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The UEFA Champions League is the premier event of European club football. Formerly called the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League has been graced by 141 different clubs from 33 different UEFA member associations.
Real Madrid (13) lead a group of 22 clubs to have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League. 18 other clubs have reached the final of the competition, without managing to lay their hands on the trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo (127) and Lionel Messi (113) are the only players in the tournament's history to have scored over 100 goals. The duo also has the most hat-tricks (eight) of any player in the competition.
Over the years, the Champions League has been witness to many epic comebacks by teams seemingly teetering on the brink of defeat. On Matchday 4 of the ongoing 2019-20 season, Chelsea and Ajax produced only the fourth 4-4 draw in the Champions League, after the English side were 4-1 down in the game with little over half an hour to go.
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Let us have a look at 5 of the greatest comebacks in the history of the competition, when teams have bounced back from the brink of elimination or defeat.
#5 Manchester United - 2 Bayern Munich - 1, 1999 final
Chasing their first Champions League/European Cup title in over three decades, Manchester United conceded an early goal against Bayern Munich to trail for large swathes of the 1999 final in Barcelona.
Bayern failed to put the tie to bed with a second ball, and stood to massively rue their profligacy.
Still trailing in the scoreline as the final entered injury time, United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was in the Bayern box as United took a corner. The inswinging delivery from Beckham eluded the leaping Schmeichel but found Giggs, whose right footed effort was turned goalwards by Teddy Sheringham to restore parity.
Moments later United had another corner. This time goalscorer turned provider as Sheringham's knock-down was toe-poked by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to spark wild celebrations in the United camp and leave Bayern shell-shocked.
#4 Liverpool - 4 Barcelona - 0 (Aggregate: Liverpool - 4 Barcelona - 3), 2018-19 semifinal
Trailing 0-3 from the first leg of their semifinal away at Barcelona, Liverpool were shorn of their two potent attacking threats Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino in the second leg.
Undeterred by the duo's absence, Divock Origi's first half goal gave the home side a 1-0 lead at halftime as Liverpool trailed 1-3 on aggregate. A quickfire second-half double from Georginio Wijnaldum brought Liverpool parity in the tie.
Origi completed the comeback 11 minutes from time to seal a memorable 4-3 win which put the Anfield club into a second consecutive Champions League final, where they would go on to win their sixth title in the competition.
Anfield had been the scene of many a memorable European night but there wouldn't be too many sweeter than this one, as Liverpool completed an unlikely comeback against tall odds to usurp their formidable Spanish visitors.
#3 Barcelona - 6 PSG - 1 (Aggregate: Barcelona - 6 PSG - 5), 2016-17 Round of 16
Following a humbling 0-4 first leg reverse in the French capital, few would have given Barcelona much chance of a comeback on home turf against Paris St. Germain. No side in the competition had ever turned a four-goal first-leg deficit.
Barcelona led through most of the first half courtesy Luiz Suarez's fourth minute opener. Layvin Kurzawa put through his own net five minutes from the break as the home side reduced the arrears in half. A Lionel Messi penalty early into the second half put the cat among the pigeons as Barcelona moved to within a goal of a stunning turnaround.
Edinson Cavani calmed the frayed nerves of the visitors by netting what seemed to be a priceless away goal at the hour mark. The home side now needed another three goals to avoid elimination.
PSG held on till the 88th minute when Neymar scored Barcelona's 4th of the game, and the home side entered injury time needing two goals to complete the comeback. Neymar scored a penalty and in a stunning finish to the game, Sergi Roberto netted with virtually the last kick of the game as PSG were left shell-shocked.
It marked the first time any side had successfully recovered from a four-goal deficit in the Champions League and only the fourth time ever in any European club competition barring qualifiers.
#2 Deportivo - 4 AC Milan - 0 (Aggregate: Deportivo - 5 AC Milan - 4), 2003-04 quarterfinal
A dominant AC Milan side coasted to a comfortable 4-1 first leg home win in their 2003-04 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie against Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna.
Deportivo were up against it as no side had ever mounted a comeback from three goals down in the competition before.
After Milan spurned an early opportunity to put the tie to bed, a revitalized Deportivo opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Walter Pandiani. Late first half goals from Juan Carlos Valerón and Albert Luque wiped out Milan's aggregate lead as Deportivo began to dream of an unlikely comeback.
Fran made it a night to remember at the Riazor when the Spanish midfielder scored the home side's fourth unanswered goal of the second leg in the 76th minute to complete a stunning 4-3 aggregate victory.
#1 Liverpool - 3 AC Milan - 3 (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties), 2004-05 final
2003 winners AC Milan looked on course for their seventh UEFA Champions League title when Paolo Maldini scored a rare right-footed goal in the opening minute of the 2004-05 final against Liverpool in Istanbul.
It was the Italian centre-back's first goal in the competition in 11 years, and only the third overall, as Maldini recorded the fastest goal in a Champions League final.
Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo then netted twice in the space of five minutes as Milan went to the break with a commanding 3-0 advantage.
A resurgent Liverpool replied with three goals in the space of six second-half minutes as Steven Gerrard (53rd minute), Vladimir Smicer (56th minute) and Xabi Alonso's penalty at the hour-mark cancelled out Milan's three-goal advantage. Liverpool's custodian Jerzy Dudek pulled off two spectacular point-blank range saves in extra-time to deny Milan forward Andriy Shevchenko as a penalty shootout ensued.
Dudek was not done for the night though. The Polish keeper repelled efforts from Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko as Liverpool celebrated one of the greatest comebacks in their history en route to their 5th title in the competition.
