The greatest comebacks in the history of the UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is soccer's biggest club competition, and since its 1992 inauguration, it has offered fans a wide range of unforgettable fixtures.

The most thrilling matches typically take place during the knockout rounds each season, as this is where the pressure and stakes are at their highest.

Huge goalfests have been common in the latter stages, and last-minute strikes have frequently changed the outcome of ties, however here we will focus on the greatest comebacks in UCL history.

There is nothing more impressive than a team coming back to achieve victory, despite the odds being firmly stacked against them.

Liverpool vs AC Milan 2005 Final

The greatest-ever UCL final comeback was performed by six-time winners, Liverpool FC, who could potentially win a seventh trophy this season.

Liverpool are offered at 10/1 in betting UK to lift the 2024/25 trophy in Munich, as they will aim to create more European history, but will know nothing could ever compare to the miracle they performed in Istanbul in 2005. Paddy Power's betting calculator can be used to understand the potential returns from predicting the fortunes of the Reds in Europe this season.

The English club's greatest night came in Turkey in 2005 where they faced a star-studded AC Milan side. Liverpool found themselves three goals down at half-time at the Ataturk Stadium and seemingly out of the contest. Miraculously, they fought back inside the first 15 minutes of the second half to draw level – with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool were resilient for the remainder of the second half and extra time, and after various goalline blocks earned a ticket for the lottery of a penalty shootout. The Reds succeeded 3-2 in the tiebreaker and completed a fightback that will probably never be matched in a UCL final again.

Barcelona vs Paris Saint Germain 2016/17

Barcelona completed a comeback against Paris Saint Germain in the 2o16/17 round of 16 that represented the first and only time that a team has overcome a four-goal deficit in the competition.

The Catalan side won 6-1 at Camp Nou to ensure PSG's 4-0 first-leg lead was overturned. The most extraordinary factor of the comeback was that three of the goals came after the 87th minute of the fixture. A quick-fire Neymar Jr freekick and penalty double was followed up by a last-gasp winner from Sergi Roberto.

Like 2004/05 Liverpool, the Barcelona team that night put up a unique showing that will likely never be repeated by any team of the future.

Ajax vs Tottenham Hotspur 2018/19

Tottenham Hotspur completed a different style of unique comeback victory against Ajax in the 2018/19 semi-final. The London side trailed by three goals on aggregate at the halfway point of the second leg away in Amsterdam.

Lucas Moura stepped up with a brace before the hour mark to make up for the injury absence of talisman Harry Kane. The remainder of the game was incredibly tense, but the Brazilian eventually got another chance in the dying moments of the game, via which he completed his hat trick and sent Spurs through on away goals.

Tottenham's unbelievable feat will categorically never be replicated, as the away goals ruling has now been abolished.

The UCL has ultimately been graced with all sorts of incredible comeback victories throughout its decades of existence. Fans could endlessly debate which is the outright greatest of all time from the trio mentioned here, but one thing is for sure – they stand above all of the other memorable fightbacks in European history.