No competition does comebacks quite like the Champions League. The feeling that a tie is never truly over is part of what makes elite European football so enthralling.

Arne Slot will be reminding his Liverpool team of this prior to Paris Saint-Germain’s visit to Anfield on Tuesday night. Yes, his side are 2-0 down after PSG’s dominant display at the Parc des Princes last week, but they’re not quite out yet.

With Liverpool hoping to mount a famous fightback against the Champions League holders tonight, Daily Mail Sport has looked back at the greatest comebacks in the history of the competition – a list in which the Reds feature prominently.

10. Sporting Lisbon vs Bodo/Glimt (Round of 16, 2025-26)

First leg: Bodo/Glimt 3-0 Sporting Libson

Second leg: Sporting Lisbon 5-0 Bodo Glimt (Sporting win 5-3 on agg)

Overturning a deficit of three goals or more in the second leg of a Champions League tie has only ever been managed by five teams in history.

Sporting Lisbon became the fifth side to achieved the remarkable feat last month after staging a superb turnaround at home against this season’s surprise package Bodo/Glimt.

The Norwegian club cruised to a shock 3-0 lead in the first leg to hand Rui Borges’ side a huge uphill task, but goals from Goncalo Inacio, Pedro Goncalves and Luis Suarez forced extra time at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.

With momentum fully behind them, Sporting struck twice again through Maximiliano Araujo and Rafael Nel in extra time to book a quarter-final clash with Arsenal, completing one of the most impressive comebacks in the competition’s history. 

Luis Suarez celebrates levelling the tie at 3-3 before Sporting went on to win in extra time

9. Real Madrid vs Manchester City (Semi-final, 2021-22) 

First leg: Man City 4-3 Real Madrid

Second leg: Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (Real win 6-5 on agg)

The English and Spanish giants have locked horns multiple times over the past few seasons, but no tie has been quite as enthralling as Real Madrid’s stunning comeback win at the Bernabeu in their 2022 semi-final.

Taking a 4-3 lead to the Spanish capital, Pep Guardiola’s looked sure to have booked their spot in the final when Riyad Mahrez netted on 73 minutes, handing City a two-goal advantage on aggregate.

But second-half substitute Rodrygo had other ideas. The Brazilian struck in both the 90th and 91st minute to put Madrid on level terms, before Karim Benzema scored a 95th-minute penalty to produce one of the most astonishing turnarounds ever seen.

The comeback proved vital as Real Madrid went on to beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final, before City finally ended their Champions League hoodoo by winning the competition the following season.

8. Manchester United vs PSG (Round of 16, 2018-19)

First leg: Man United 0-2 PSG

Second leg: PSG 1-3 Man United (3-3 on agg, Utd win on away goals)

While many of the comebacks on this list involve overturning larger deficits, this tie stands apart. Man United remain the only side to win a Champions League knockout tie after losing the first leg at home by a two-goal margin. 

Travelling to Paris after losing 2-0 at Old Trafford, United staged a miracle turnaround at the Parc des Princes under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who knew a thing or two about dramatic comebacks.

Romelu Lukaku’s second-minute goal was cancelled out by Juan Bernat’s equaliser for PSG nine minutes later, but the Belgian inspired hope again with his second on the half-hour mark.

Marcus Rashford completed the crazy fightback with a well-taken penalty deep into stoppage time, silencing the Parc des Princes and stunning Thomas Tuchel’s star-studded side as the Red Devils triumphed on away goals.

7. Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan (Quarter-final, 2003-04)

First leg: AC Milan 4-1 Deportivo La Coruna

Second leg: Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan (Deportivo win 5-4 on agg)

Few teams in world football boasted the talent of AC Milan in 2004. Kaka, Jaap Stam, Andriy Shevchenko, Clarence Seedorf, Paolo Maldini… the  team was practically littered with superstars.

And so, when Milan climbed to a 4-1 lead over Deportivo La Coruna in the 2004 quarter-final, everyone thought the tie was over. That is until the Spanish club staged one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history, scoring four goals and kept a clean sheet at home to stun Milan with a 5-4 victory on aggregate.

The bizarre Champions League season ended with Jose Mourinho’s Porto famously winning it all, after knocking Deportivo out in the semi-final.

6. Roma vs Barcelona (Quarter-final, 2017-18)

First leg: Barcelona 4-1 Roma

Second leg: Roma 3-0 Barcelona (4-4 on agg, Roma win on away goals)

After a 4-1 loss in Catalonia, Roma were faced with the near-impossible task of overturning a three-goal deficit against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona. And yet they somehow managed it.

The Italian giants staged a passionate and pulsating display at the Stadio Olimpico to harp back to Roma performances of old, with the club’s form having dipped in recent seasons ahead of the crunch European tie with Barcelona.

Edin Dzeko started the second-leg fightback in Rome with a sixth-minute goal before Daniele De Rossi converted from the penalty spot just before the hour mark.

Kostas Manolas gave Roma the advantage on away goals in the 82nd minute with a glancing header from a corner, and the Italian giants held on to Barcelona’s hearts and progress to the semi-finals.

Peter Drury encapsulated the magnitude of the comeback with one of the most iconic lines in commentary history, saying at full-time: ‘Roma have risen from their ruins. Manolas, the Greek God in Rome, the unthinkable unfolds before our eyes. This was not meant to happen. This could not happen. This is happening.’

