Best Football Comebacks Matches: Football can be a cruel game, particularly in its knockout format. During cup ties wherein two legs are involved, the David versus Goliath story unfolds and it is often worth remembering from the fans’ perspective.
Barcelona recently turned around a four-goal deficit against PSG in the Champions League, and how can one forget the incredible comeback from Liverpool against AC Milan in the Champions League final. Such games are a treat to watch with emotions in full swing on display from fans of both sets.
In this article, we take a look at ten incredible comebacks of all time in football:
1) Newcastle United 4-4 Arsenal, Premier League, 2011
Arsenal was away to Newcastle at St James’ Park and was excellent in the opening half-hour. Theo Walcott opened the scoring in the first minute itself, and Robin van Persie’s two goals ensured the 4-0 lead after just 25 minutes.
However, Arsenal lost momentum after half-time as Abou Diaby was sent off four minutes into the second half. That proved to be the turning point for the hosts.
Joey Barton started Newcastle’s goal-fest with 21 minutes remaining in the game by scoring a penalty and Leon Best added another to the cause to make the score 4-2. Barton converted a second penalty in the 83rd minute gave the hosts a lifeline before Cheick Tiote emphatically volleyed home from 25 yards. The two teams ended up with just a point apiece.
2) Germany 4-4 Sweden, World Cup Qualifying, 2012
The only time Germany threw up a four-goal lead in their history. They led the game 3-0 at half-time and added a fourth soon. However, the introduction of Kim Kallstrom turned the fixture on its head.
Sweden came on and laid two assists immediately to half the deficit for Sweden. Germany tried to hold on but could not contain the vibrant Kallstrom.
German fans soon had their hearts in their mouths as Johan Elmander dragged the visitors’ closer before Rasmus Elme capped a remarkable comeback for Sweden.
3) Juventus 2-3 Manchester United, Champions League,1999
United are better known for their treble claiming comeback against Bayern Munich, but they did the same against Juventus in 1998-99 Champions League semi-final. In the first leg, Juve oversaw a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and they took an early 2-0 lead at home.
Manchester United skipper Roy Keane provided the start for an inspirational turn around as he nodded in from a corner.
The visitors drew level on the night at half-time courtesy of Dwight Yorke’s thumping header and Andy Cole completed the comeback soon after with seven minutes remaining on the clock.
4) Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, Champions League, 1999
After stunning Juventus in the semifinal, United shocked Bayern Munich in the final to clinch their first-ever treble. Bayern was leading the game since the 6th minute from Mario Basler’s free-kick but United subs Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrote a beautiful script for their team.
It took two corners for Man Utd to unlock Bayern’s defense with Sheringham levelling the match in the 91st minute.
Soon, Solskjaer was in the act, as he poked the ball into the goal. Both sets of fans were in a state of disbelief, however, Bayern fans left the stadium heavy-hearted as their counterparts for the day left completed a dramatic comeback.
5) Blackpool 4-3 Bolton Wanderers, FA Cup, 1953
The match is known as the ‘Matthews Final’ due to the key role played by Sir Stanley Matthews, who is widely regarded as one of England’s most legendary players.
Bolton led 3-1 at Wembley with 25 minutes to go, although Stan Mortensen provided Blackpool a ray of hope in the 68th minute when he scored his side’s first goal.
He then scored a thumping free-kick to level the proceedings in the 89th minute, but Matthews had other ideas. He provided the assist to Bill Perry, who scored the winner. The game remains one of only two FA Cup finals in which seven goals were scored.
6) Liverpool 3- 3 AC Milan, Champions League, 2005
In one of the most memorable games in the Champions League history, Milan hit the ground running in the opening minute. Skipper Paolo Maldini gave his side the lead before Hernan Crespo scored twice to triple Milan’s advantage.
Liverpool looked inspired after the break and their captain Steven Gerrard started to tilt the tie in his side’s favour with a well-taken goal. Having been totally outplayed in the first half, the Reds ran rampage after the break as Vladimir Smicer doubled his side’s score. For the final leveller, Gerard was in the act again, winning a penalty for Liverpool that Xabi Alonso converted. Extra-time could not separate the two sides, and Penalties were due. Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek would be the hero of the night as he saved three penalties to win the coveted title for his club.
7) Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint Germain, Champions League, 2017
PSG won the first leg with an emphatic 4-0 scoreline much to the surprise of football fans across the globe. In the aftermath of the thumping, then Barca boss Luis Enrique announced he would resign after the end of that season.
In the second leg, Luis Suarez and an own goal from Layvin Kurzawa gave Barcelona some hope at the break. Lionel Messi soon came to the fore, converting a penalty four minutes into the second half.
However, Edinson Cavani scored for PSG to push Barcelona on the brink of elimination. Yet somehow the Parisians slumped and surrendered their advantage in the closing stages.
Neymar of all people led the charge for Barca with two goals in quick intervals, and he soon turned up the provider for the winning goal for the Blaugrana as he set up Sergi Roberto in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
That match to date remains the best comebacks in the history of football as it truly justified the old saying “Football is a game of two halves.”
8) Real Madrid 4-0 Borussia Monchengladbach, Champions league
A 5-1 first-leg destruction in Germany had seemingly put Borussia Monchengladbach into the next round at the expense of Real Madrid, and the holders seemed to be on the precipice of being knocked out.
In front of almost 100,000 at the Santiago Bernabeu, the escapologists got off to a terrific start, with Jorge Valdano scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes to reduce the arrears.
Gladbach were rocking in front of a raucous crowd, but as time moved on, the home side couldn’t press home their territorial advantage. With 15 minutes remaining, they still required two more goals. But in the 78th minute, skipper Carlos Santillana cracked a low volley to make the score 3-0 on the night and offer renewed hope and encourage Real to make one final push. For 12 minutes, the German defence held firm as the home support urged their side for more, and in the 90th minute, the fightback was complete.
A long throw from the left was flicked on, where an edge of the area was beaten away by the Gladbach keeper. However, first to the rebound was Santillana, and the No. 9 toe-poked into the back of the net to give Madrid a 4-0 victory and passage into the fourth round. Los Blancos would go on to retain their trophy, beating another German side, Koeln, in the final and in doing so becoming the first club to win back-to-back UEFA Cups.
8) Liverpool 4- 0, Barcelona Champions League, 2019
Roared on relentlessly by their fans, the Reds produced an incredible all-action display to claw back and then ultimately overturn their 3-0 deficit from the Nou Camp with an unanswered four-goal salvo in thrilling style.
Divock Origi started the unlikely revival, tapping home from close range after seven minutes, but it was only when substituting Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice in the space of 122 seconds after the break that the tie truly swung in Liverpool’s favour.
Barcelona was rattled, and even Lionel Messi was unable to steady the ship before Origi struck again with the goal that would decide the tie on aggregate after Trent Alexander-Arnold caught the visitors’ defence napping from a corner. By now Anfield was rocking and the home fans stayed on their feet to cheer their side home in the closing minutes, with a shell-shocked Barca side unable to fashion any serious response.
Liverpool has managed famous European fightbacks before, notably when they won this competition for the fifth time in Istanbul in 2005, but this was arguably the greatest in their glittering history.
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