The 10 Most Memorable UCL KO Stage Comebacks In The Last 10 Seasons

FootballBias looks at The 10 Most Memorable UCL KO Stage Comebacks In The Last 10 Seasons

The Champions League knockout stages have long been the theater where logic goes to die. In this arena, tactical setups and domestic form are often rendered irrelevant by the sheer weight of momentum and the suffocating pressure of the bright lights. Over the last decade, we have witnessed a shift in the very nature of the competition; a two-goal lead is no longer a cushion, and a three-goal lead is merely a dare. From the historic nights at the Camp Nou and Anfield to the recent miracle in Bergamo, these are ten matches that redefined what is possible on a football pitch.

FC Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (2016/17)

The story of the modern comeback begins with La Remontada. When Barcelona stepped onto the pitch for the second leg in March 2017, they were carrying the corpse of a 4-0 first-leg defeat in Paris. No team in the history of the competition had ever overturned such a deficit. The atmosphere was a mix of blind faith and a sense of a closing era. By the 50th minute, Lionel Messi’s penalty had put Barça 3-0 up, and the impossible felt tangible. However, Edinson Cavani’s away goal shortly after seemed to be the final nail, requiring Barcelona to score three more. What followed was seven minutes of pure, unadulterated sporting delirium. Neymar took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring a free kick in the 88th minute and a penalty in the 91st. Then, with the final kick of the game in the 95th minute, Sergi Roberto lunged onto a lofted ball to send the Camp Nou into a literal earthquake. It remains the gold standard for the “never say die” spirit of the tournament.

AS Roma 3-0 FC Barcelona (2017/18)

Just a year after being the architects of the greatest comeback, Barcelona found themselves on the receiving end of a Roman uprising. Trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Roma welcomed the Catalan giants to the Stadio Olimpico with little more than pride to play for—or so the world thought. Edin Džeko’s early goal provided a flicker of hope, and when Daniele De Rossi converted a penalty after the break, the tension in the ancient city became unbearable. Barcelona, usually so composed, looked haunted by the ghosts of their own previous miracles. In the 82nd minute, Kostas Manolas flicked a header across the face of goal and into the far corner. The “Greek God in Rome” had ended Barcelona’s European dreams on away goals, proving that even the giants of the game are susceptible to the psychological crumbling that defines these knockout ties.

Liverpool 4-0 FC Barcelona (2018/19)

If Roma cracked the foundation of Barcelona’s invincibility, Liverpool completely demolished it. Lionel Messi had produced a masterclass in the first leg to give Barça a 3-0 lead, and with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino ruled out for the return leg at Anfield, the task for Jurgen Klopp’s men was deemed insurmountable. Yet, Anfield has a way of warping reality. Divock Origi’s early strike set the tone, but it was the introduction of Georginio Wijnaldum at half-time that turned the tide. Two goals in two minutes from the Dutchman leveled the aggregate score, leaving Barcelona paralyzed. The winning moment came from a piece of pure instinct; Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick corner caught the entire Barcelona defense looking the other way, allowing Origi to sweep home. It was a victory of collective will over individual genius.

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur (2018/19)

The 2018/19 season refused to let Liverpool have the final word on drama. The following night in Amsterdam, a young, vibrant Ajax side held a 1-0 first-leg lead and quickly went 2-0 up on the night. By half-time, they led 3-0 on aggregate, and the “Total Football” revival looked destined for the final. Enter Lucas Moura. The Brazilian produced a second-half performance for the ages, scoring twice in quick succession to leave Spurs one goal away from glory. As the clock ticked into the 96th minute, a desperate long ball found Dele Alli, who flicked it into the path of Moura. His low finish into the corner triggered a collapse of Ajax players and a flood of tears from Mauricio Pochettino. It was a reminder that in this competition, the final whistle is the only thing that matters.

Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Manchester United (2018/19)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United were written off before they even traveled to the Parc des Princes. No team had ever progressed after losing the first leg at home by two goals, and United were missing ten first-team players through injury. Two Romelu Lukaku goals kept the flame alive, but as the match entered stoppage time, PSG still held the aggregate lead. Then came the intervention of VAR. A shot from Diogo Dalot struck Presnel Kimpembe’s arm, and after a lengthy review, a penalty was awarded. A young Marcus Rashford, having never taken a competitive penalty for United, stepped up and smashed it past Gianluigi Buffon. It was a heist of the highest order, leaving the Parisian faithful in a state of familiar, agonizing shock.

Real Madrid 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain (2021/22)

The 2021/22 season was defined by Real Madrid’s refusal to accept defeat. It began in the Round of 16 against a PSG side featuring Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé. Leading 1-0 from the first leg and 1-0 on the night thanks to Mbappé, PSG looked comfortably in control at the Bernabéu. However, a lapse in concentration from Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed Karim Benzema to pull one back. Suddenly, the stadium transformed into a pressure cooker. Benzema scored again in the 76th minute, and before PSG could even restart the game properly, he completed a 17-minute hat-trick. The Parisians didn’t just lose the lead; they suffered a total systemic failure in the face of the Madrid mystique.

Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City (2021/22)

If the PSG comeback was impressive, what happened in the semi-final against Manchester City was supernatural. Trailing 5-3 on aggregate in the 89th minute, Real Madrid did not have a single shot on target in the second leg. City fans were already booking flights to Paris. Then, Rodrygo happened. He poked home an equalizer in the 90th minute and headed in a second just 84 seconds later. The Bernabéu erupted, City froze, and the tie moved to extra time. Karim Benzema’s inevitable penalty completed the turnaround. It was a match that defied every statistical model, proving that momentum is a force of nature that no amount of tactical coaching can fully suppress.

Juventus 3-0 Atlético Madrid (2018/19)

Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid are built specifically to defend leads, making Juventus’ 2-0 first-leg deficit feel like a mountain. But Juventus had the ultimate knockout specialist in Cristiano Ronaldo. In a performance of singular dominance, Ronaldo dismantled the most stubborn defense in Europe. Two towering headers leveled the aggregate score before a late penalty completed his hat-trick. It was a clinical execution that reminded the world why certain players are bought for nine-figure sums: to make the impossible look like a formality.

Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Atlético Madrid (2023/24)

The Westfalenstadion provided the backdrop for a chaotic, end-to-end spectacle that saw the lead change hands emotionally multiple times. After losing 2-1 in Madrid, Dortmund surged into a 2-0 lead on the night, only for an own goal and an Angel Correa strike to put Atlético back in the driver’s seat. The “Yellow Wall” refused to go quiet, and within a three-minute span, Niclas Füllkrug and Marcel Sabitzer struck to flip the tie once again. The sheer intensity of the Dortmund press overwhelmed an experienced Atlético side, proving that the atmosphere of a stadium can still be a deciding factor in elite sport.

Atalanta 4-1 Borussia Dortmund (2025/26)

The most recent addition to this pantheon occurred just last night in Bergamo. Atalanta returned home trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Germany, but the New Balance Arena was a cauldron from the first whistle. Even when Karim Adeyemi scored for Dortmund in the 75th minute to seemingly kill the tie, Atalanta’s belief never wavered.

They pushed forward with a reckless, beautiful abandon, scoring twice in five minutes to set up a grandstand finish. In the 98th minute, after a grueling VAR check for a handball, Lazar Samardžić stepped up. His conversion wasn’t just a goal; it was the latest chapter in a decade defined by the rejection of the status quo.

The Champions League continues to prove that no lead is safe, and no deficit is final. As long as there is time on the clock, there is a chance for immortality.