Move over, Barcelona – as Roma produced one of the most memorable Champions League comebacks to dump the La Liga leaders out.
Champions League comeback kings Barcelona were dethroned in the Italian capital on Tuesday, as Roma completed one of the most unlikely turnarounds in the competition’s history.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side came back from a 4-1 first-leg defeat to progress to the last four on away goals after a thrilling 3-0 win in front of their home fans.
Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas secured the 4-4 aggregate draw and sent the Stadio Olimpico into raptures, as Barca – who remain unbeaten in La Liga this season – completely fell to pieces.
The result earns recognition alongside the best comebacks in the competition’s storied past, especially since it came only a little over a year from Barca’s own most famous remontada.
Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (6-5 agg), 2017
It will come as little consolation now, but Barca remain the perpetrators of the most remarkable of all Champions League comebacks.
Trailing 4-0 from the first leg of last season’s last-16 tie to Paris Saint-Germain. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored either side of a Layvin Kurzawa own goal, only for Edinson Cavani to grab what was expected to be the decisive strike for the visitors.
However, two quickfire Neymar goals – the second a highly controversial penalty after an apparent Suarez dive – leveled the tie at 5-5.
Then, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Sergi Roberto struck to create a slice of Champions League history – no side had ever turned around a four-goal first-leg deficit before.
Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan (5-4 agg), 2004
Deportivo were among Spain’s major forces just after the turn of the century and one of their finest moments in Europe came in April 2004 when, despite being 4-1 down from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with AC Milan, they stunned the Italians at home.
Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque had Depor ahead on away goals before half-time, while Fran Gonzalez – who played for them in the second division in the late 80s and is still their record appearance holder – fittingly scored the fourth to make sure of their progression.
Depor were eliminated by eventual winners Porto in the semi-finals, but this comeback stood as arguably the very best in Champions League history until Barca went one better.
Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (AET, 3-2 on pens), 2005
That famous night in Istanbul. Liverpool found themselves on the end of a hiding at half-time in the 2005 Champions League final, as Paolo Maldini and a Hernan Crespo brace had the Serie A side 3-0 up.
But the second half proved to be one of the most iconic 45 minutes in Liverpool’s history, with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso leveling the match by the hour mark.
Milan then failed to hold their nerve in the penalty shootout, as Jerzy Dudek’s leggy antics in the Liverpool goal helped the Pole outsmart both Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko after Serginho blazed the first kick over, resulting in the Premier League side lifting their fifth European title.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1999
Possibly the two most dramatic minutes in the history of European club football.
Manchester United were trailing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 1999 final at Camp Nou, after Mario Basler’s free kick skidded into the bottom-right corner seemed enough for the Bavarian giants to end a 23-year wait for glory in the continent’s top-tier competition.
However, Alex Ferguson’s United could never be discounted until the final whistle, and substitute Teddy Sheringham swept Ryan Giggs’ shot into the bottom corner to bring the scores level in the 91st minute.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, another late substitute, avoided the need for extra time, after stabbing in Sheringham’s header from a David Beckham corner into the roof of the net as United completed a historic treble in astonishing fashion.
Monaco 3-1 Real Madrid (5-5 agg, Monaco won on away goals), 2004
Monaco was an unexpected member of the last eight in the 2003-04 Champions League and had seemingly been put in their place after losing 4-2 at Real Madrid in the first leg, even after Fernando Morientes – on loan from the Spanish giants – netted their second late on to give them a chance.
A Raul goal nine minutes before the break in the return leg in Monte Carlo made their task even tougher, but Monaco rallied admirably. Ludovic Giuly pulled one back on the stroke of half-time and Morientes then added a second just after the restart.
Giuly – whose performances with Monaco ultimately earned him a move to Madrid’s bitter rivals Barca – grabbed the decisive goal midway through the second half to secure progression, but Didier Deschamps’ side were finally halted by Porto in the final.
Barcelona 5-1 Chelsea (AET, 6-4 agg), 2000
Another famous Barca turnaround bookends our run-down.
A 3-1 first-leg loss at Stamford Bridge – having trailed 3-0 – had Barca in danger of being on the wrong end of a major 1999-2000 Champions League upset prior to the Roman Abramovich era. However, in the return match, the Catalans showed their true class.
Tore Andre Flo’s 60th-minute goal was sending Chelsea through but goals from Rivaldo and Luis Figo scoring before the break and a Dani Garcia goal seven minutes from the end of regulation forced extra-time.
Rivaldo then converted a penalty after Celestine Babayaro was sent off and Patrick Kluivert wrapped things up, crushing Chelsea’s dreams.
Photo: Ettore Ferari/Backpagepix
-This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za
