What is the biggest comeback in Champions League knockout history?
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What is the biggest comeback in Champions League knockout history? The answer is Barcelona's extraordinary 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2016/17 round of 16. After suffering a 4-0 defeat in the first leg in Paris, Barcelona produced one of the most dramatic nights in European football history to win 6-5 on aggregate.
Barcelona's comeback remains the biggest first-leg deficit ever overturned in the UEFA Champions League. No other team has recovered from four goals down after the opening match of a Champions League knockout tie.
The comeback was even more remarkable because Barcelona needed six goals at Camp Nou after PSG had scored four without reply in the first leg. Neymar played a decisive role late in the match before Sergi Roberto scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of added time.
| Comeback | First Leg | Second Leg | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona vs PSG | PSG 4-0 Barcelona | Barcelona 6-1 PSG | Barcelona 6-5 PSG |
| Deportivo La Coruña vs AC Milan | AC Milan 4-1 Deportivo | Deportivo 4-0 AC Milan | Deportivo 5-4 AC Milan |
| Roma vs Barcelona | Barcelona 4-1 Roma | Roma 3-0 Barcelona | Roma 4-4 Barcelona |
| Liverpool vs Barcelona | Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool | Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona | Liverpool 4-3 Barcelona |
| Bayern Munich vs Porto | Porto 3-1 Bayern | Bayern 6-1 Porto | Bayern 7-4 Porto |
BARCELONA'S RECORD COMEBACK AGAINST PSG
The biggest comeback in Champions League knockout history took place on 8 March 2017 at Camp Nou.
Paris Saint-Germain had won the first leg 4-0 at the Parc des Princes, with Ángel Di María scoring twice and Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani also finding the net. Barcelona therefore faced an almost impossible task in the return match.
Luis Suárez gave Barcelona hope when he scored in the third minute. Layvin Kurzawa then scored an own goal before Lionel Messi converted a penalty early in the second half to make it 3-0.
The situation changed dramatically when Edinson Cavani scored for PSG in the 62nd minute. Barcelona now needed three more goals to progress.
Neymar became the hero of the final stages. He scored a free-kick in the 88th minute and then converted a penalty in the first minute of added time.
Barcelona needed one final goal to complete the comeback. In the fifth minute of added time, Neymar delivered the ball into the area and Sergi Roberto finished the move to give Barcelona a 6-1 victory.
The result sent Barcelona through 6-5 on aggregate and created the largest comeback from a first-leg deficit in Champions League history.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUÑA'S 2004 COMEBACK
Before Barcelona's historic comeback, Deportivo La Coruña had produced one of the greatest recoveries in Champions League history.
In the 2003/04 quarter-finals, AC Milan won the first leg 4-1 at San Siro. Deportivo therefore needed to win by at least three goals in the return match at the Riazor.
The Spanish club delivered exactly what was required, winning 4-0 and progressing 5-4 on aggregate.
Deportivo's comeback was the previous record for the largest first-leg deficit overturned in the Champions League era before Barcelona surpassed it in 2017.
The difference between the two comebacks was that Deportivo overturned a three-goal deficit, while Barcelona recovered from four goals down.
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ROMA'S COMEBACK AGAINST BARCELONA
Another unforgettable Champions League comeback came in the 2017/18 quarter-finals when Roma faced Barcelona.
Barcelona won the first leg 4-1 at Camp Nou, giving the Catalan club a seemingly comfortable three-goal advantage.
Roma completely changed the tie in the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico. Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas scored after an own goal had given Roma an early boost, and the Italian side completed a 3-0 victory.
The aggregate score finished 4-4, but Roma advanced because of the away-goals rule that applied at the time.
Roma's victory became one of the most famous Champions League comebacks and came just one year after Barcelona had produced their own historic turnaround against PSG.
LIVERPOOL'S ANFIELD COMEBACK
Liverpool produced another legendary Champions League comeback against Barcelona in the 2018/19 semi-finals.
Barcelona won the first leg 3-0 at Camp Nou, leaving Liverpool needing four goals at Anfield without conceding.
Divock Origi opened the scoring before half-time. Georginio Wijnaldum then scored twice shortly after the break, bringing Liverpool level on aggregate.
The decisive moment arrived when Trent Alexander-Arnold quickly took a corner and found Origi, who finished to make it 4-0 on the night.
Liverpool completed a 4-3 aggregate victory and reached the final, where they defeated Tottenham Hotspur to win the Champions League.
Although Liverpool's comeback was not as large as Barcelona's four-goal turnaround, it remains one of the most memorable knockout recoveries in the competition's history.
THE FINAL ANSWER
So, what is the biggest comeback in Champions League knockout history?
Barcelona's 2017 comeback against Paris Saint-Germain is the answer. PSG won the first leg 4-0, but Barcelona responded with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou to progress 6-5 on aggregate.
UEFA records the 4-0 deficit as the biggest first-leg losing margin ever overturned in the Champions League. Deportivo La Coruña's recovery from 4-1 against AC Milan, Roma's 4-1 turnaround against Barcelona and Liverpool's 3-0 comeback against Barcelona are also among the competition's greatest knockout comebacks.
However, Barcelona's 6-1 victory remains the benchmark. The combination of a four-goal deficit, six goals in the second leg and a last-minute winner makes the 2017 PSG comeback one of the defining moments in Champions League history.
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