In light of Tottenham Hotspur going into the 2nd leg with Real Madrid on Wednesday evening 4 goals down, and with Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk also suffering heavy 1st leg defeats, I’ve decided to create a top ten of 2nd leg comebacks in European games as a source of inspiration.
Whilst not all entries were in the actual Champions League, they were still a part of a European Cup competition and over 90 minutes of football, a team was able to overturn the impossible and win the 2 legged tie when everyone doubted them.
In the case of Spurs, it will be a hard ask to beat Madrid 5-0 at White Hart Lane tomorrow evening but whilst chances are slim, it’s still possible if Harry Redknapp’s team are on top form and Madrid are sloppy. Although, I fancy a 4-0 win for Spurs with Cristiano Ronaldo sent off and the game going to penalties. Whilst we can keep dreaming, let’s take a look at some great 2nd leg comebacks in the following list.
Partizan Belgrade 4-0 Queens Park Rangers (6-6 on aggregate) UEFA Cup, 1984/85 – The then Yugoslavian club turned over a 6-2 defeat in the 1st leg played at Arsenal’s stadium Highbury (not on QPR’s plastic pitch like other football sites have stated) to win 4-0 in the home fixture, sending them through on the away goals rule and causing Rangers to sack manager, Alan Mullery.
[youtube 1X5YXhBWRPU]
Deportivo 4-0 AC Milan (5-4 on aggregate) Champions League, 2003/04 – Having won the 1st leg at the San Siro 4-1, Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan side would’ve been confident travelling to Spain for the 2nd leg. But Deportivo shocked the holding European Cup winners by leading 3-0 at half-time and ended up winning 4-0 in this great quarter-final comeback.
[youtube KPGzaS9lvUA]
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the Top TEN…
Barcelona 1-4 FC Metz (5-6 on aggregate) European Cup Winners Cup, 1984/85 – With Barcelona winning 4-2 in the 1st leg in France, many thought the 2nd leg tie at the Camp Nou was a predictably easy result for Barcelona to qualify. Despite the home side scoring first, Metz hit back out of nowhere with 4 goals of their own in one of the biggest shocks in European history and proof that 2nd leg ties are never over!
[youtube PBY59ghoTgU]
Porto 4-3 Wrexham (4-4 on aggregate) European Cup Winners Cup, 1984/85 – The Welsh club were only in the competition because the previous year’s Welsh Cup winners, Shrewsbury Town, were not allowed to represent Wales in Europe and the beaten finalists Wrexham were in. This amazing victory won on away goals, saw a 4th division Wrexham, who had been in free fall down the Football League, make an astonishing come back in the 2nd leg game. Having won the 1st leg 1-0 in front of 4,935 fans, they were 3-0 down in the 1st half in Porto in front of 40,000. But two goals from captain Jake King made it 3-2 at half time. Porto extended their lead through Paulo Futre but a late goal from Barry Horne gave Wrexham enough to win on the away goals rule. (Unfortunately no video footage found!)
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’centre’]
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the Top TEN…
Inter Milan 1-5 Arsenal (Champions League Group Stage) 2003-04 – Despite this game not being a 2 legged affair, Arsenal needed to win this group game to advance in the competition and the 3-0 defeat at home to Inter had not helped their cause. The game at the San Siro saw the Gunners in superb counter-attacking form in a game that they’d be written off, especially as they were without some key players.
[youtube aKzkbMbTSPU]
Juventus 2-3 Manchester United (3-4 on aggregate) Champions League 1998/99 – The 1st leg at Old Trafford finished 1-1 and the 2nd leg in Turin did not start off brightly with Juve going 2 goals up. But United hit back before half time with 2 goals of their own from Dwight Yorke and Roy Keane, giving United the lead on away goals. 7 minutes from time, Andy Cole got a 3rd to send Manchester United into the Champions League final…and the rest is history!
[youtube kkC5pp9C2ok]
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the Top TEN…
Bayer Uerdingen 7-3 Dynamo Dresden (7-5 on aggregate) European Cup Winners Cup 1985/86 – The two sides from Germany, Dynamo representing East and Bayer representing the West. The first leg was your average 2-0 victory by Dynamo Dresden but the 2nd leg saw Bayer remarkably win 7-3, in an astonishing comeback over their Eastern rivals.
[youtube d__RkpJhfJQ]
Paris St Germain 4-1 Real Madrid (5-4 on aggregate) UEFA Cup 1992/93 – Madrid were on the losing side in this shock result in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. Real won the 1st leg 3-1 but did not expect a David Ginola inspired PSG to turn them over 4-1 in the second leg, knocking them out of the competition.
[youtube w5Ehj1j71wQ]
Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the Top TEN…
Bayer Leverkusen 3-3 Espanyol (Leverkusen won on penalties) UEFA Cup 1987/88 – The Eighties proved to be the 2nd leg comeback era, this one was in the Final of the UEFA Cup which was decided over two legs back in the day. The Spanish side had recorded a 3-0 victory in the 1st leg but it was the Germans repeating the result themselves in the 2nd and they went on to win the Cup on a penalty shoot-out.
[youtube HYiGbWfhRSs]
Barcelona 5-1 Chelsea (AET) Champions League 1999/00 – Having won the 1st leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, the Blues travelled to the Nou Camp with hope of getting a result, but Barcelona repeated the score line forcing the game into extra time, where they scored 2 more goals
[youtube 8xZvMAgc7VQ]
Have these comebacks inspired you to put your money on Tottenham?
[bet_365 type='odds' size='300' af_code='365_050711']
