Top 10 Greatest Comebacks in Football History – Football Comebacks
Football matches can be unpredictable. In a matter of moments, a team with a multiple-goal lead can be trailing. It is these types of comebacks that make watching a match so exciting. Simply stated, nobody is truly out until the referee has blown the final whistle.
In celebration of this glorious aspect of football, we have decided to list the top ten comebacks of all-time. Often, you will find similar lists populated with games featuring a team trailing by multiple goals and later coming back to take the game.
However, our list is not only dependent on the size of the goal deficit that was apparent at some point during the match. Rather, we took multiple factors into consideration, including:
- the competition (or league) that sanctioned the match,
- the teams involved in the match, and
- the context.
In tournaments like the UEFA Champions League where two legs determine which team proceeds to the next round, we also decided to look at return games. We also tried to focus on more recent games as opposed to populating the list with games we have never watched.
So, without further ado, here is our list of the top 10 greatest comebacks in football.
Top 10
1-Liverpool vs Milan – 2005
2-Liverpool vs Barcelona – 2019
3-Barcelona vs PSG – 2017
4-Monaco vs Real Madrid – 2003
5-Roma vs Barcelona – 2018
6-Real Madrid vs Borussia Mon – 1985
7-West Germany vs France – 1982
8-Deportivo la Coruña vs Milan – 2004
9-Tottenham vs Ajax – 2019
10-Belgium vs Japan – 2018
10. Belgium vs Japan – FIFA World Cup (2018)
To say that this was a peculiar game would be an understatement. Belgium was the obvious favourite, but then, Japan got the first goal almost as soon as the second half began. Surprisingly, this was quickly followed by a second goal four minutes later.
And with that, it seemed as if Belgium was in big trouble. It would be nearly 20 minutes before the Belgians brought a goal back. Similar to with Japan, the first goal was quickly followed by a second.
With both teams on level pegging as injury time approached, it looked like the match was going to overtime. However, an excellent counterattack by Belgium allowed them to score the winning goal in the last minute of the game.
9. Tottenham vs Ajax – UEFA Champions League (2019)
In the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League season, Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Ajax proved to be two of the tournament’s dark horses. Nobody was really expecting either of the teams to make it to the semi-finals.
Tottenham performed amazingly against country rivals Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Ajax played beautiful football en route to the game, eliminating both Real Madrid and Juventus.
Overall, going into the game, the Dutch side looked more confident and were playing better football. Few could dispute this as Ajax won the first game 1-0 in London. So, they had the advantage going into the second leg.
It all started very well for Ajax; they were up 1-0 in the fifth minute. Then, they nabbed a second goal in the 35th minute. For a good 20 minutes, it looked like Ajax was heading to the final for the first time in 24 years.
But Tottenham winger Lucas Moura had something to say about that. With two swift goals in the 55th and 59th minutes, he put Spurs back in the game. For the next two hours, the two teams were in a stalemate, but in the final minute of injury time, Tottenham’s hero of the night, Moura, struck one final time to give his team the win.
8. Deportivo La Coruña vs AC Milan – UEFA Champions League (2004)
Between 2002 and 2004, AC Milan was one of the biggest teams in Europe. They won the Champions League in the 2002-03 season with a squad filled with the best players of the day, including the likes of Kaká, Seedorf, Gattuso, and Maldini.
So, when Spanish outfit Deportivo la Coruña were drawn to face them in the 2003-04 Champions League season, they faced an uphill battle.
In the first leg of this series, AC Milan won 4-1 at the San Siro. Needless to say, the Italian team had a comfortable advantage. However, in the second leg, Deportivo started the game strong. By half-time and to the surprise of practically everyone, they were winning 3-0.
With this score, they already made it to the next round thanks to the away goal. But three goals wasn’t enough for them, so they scored a fourth. The result of this game was surprising because Milan had a huge advantage. They also had a way better squad and were the defending champions. The match is a testament that anything can happen in football.
7. West Germany vs France – FIFA World Cup (1982)
In the semi-finals of the 1982 World Cup, France squared off against West Germany. Both teams looked strong and most fans knew it was going to be a good game. Both teams played hard, but after regular time, they were stuck in a 1-1 stalemate, which meant the game was headed to extra time.
In the first 10 minutes of extra time, France scored two goals and it looked as if they had sealed the win. However, the Germans didn’t give up and they managed to score two goals too, which means the match went to penalties.
So, after a 3-3 thriller, with four goals appearing in extra time, West Germany beat France 5-4 in a penalty shootout. Needless to say, this was one of the most dramatic and intense World Cup matches we have seen.
6. Real Madrid vs Borussia Monchengladbach – UEFA Europa League (1985)
In the 1985-86 season of what is now known as the UEFA Europa League, Real Madrid faced Borussia Monchengladbach in the round of 16. The first match was dominated by the German team, thrashing Madrid with a score line of 5-1.
