Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid give Arsenal glimmer hope of hope for miracle in our best-ever Champions League comebacks
IT’S difficult to see a way back for Arsenal against Bayern Munich.
The Germans ran riot in the second-half against the Gunners to net four times and take a 5-1 lead to the Emirates.
Is there any hope for Arsene Wenger’s men? Anything they can cling to?
Well, no team has ever overturned a four-goal deficit in Champions League history.
But perhaps these classic comebacks will give the Gunners fans the slightest of hope.
Final, 1998-99
Manchester United 2 Bayern Munich 1
BOTH were vying for the first Treble in their history.
And the Germans dominated proceedings in Barcelona.
Mario Basler opened the scoring on six minutes and after that it was one-way traffic — but Bayern couldn’t find that second goal.
With 90 minutes up, Teddy Sheringham equalised for United, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed the turnaround a minute later.
Quarter-finals, 1999-2000
Chelsea 3 Barcelona 1
Barcelona 5 Chelsea 1
BEFORE the days of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea were not major European players.
Goals from Gianfranco Zola and a Tore Andre Flo saw the Blues race into a 3-0 lead, before Luis Figo gave Barcelona something to take back to the Nou Camp.
And the return at the Nou Camp turned out to be the first of many classics between these two sides.
Chelsea were seven minutes from going through after Flo had pulled one back following first half strikes from Rivaldo and Figo.
However, Dani Garcia sent the tie to Extra Time — and first Rivaldo then Patrick Kluivert netted to put Louis van Gaal’s men through.
Celestine Babyaro picked up a late red card for the Blues.
Quarter-finals, 2003-04
Milan 4 Deportivo 1
Deportivo 4 Milan 0
THE biggest Champions League comeback of all time.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men were the holders — and had even strengthened with the signing of a certain Kaka — when they took their seemingly insurmountable lead to the Riazor.
However, Deportivo still believed — and were incredibly ahead on away goals by half-time.
Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Alberto Luque all netted in a sensational half of football.
Before Fran added a fourth for good measure.
However, they scored no goals over two legs in the semi-finals to bow out to eventual winners, Porto.
Quarter-finals, 2003-04
Real Madrid 4 Monaco 2
Monaco 3 Real Madrid 1
ZINEDINE ZIDANE, Raul, Ronaldo, Figo and David Beckham against Monaco.
It’s a no-contest, right?
Well, it appeared to be after the French side were taken apart 4-2 in Madrid.
But, they caused one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history as they knocked the Spanish giants out.
Eve more remarkably, Fernando Morientes — who was on loan from Real Madrid — was the catalyst for Monaco.
The Spanish striker would be the competition’s top scorer as the French side were surprise finalists.
Final, 2004-05
Milan 3 Liverpool 3, 2-3 pens
RAFA BENITEZ — who just a year earlier had won the Uefa Cup with Valencia — took Liverpool to their first European Cup final in 20 years.
After controversially overcoming Chelsea in the semi-finals, only Ancelotti’s great AC Milan team stood in their way.
And the Italians showed why they were considered one of the all-time greats as they raced into a 3-0 lead by half-time.
But, a remarkable turnaround — which saw Liverpool score three times in six minutes — meant the game was level.
Jerzy Dudek’s heroics ensured no more goals were scored in Extra Time.
And, as they always do, Liverpool prevailed in the shootout.
Last-16, 2011-12
Napoli 3 Chelsea 1
Chelsea 4 Napoli 1 AET
EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI struck either side of Edinson Cavani’s goal to put Napoli pole position to reach the quarter-finals.
Come the return leg, and Andre Villa-Boas had been replaced by Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea boss.
And things were a little bit different.
Goals from Didier Drogba, John Terry put the Blues ahead on aggregate before Gokhan Inler got an away goal.
Frank Lampard‘s penalty sent this incredible match to extra-time.
And Branislav Ivanovic completed the comeback just before the interval.
Last-16, 2012-13
Milan 2 Barcelona 0
Barcelona 4 Milan 0
BARCELONA — who else? — became the first team to overturn a two-goal deficit without the security of an away goal.
Goals from former Portsmouth stars Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari gave Milan a healthy lead to take to the Nou Camp.
But this just shows you can never count this side out.
But Lionel Messi had wiped it out by half-time with two goals.
Before David Villa gave Barca the lead midway through the second half — and Jordi Alba completed the comeback in stoppage time.
They would eventually lose 7-0 in aggregate in the semi-finals against Bayern.
Last-16, 2013-14
Olympiakos 2 Manchester United 0
Manchester United 3 Olympiakos 0
THE undoubted high-point of the David Moyes era at Old Trafford.
United produced one of their poorest performances in recent memory as Alejandro Dominguez and on-loan Arsenal man Joel Campbell condemned the Red Devils to defeat in Greece.
It looked, in actual fact, to be the lowest point in the Scot’s Old Trafford tenure.
But Robin van Persie inspired their best European comeback in 30 years.
The Dutchman netted a superb hat-trick as United went through to the quarter-finals.
Bayern lay in wait in the next round and would beat the Red Devils 4-2 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals, 2013-14
Paris Saint-Germain 3 Chelsea 1
Chelsea 2 Paris Saint-Germain 0
JOSE MOURINHO’S men were shocking in France.
Eden Hazard’s penalty had given the Blues something to cling on to in Paris — but a last-gasp Javier Pastore goal appeared to put the tie out of reach.
Lavezzi and and a David Luiz own goal either side of the Belgian’s spot-kick had already given the Ligue 1 side an advantage in the first leg.
But Mourinho’s men produced a fantastic comeback in front of a rocking Stamford Bridge.
Andre Schurrle opened the scoring after 32 minutes.
And substitute Demba Ba sent Chelsea through with an 87th minute winner.
Quarter-finals, 2014-15
Porto 3 Bayern Munich 1
Bayern Munich 6 Porto 1
REMARKABLY, there were reports Pep Guardiola could have lost his job after
a poor performance in Portugal.
Chelsea flop Ricardo Quaresma inspired Porto to a famous win — only for Bayern to storm back in Munich.
He netted twice inside ten minutes before Jackson Martinez hit a late third.,
The Germans were ahead on away goals within 22 minutes — and added another three before half-time.
Martinez pulled a goal back, but Xabi Alonso competed the rout with two minutes remaining.
Thiago Alcantara, Jerome Boateng, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller were also on the scoresheet.
Quarter-finals, 2015-16
Wolfsburg 2 Real Madrid 0
Real Madrid 3 Wolfsburg 0
RICARDO RODRIGUEZ’S penalty was soon followed by a goal from Maximilian Arnold goal to put the hosts in control.
The scores stayed the same and Wolfsburg looked clear favourites to reach the semi finals.
At the time, no one knew the significance of the defeat — but it was Real Madrid’s last for 40 matches.
The return was a Cristiano Ronaldo masterclass.
He netted all three to complete a marvellous comeback.
And, despite winning the competition, they would be his last in that campaign.