moments.
And if there is one thing this competition has shown time and time again, it is that no tie is ever truly over.
Barcelona vs PSG (2017) – The Ultimate Remontada
– First leg: PSG 4-0 Barcelona
– Second leg: Barcelona 6-1 PSG
When Barcelona lost 4-0 in Paris, the tie looked finished. No team had ever come back from a four-goal deficit in Champions League history.
What followed at Camp Nou became part of football folklore.
Barcelona needed six and somehow found them. Neymar sparked the chaos late on, scoring and assisting as the game flipped in the final minutes. Sergi Roberto’s last-gasp winner completed a 6-1 victory and a 6-5 aggregate turnaround that still stands as the greatest comeback the competition has ever seen.
It set the benchmark. If you are chasing a miracle, this is the one you point to.
?? "The night after the goal, I couldn't sleep."
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 9, 2020
?? When the 'remontada' dream became the reality – substitute Sergi Roberto makes history…@FCBarcelona | #UCL https://t.co/x4kpjIrxjj pic.twitter.com/DilM9kQPk8
Liverpool vs Barcelona (2019) – Anfield Magic
– First leg: Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool
– Second leg: Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Two years later, Barcelona were on the wrong end of another collapse.
Liverpool went into the second leg 3-0 down and without Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. It looked impossible. Anfield had other ideas.
Divock Origi opened the scoring early, before Georginio Wijnaldum struck twice in quick succession after half-time to level the tie. Then came one of the most iconic moments in Champions League history, as Trent Alexander-Arnold caught Barcelona sleeping from a corner and Origi finished.
4-0 on the night. One of the most complete comebacks you will ever see.
U N B E L I E V A B L E ???
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 7, 2020
Anfield erupts!!! It's FOUR!!
[4-0] | #LIVBAR pic.twitter.com/BxVQYkGJRc
Roma vs Barcelona (2018) – “Roma Have Risen”
– First leg: Barcelona 4-1 Roma
– Second leg: Roma 3-0 Barcelona
Barcelona thought they were safe again after a 4-1 first-leg win.Roma had different plans.
An early goal from Edin Dzeko gave belief, Daniele De Rossi added a second from the penalty spot, and with time running out, Kostas Manolas powered home a header that sent the Stadio Olimpico into chaos.
A 3-0 win, a famous away goals victory, and one of the most emotional nights in Champions League history.
Deportivo vs AC Milan (2004) – The Forgotten Shock
– First leg: Milan 4-1 Deportivo
– Second leg: Deportivo 4-0 Milan
Before the modern era of superclubs, Deportivo La Coruna pulled off one of the most shocking turnarounds ever seen.
Trailing 4-1 from the first leg against reigning champions AC Milan, Deportivo needed a near-perfect performance.
They delivered exactly that.
Four goals before the hour mark stunned Milan and flipped the tie completely. It remains one of the earliest examples of just how unpredictable Champions League knockout football can be.
Ajax vs Tottenham (2019) – One Half to Change Everything
– First leg: Spurs 0-1 Ajax
– Second leg: Ajax 2-3 Spurs
Tottenham’s run to the 2019 final included one of the most dramatic nights in the competition’s history.
They were 3-0 down on aggregate at half-time in Amsterdam. The tie looked done.
Lucas Moura had other ideas.
A second-half hat-trick, capped by a 95th-minute winner, completed an unbelievable comeback and sent Spurs through on away goals. It is still one of the clearest reminders that momentum in this competition can shift in an instant.
Why This Week Still Matters
History says very few teams recover from these positions. But it does happen.
Across Champions League history, only a handful of teams have overturned three-goal first-leg deficits. That is what makes it special. When it happens, it becomes unforgettable.
And for the teams chasing this week, that is the belief they will hold onto.
Because in the Champions League, it only takes one goal to change everything.
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Think one of the underdogs can pull off something special this week? Or backing the favourites to finish the job?
