UCL Liverpool’s greatest comebacks in Europe as they target another against Real Madrid

Liverpool will be looking to do the impossible tonight when they take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Liverpool face a monumental task tonight as they take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash. 

Jurgen Klopp’s men are up against it on Wednesday night after losing the first leg at home 5-2. The Reds need to win by a four-goal margin at the home ground of the most successful club in the competition to qualify. 

It means The Reds have an almost impossible task and will need a miracle to qualify. However, Liverpool are known for doing the impossible, having been involved in some of the greatest comebacks in European club football history. 

Pulse Sports takes a look at some of Liverpool’s famous comebacks in Europe.

Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund (2016 Europa League quarter-final) 

Liverpool went into this game against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield, having played a 1-1 draw at Signal Iduna Park in the first leg. 

However, they got off to a bad start as goals from  Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put Dortmund two ahead and 3-1 up on aggregate inside the opening ten minutes. 

Dortmund went into the break with a two-goal lead, but Liverpool pulled one back immediately after the break through Divock Origi.

But just as it looked like Liverpool were alive, Marco Reus’ strike in the 57th minute restored Dortmund’s two-goal lead and put the German side 4-2 up on aggregate. 

Liverpool did not give up, though, as Coutinho pulled one back in the 66th minute before Sakho restored parity with 13 minutes left. 

However, Liverpool still needed a goal as the away goals rule was still in place then. It looked like Liverpool’s adventure in Europe would end until Dejan Lovren popped up in added time to head home a James Milner cross, sending the Anfield crowd into ecstasy. 

Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos (2005 UEFA Champions League group stage) 

Everything was on the line when Liverpool hosted Olympiacos in their final group stage match of the 2004/2005 Champions League season. 

Jurgen Klopp sends warning to Real Madrid ahead of Bernabeu showdown

Liverpool needed to win by two clear goals to progress to the next stage, but things got more difficult after Rivaldo put the Greeks ahead in the 26th minute. 

However, just like the game against Dortmund, a youngster introduced after the break (Florent Sinama Pongolle) restored parity for Rafael Benitez’s men before Neil Mellor made it 2-1 with ten minutes left. 

Still, Liverpool needed one more goal to book their place in the next round. It looked to be slipping away until Steven Gerrard fired in a superb half-volley from the edge of the box in the dying minutes, sending Anfield wild. 

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (2019 Champions League semi-final) 

This is one of the greatest comebacks in football history. The odds were stacked against Liverpool going into their Champions League semi-final clash against Barcelona in 2019. 

Liverpool had 3-0 at Camp Nou and were without Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino for the return leg at Anfield. 

Nonetheless, they still believed, with Salah spotting a “Never give up” t-shirt as a sign of things to come. 

Liverpool got off the blocks quickly as Divock Origi put them ahead inside the opening seven minutes. 

It stayed that way for the rest of the first half until Gini Wijnaldum made it two in the 54th minute. The Dutch international then scored his second and Liverpool’s third, heading home from Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross. 

The miraculous comeback was completed in the 79th minute as Origi scored from close range after a clever play from Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

Liverpool went on to deservedly win the Champions League that year, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. 

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (2005 Champions League final) 

The 2005 Champions League final is arguably the best European cup final in the 21st century and possibly overall. 

Liverpool were the underdogs against a world-class AC Milan side. It did show as Milan took the lead after just 60 seconds through their captain Paolo Maldini. 

It was the worst possible start for Liverpool against an AC Milan side that had Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf. 

Benitez’s men had no answer to AC Milan’s quality as they doubled their lead through Crespo in the 39th minute. Five minutes later, it was 3-0 as Crespo finished off a wonderful through ball from Kaka with a brilliant chip over Jerzy Dudek. 

The game was over at half-time, with AC Milan in the driving seat. However, that was not the case as Liverpool refused to give up. 

The Reds pulled one back in the 54th minute through a superb header from Steven Gerrard, whose goal against Olympiacos in the group stage started their run to the final. 

Two minutes later, Vladimir Smicer fired in a low drive to reduce the deficit to one, raising Liverpool’s belief. 

The comeback was somehow completed miraculously as Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Gennaro Gattuso pulled down Gerrard in the box. 

Xabi Alonso stepped up to take the penalty. The Spaniard missed initially but got quickly to the rebound to send Liverpool fans at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul crazy. 

The equaliser left Milan in disbelief, but they almost restored their lead if not for the timely intervention of Djimi Traore. 

The game went into extra time, where Milan had a glorious chance to take the lead again. But somehow Shevchenko had two goal-bound shots saved by Dudek in split seconds. 

It was at that moment Liverpool believed the night was theirs, and it was indeed as they went on to win the penalty shootout to complete one of the greatest comebacks of all time in Champions League history. 

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