However, in the second leg, Real Madrid won 4-0. With two goals in each half, it was enough to allow Real Madrid to make it to the quarterfinals. Madrid would go on to win the cup that year. With how shocking each leg turned out to be, history might not be the same without this matchup.
5. AS Roma vs FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League (2018)
Before this match, Barcelona was seen as one of the best teams in football history. Naturally, they affirmed this idea when they demolished AS Roma 4-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final. Nobody thought the team capable of losing a three goal advantage against Roma.
Although Roma wasn’t a bad team, Barcelona looked so much stronger. However, the second leg of this quarter-final turned into a nightmare for the Spanish team. It started with a quick goal from Edin Dzeko in the 6th minute.
The second goal came after the referee awarded Roma with a penalty in the second half. Roma’s third goal, which knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League season came in the 82nd minute. This game is remembered as one of Barcelona’s worst performances in modern history.
4. AS Monaco vs Real Madrid – UEFA Champions League (2004)
In the early 2000s, the Real Madrid squad was known as the “Galacticos” because it featured many brilliant players, including Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Raul, Roberto Carlos, and Luis Figo to name a few.
On paper, it was one of the best teams in football history. Naturally, many football fans thought they would absolutely destroy any team they played. So, when the team was drawn to play against AS Monaco in the 2003-04 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, people thought the result would be all too predictable.
In the first leg of the series, Real Madrid won 4-2, proving most football fans correct. It seemed like their ticket to the semi-final had already been stamped.
The second leg started in the way that many pundits thought it would go. Real Madrid scored the first goal, which meant Monaco would need to score 3 to qualify for the next round.
It took some time for Monaco to show up for the game. They scored one goal just before halftime and then another right after the break. The brace brought them back to life and they scored the third and final goal of the match in the 66th minute. Monaco held on strong to keep the score and defeat the Galacticos.
Many football fans could not believe that Real Madrid were eliminated by a French team that had finished 15th in Ligue 1 only two years prior. For this reason, it remains one of the greatest comebacks we have ever seen.
3. Barcelona vs PSG – UEFA Champions League (2017)
This fairly recent matchup is considered a crazy comeback for several reasons. In the first leg which was played at Le Parc des Princes in Paris, Barcelona lost by a humiliating score of 4-0.
PSG clearly dominated the game and Barcelona needed to score at least four goals to push the second leg into extra time. The second leg matchup at Camp Nou started well for Barcelona with Luis Suarez getting a goal in the third minute.
Before halftime, Barcelona had scored another goal, meaning they were only two goals away from qualification. In the 50th minute, Barcelona scored a third goal and the comeback seemed more possible than ever!
But the team’s hopes were nearly shattered when PSG managed to bring a goal back. A single successful strike almost put an end to the game.
This one goal meant that Barcelona needed to score three more goals (again!) It was almost like starting from zero.
In the 87th minute, the game was still 3-1. But, in the last seven minutes of the game, Barcelona managed to score three goals in what was one of the most insane performances in European football.
The only reason this comeback is not ranked higher is due to the fact that Barcelona didn’t win the Champions that year. In addition, there were some controversial calls by the referee.
2. Liverpool vs Barcelona – UEFA Champions League (2019)
Again, we find Barcelona on this list. This time, they are not the heroes of the story. Instead, they are on the losing end of a famous comeback in a Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.
The first leg was played at Camp Nou. It was a weird match because Barcelona didn’t control it but somehow still managed to win 3-0, with one goal coming from a beautiful free-kick taken by Messi.
In the second leg, Liverpool managed to score one goal before halftime. Wijnaldum scored two more goals, which means they were only one goal away from qualification!
In the last goal, Trent Alexander Arnold surprised the defense by taking the corner quickly. This helped Origi lose his markers in the box and score the goal that would lead Liverpool to qualify.
Liverpool would go on to win the final after this game. So, it was a crucial game in determining the winners of the league.
1. Liverpool vs AC Milan – UEFA Champions League Final (2005)
The context of this match is what makes it the best comeback of all. AC Milan started the final the way teams only dream of after scoring their first goal in the first minute of the game!
At halftime, they were up 3-0. This meant Liverpool needed three goals just to ensure the game headed to extra time. Rafael Benítez must be one hell of a motivational speaker as whatever he said to his team in these crucial moments worked.
Within six minutes of the second half kicking off, Liverpool scored three goals! Although there were still 30 minutes of the game to be played, the score was now equal.
No more goals were scored in regular time or extra time. This meant that this final would be decided by penalties. Liverpool won on penalties, which means they won the Champions League despite being down 3-0 at halftime!