Liverpool face an uphill task against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge if they are to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
However, the competition has seen its fair share of spectacular comebacks in recent years - and here espnstar.com looks at five matches which have turned around.
Deportivo La Coruna 4 AC Milan 0 (Deportivo won 5-4 on aggregate, champions League quarter-final, April 2004)
Deportivo left the San Siro after the first leg on the end of a 4-1 defeat facing the task of overhauling a three-goal deficit against an Italian defence including Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. Walter Pandiani's early goal was added to by Juan Carlos Valeron's header half an hour later as the Spanish side started to believe. Just two minutes before half-time Albert Luque held off Nesta before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to put the home side ahead on aggregate. Veteran substitute Fran stunned the Rossoneri when he sealed the amazing comeback with a fourth goal 15 minutes from time.
Man United 2 Bayern Munich 1 (European Cup final, Barcelona, May 1999)
United trailed for nearly the entire game after falling behind to Mario Basler's sixth-minute free-kick. But, in the most amazing finish in the history of European Cup finals, United turned the game on its head. Substitute Teddy Sheringham equalised with a shot on the turn from eight yards and extra-time beckoned. But United had other ideas and, when David Beckham's corner was flicked on by Sheringham, fellow substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rifled the ball into the roof of the net to spark joyous scenes among United's near-40,000 fans in the Nou Camp. United had become the first club to win the treble of European Cup, Premier League title and FA Cup.
Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties, Champions League final, Istanbul, May 2005)
Liverpool beat Milan in a penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League after sensationally coming from three goals down at half-time. Paolo Maldini gave Milan a first-minute lead, and two goals from Hernan Crespo put them in a seemingly unassailable position at the interval. Reds captain Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool hope, and Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso levelled in a seven-minute spell. Jerzy Dudek then saved from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko in the shoot-out to clinch a stunning victory.
Juventus 2 Man United 3 (Utd won 4-3 on aggregate, Champions League semi-final, 1999)
After a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, going 2-0 down in the opening 10 minutes of the second leg at the Stadio Delle Alpi was not what the Red Devils had planned. Captain Roy Keane hauled his side back into the game, heading home from a corner before getting a booking which was to rule him out of the final. Keane pushed his team forward and Dwight Yorke levelled the scores with a diving header from Andy Cole's cross. Cole then netted United's third as they reached their first European Cup final in 31 years.
Basle 3 Liverpool 3 (Champions League group match, November 2002)
Liverpool trailed 3-0 in Switzerland as Julio Rossi, Christian Gimenez and Timothee Atouba all found the net in the opening half an hour. Danny Murphy's shot from the edge of the area restored some pride before Milan Baros set up Smicer for a sliding close-range finish three minutes later. Michael Owen got Liverpool level with seven minutes remaining, when he scored the rebound from his penalty. However, despite the comeback Liverpool still crashed out of the competition in the group stage.
However, the competition has seen its fair share of spectacular comebacks in recent years - and here espnstar.com looks at five matches which have turned around.
Deportivo La Coruna 4 AC Milan 0 (Deportivo won 5-4 on aggregate, champions League quarter-final, April 2004)
Deportivo left the San Siro after the first leg on the end of a 4-1 defeat facing the task of overhauling a three-goal deficit against an Italian defence including Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. Walter Pandiani's early goal was added to by Juan Carlos Valeron's header half an hour later as the Spanish side started to believe. Just two minutes before half-time Albert Luque held off Nesta before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to put the home side ahead on aggregate. Veteran substitute Fran stunned the Rossoneri when he sealed the amazing comeback with a fourth goal 15 minutes from time.
Man United 2 Bayern Munich 1 (European Cup final, Barcelona, May 1999)
United trailed for nearly the entire game after falling behind to Mario Basler's sixth-minute free-kick. But, in the most amazing finish in the history of European Cup finals, United turned the game on its head. Substitute Teddy Sheringham equalised with a shot on the turn from eight yards and extra-time beckoned. But United had other ideas and, when David Beckham's corner was flicked on by Sheringham, fellow substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rifled the ball into the roof of the net to spark joyous scenes among United's near-40,000 fans in the Nou Camp. United had become the first club to win the treble of European Cup, Premier League title and FA Cup.
Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties, Champions League final, Istanbul, May 2005)
Liverpool beat Milan in a penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League after sensationally coming from three goals down at half-time. Paolo Maldini gave Milan a first-minute lead, and two goals from Hernan Crespo put them in a seemingly unassailable position at the interval. Reds captain Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool hope, and Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso levelled in a seven-minute spell. Jerzy Dudek then saved from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko in the shoot-out to clinch a stunning victory.
Juventus 2 Man United 3 (Utd won 4-3 on aggregate, Champions League semi-final, 1999)
After a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, going 2-0 down in the opening 10 minutes of the second leg at the Stadio Delle Alpi was not what the Red Devils had planned. Captain Roy Keane hauled his side back into the game, heading home from a corner before getting a booking which was to rule him out of the final. Keane pushed his team forward and Dwight Yorke levelled the scores with a diving header from Andy Cole's cross. Cole then netted United's third as they reached their first European Cup final in 31 years.
Basle 3 Liverpool 3 (Champions League group match, November 2002)
Liverpool trailed 3-0 in Switzerland as Julio Rossi, Christian Gimenez and Timothee Atouba all found the net in the opening half an hour. Danny Murphy's shot from the edge of the area restored some pride before Milan Baros set up Smicer for a sliding close-range finish three minutes later. Michael Owen got Liverpool level with seven minutes remaining, when he scored the rebound from his penalty. However, despite the comeback Liverpool still crashed out of the competition in the group stage.
(Note: This article has been taken from espnstar.com)
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