17.04.2024 - 23:51 | source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 3 mins

Hope for Liverpool?

Barcelona, Olympiacos & Co.: The biggest comebacks in European Cup history

©TM/IMAGO

Jürgen Klopp’s goodbye tour from Liverpool has recently hit several roadblocks. First, there was the 0-3 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League and then a 0-1 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League. While Liverpool remain in the race to win the league title, the chances of winning the Europa League are now at best minimal. But Liverpool fans don’t have to look too far into the past to find a glimmer of hope.

Biggest European Cup comebacks after home defeats

UEFA Cup: Inter Milan – Bayern Munich 1-3 (First leg: 2-0)

Round of 16 1988/89

1/10

Champions League: PSG – Manchester United 1-3 (First leg: 2-0)

Round of 16 2018/19

2/10

UEFA Cup: Leeds United – Lierse SK 0-4 (First leg: 2-0)

1. Round 1971/72

3/10

UEFA Cup: Partizan Belgrade – Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-5 (First leg 2-0)

1. Round 2005/2006

4/10

UEFA Cup: Fiorentina – Grashopper Club 0-3 (First leg: 2-0)

1. Round 1998/99

5/10

UEFA Cup: Feyenoord – VfB Stuttgart 0-3 (First leg: 3-1)

1. Round 1998/99

6/10

European Cup: Benfica – Ajax 1-3 (First leg: 3-1)

Quarterfinals 1968/69 – Ajax won the third game 3-0

7/10

UEFA Cup: Karlsruher SC – Brøndby IF 0-5 (First leg: 3-1)

Round of 16 1996/97

8/10

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: FC Barcelona – FC Metz 1-4 (First leg: 4-2)

1. Round 1984/85 – Toni Kurbos scored three times in the second leg

9/10

Conference League: Maccabi Tel Aviv – Olympiacos 1-6 (Hinspiel 4-1)

Round of 16 2023/24

10/10

In the history of UEFA’s knockout club competitions, only nine teams have managed to overcome a deficit of two goals. One team even managed to overcome a three-goal deficit. We don’t have to go far back to find a recent example.

Olympiacos overturned a 1-4 deficit against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Conference League with a 6-1 after extra time to book a ticket for the quarterfinals. With the caveat that because of the situation in the Middle East, the game wasn’t played in Israel but in front of 350 spectators at the TSC Arena, home of Serbian first division side FK TSC Backa Topola.

Olympiacos managed biggest comeback – Liverpool know how to beat Atalanta

Liverpool won’t be in the same situation. They will face 15,000 fans at the sold-out Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. But perhaps Klopp’s side can draw some confidence that they were the cause of Atalanta’s highest-ever home defeat. In the 2020/21 Champions League season, Liverpool beat Atalanta 5-0 during the group stage of the competition. Diogo Jota scored a hat-trick that day. Since then, however, Atalanta have lost just once at home with a goal difference of three goals or more. That match was a 1-4 defeat to Roma in the fall of 2021. This season, Atalanta have lost three of 20 games across all competitions at home. All three defeats were a 1-2 result.

In their long European history, Liverpool have won nine away games with three goals or more. Although it isn’t likely that Liverpool will advance, the TM database reveals that there is grounds for hope. Turning around a 0-3 deficit in Bergamo isn’t more unlikely than overturning a 0-3 deficit suffered at Camp Nou in the second leg of the 2019 Champions League semifinals or the 0-3 deficit at halftime in the 2005 final against AC Milan.

Champions League comebacks after losing the first leg by 2 goals or more

2 goals: Barcelona vs. Chelsea - First leg: 1-3 - second leg: 5-1 a.e.t.

Quarterfinals 2000

1/15

2 goals: Monaco vs. Barcelona - First leg: 2-4 - second leg: 3-1

Quarterfinals 2004

2/15

2 goals: Chelsea vs. Napoli - First leg: 1-3 - second leg: 4-1 a.e.t.

Round of 16 2012

3/15

2 goals: Barcelona vs. AC Milan - First leg: 0-2 - second leg: 4-0

Round of 16 2013

4/15

2 goals: Man United vs. Olympiacos - First leg: 0-2 - second leg: 3-0

Round of 16 2014

5/15

2 goals: Chelsea vs. PSG - First leg: 1-3 - second leg: 4-1 a.e.t.

Quarterfinals 2014

6/15

2 goals: FC Barcelona vs. AC Mailand - First leg: 0-2 - second leg: 6-1

Quarterfinals 2015

7/15

2 goals: Real Madrid vs. Wolfsburg - First leg 0-2 - second leg: 3-0

Quarterfinals 2016

8/15

2 goals: Monaco vs. Man City - First leg 3-5 - second leg: 3-1

Round of 16 2018

9/15

2 goals: Man United vs. PSG - First leg 0-2 - second leg: 3-1

Round of 16 2019

10/15

2 goals: Juventus vs. Atlético - First leg 0-2 - second leg: 3-0

Round of 16 2019

11/15

3 goals: La Coruna vs. Barcelona - First leg: 1-4 - second leg: 4-0

Quarterfinals 2004

12/15

3 goals: AS Rom vs. FC Barcelona - First leg: 1-4 - second leg: 3-0

Quarterfinals 2018

13/15

3 goals: Liverpool vs. Barcelona - First leg: 0-3 - second leg: 4-0

Semifinals 2019

14/15

4 goals: FC Barcelona vs. PSG - First leg: 0-4 - second leg: 6-1

Quarterfinals 2017

15/15

Speaking of Barcelona. Liverpool haven’t been the only team to turn around a significant deficit against the Catalans. In 2018, Roma overturned a 1-4 away defeat at the Camp Nou by winning their home game 3-0. But Barcelona were not always at the receiving end of a comeback. In 2017,PSG beat Barça at home 4-0 only to lose 1-6 at the Camp Nou. To this day the biggest comeback in the history of European club football.