Kostas Manolas heads home to give Roma a 3-0 win on the night and a famous win over Barca

5. Manchester United vs Bayern Munich (Final, 1998-99) 

Man United 2-1 Bayern Munich 

It may not be a huge two-legged comeback, but Manchester United’s dramatic 1999 Treble-winning Champions League final simply has to make this list.

Mario Basler’s early free-kick for the German giants put Sir Alex Ferguson’s side right up against it in the showpiece final, but two inspired substitutions from the Red Devils boss dramatically turned the tide.

Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench to score in the 91st and 93rd minutes respectively, securing Man United their second of three Champions League titles. 

There will be many out there claiming that this comeback – arguably the greatest in Manchester United’s rich history – should be far higher on the list.

But given it was only a one-goal turnaround and not a two-legged tie, we’re comfortable placing it at No 5, especially with the even more extraordinary comebacks ranked above it.

4. Ajax vs Tottenham (Semi-final, 2018-19)

First leg: Tottenham 0-1 Ajax

Second leg: Ajax 2-3 Tottenham (3-3, Spurs win on away goals)

The 2018-19 Champions League brought some of the most entertaining contests in football history, and Tottenham’s last-gasp victory over Ajax was certainly among them.

Trailing by a goal heading into the away leg in Amsterdam, Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham had it all to do against an impressive Ajax side, which boasted a talented young core of Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Hakim Ziyech.

Their tricky task was made even harder when De Ligt and Ziyech scored to put Ajax 3-0 ahead on aggregate, threatening to run away with the semi-final.

With Spurs refusing to give up, Lucas Moura struck twice in four minutes just before the hour mark to present Tottenham with a glimmer of hope, although Ajax stood firm with time on their side.

Producing a moment of pure madness and delirium with almost the last kick of the game, Moura wriggled free inside the penalty area and completed his hat-trick with a left-footed strike in the 96th minute, firing Tottenham into the final with one of the most incredible comebacks ever witnessed. 

3. Liverpool vs AC Milan (Final, 2004-05) 

AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (AET, Liverpool win 3-2 on penalties)

Istanbul will forever hold a place deep in the hearts of Liverpool fans. 

After Maldini’s first-minute opener and Hernan Crespo’s brace before the break, the 2005 Champions League final was all but over at half-time. Milan were not only one of the most formidable teams in the world, they also had a 3-0 lead over Liverpool heading into the second half.

But Rafa Benitez’s Reds came out in the second half refusing to stand down, and a remarkable six-minute spell before the hour saw them draw level through goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso.

While Steven Gerrard, who won the penalty that led to Alonso’s equaliser, was the standout performer in the second half, goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek proved the hero in the dramatic shootout, his controversial goal-line antics helping force Milan to miss three decisive spot-kicks.

The remarkable comeback in Istanbul fired Liverpool to their fifth European title and produced, by far, their most memorable final. 

2. Liverpool vs Barcelona (Semi-final, 2018-19) 

First leg: Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool

Second leg: Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (4-3 on agg)

Liverpool have had plenty of magical nights in the Champions League but overturning a 3-0 deficit to Barcelona at Anfield in 2019 is probably the pick of the bunch.

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi put Liverpool to the sword at the Nou Camp and travelled to Anfield with a Barcelona side brimming with confidence after such a dominant display in the first leg.

But it didn’t take long for Anfield to create a thunderous, deafening atmosphere to put the Catalans on the back foot. Divock Origi netted inside seven minutes to inspire Liverpool fans before two quickfire goals from Georginio Wijnaldum pulled Jurgen Klopp’s men level early in the second half.

But Liverpool were hungry for more. After an inventive piece of brilliance from Trent Alexander-Arnold in taking a Liverpool corner quickly, Origi stunned Barcelona again with what proved to be the winner in the 79th minute, dumping Messi and Co out of the competition.

The dramatic comeback proved as important as their 2005 heroics in Istanbul, as Klopp’s Liverpool went on to beat Tottenham in the final later that season.

Divock Origi (right) celebrates after a moment of brilliance from Trent Alexander-Arnold

1. Barcelona vs PSG (Round of 16, 2016-17) 

First leg: PSG 4-0 Barcelona

Second leg: Barcelona 6-1 PSG (Barcelona win 6-5 on agg)

OK, so it wasn’t a final. And yes, they did not go on to win the Champions League that season. But surely Barcelona’s 6-1 comeback against PSG in 2017 has to go down as the greatest ever?

After getting thumped 4-0 by the French giants at the Parc des Princes in the first leg, Barcelona produced the most remarkable turnaround in Champions League history, inspired by the majestic trio of Suarez, Messi and Neymar. 

Through Suarez, an own goal by Layvin Kurzawa and Messi, Barcelona fought back to 4-3 at half-time in the second leg, before hope faded again following a PSG goal by Edinson Cavani on the hour.

With time rapidly running away from the Spanish giants, Barcelona needed three goals in just two minutes plus stoppage time to advance, given PSG would win on away goals with the scores level.

Remarkably, Neymar netted twice in quick succession – first with an 88th-minute free-kick and then a 90th-minute penalty – to put Barcelona within touching distance of victory, leaving the football world holding its breath. 

Unlikely goalscorer Sergi Roberto penned his name into Barcelona’s history books with a 95th-minute stoppage time winner to lift the lid off the Nou Camp, producing an astonishing comeback – the likes of which we’ll probably never see again.