Yet another unforgettable comeback!

Yet another unforgettable comeback!

PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Göteborg, Atlético Madrid... Just some of the teams that have been on the receiving end of epic blaugrana recoveries

'Comeback' is a word that has featured prominently in the FC Barcelona lexicon of late, and Tuesday at the Estadio Da Luz in Lisbon brought one of the most incredible of all, as the team bounced back from 4-2 down with less than a quarter of an hour to go on to eventually win 5-4. A game that will go down in the annals of blaugrana history.

In fact, it was the first time ever that Barça had won a Champions League game in which they had been trailing by two goals, and it was also only the second time in the history of the competition that a team had won despite conceding four goals. 

The mother of all comebacks

Of course, when it comes to comebacks, there is surely none to compare with that extraordinary night against Paris St Germain in 2016/17. After losing 4-0 in the French capital, Barça then won 6-1 in the return fixture, an achievement so magnificent that the Spanish word for comeback, remontada, was entered in the French dictionary. 


Sergi Roberto
's goal in the final seconds of injury time is now part of Barça folklore, and for good reason. No team had ever managed to reverse a four-goal deficit in the competition's history. And no team has ever done so since. 

Milan stunned

There had been another amazing Champions League comeback in 2012/13, the season when Tito Vilanova was in charge. Barça had lost 2-0 to AC Milan at the San Siro, but goals from Leo Messi (2), David Villa and Jordi Alba turned things around in the Catalan capital. 

Chelsea twice

Chelsea is another name that immediately springs to mind when remembering Barça's most magical experiences in Europe. Who could forget Stamford Bridge? Barça were heading out of the 2008/09 edition, after Josep Guardiola had so brilliantly guided the team into the semi-finals. Then up stepped Andres Iniesta, and the rest is history. 

But there had been a similarly awesome night against the Londoners in 1999/00 under Louis van Gaal. After losing the first leg 3-1 in England, Rivaldo and Luis Figo levelled the tie with two early goals. Then Chelsea scored and it looked like curtains. Dani Garcia had other plans. His goal sent the game into extra time, and Rivaldo and Kluivert then finished off a remarkable job. 

Göteborg amd Kaiserslautern

Going back much further in time, Göteborg and Kaiserslautern also ended up clinching defeat from the jaws of victory when playing Barça. In the 1986 semi-finals, Barça needed to do something about a 3-0 defeat in Sweden. Pichi Alonso was the hero with a hat-trick to take the game to penalties, and Barça won the shootout.

And with Johan Cruyff as coach, the game with Kaiserslautern was another spectacular occasion. Barça were on their way out, but a Jose Mari Bakero goal in the very last minute turned the game on its head. 


Magic of the cup

In the Copa del Rey, 12 March 1997 was the day of a jaw-dropping comeback against Atlético Madrid. Having drawn at the Calderón, where the red and whites played in those days, the Catalans went 4-2 down at home. But a recovery culminated by Juan Antonio Pizzi meant Barça were through to the final, which they would go on to win. 


More recently, there were the 2020/21 antics away to Granada. It looked all over with just two minutes to go and Ronald Koeman's side trailing 2-0. But last gasp goals from Antoine Griezmann and Jordi Alba tied the game, and following all kinds of drama in extra time, Barça eventually won 5-3. 

Some tremendous memories there, and Tuesday's 5-4 win over Benfica is sure to be cherished just as much in future years!

Força Barça
Força Barça

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