Classic Champions League Ties

Classic Champions League Ties

James Caughlin

The biggest and best club football competition in the world has delivered yet again with an all time classic Champions League Semi Final between Inter and Barcelona

Going in locked-up at 3-3 on aggregate, Barca were down 2-0 in the second. 

Inter looked in control but a stunning comeback of three unanswered goals put the Catalans side ahead with just three minutes remaining. It looked done and dusted. Then it turned.

37 year old Francesco Acerbi slots one with moments remaining in stoppage forcing an unlikely extra time. 

Then it was all she wrote after Davide Frattesi scored the decisive goal for Inter with Goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s crucial late saves instrumental in Inter’s progression to the final.

2022 Semi Final – Manchesy City v Real Madrid

For all money, City were home, they lead 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate heading into the 90th minute of play in the Bernabeu.

Up stepped Rodrygo with a quickfire brace to send the tie to extra time before Karim Benzema completed the comeback with a penalty to send Real Madrid to Paris later this month.

It’s the latest in a long line of memorable knockout ties from this millennium alone as the biggest clubs in Europe face off to be called champions.

2020 Quarter Final – PSG v Atalanta

Played out over 90 minutes in an empty Estadio da Luz in Lisbon because of the pandemic, the bizarre circumstances of this fixture shouldn’t detract from a properly bonkers match.

The Cinderella run of Atalanta was brought to a crunching halt in about 180 seconds, with the Italian side thinking they were home 1-0 approaching the 90th minute.

With no sense of occasion or appreciation for the story, PSG scored through Marquinhos and Choupo-Moting to advance to the semis in dramatic fashion.

2020 Round of 16 – Atletico Madrid v Liverpool

Despite the other distractions going on outside of Anfield in March 2020, Atletico knocked out then European champions Liverpool in exciting fashion.

Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Gini Wijnaldum’s 43rd minute goal levelled the tie and resulted in extra time.

Roberto Firmino sent the home crowd into raptures in the opening bonus period before Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata scored to send the Spanish side to the quarters.

2019 – Pretty Much the Entire Knockout Phase

The 2019 knockout phase may go down as the best edition of the Champions League in history with classic games coming thick and fast (although it did conclude with one of the most dour finals on record).

Let’s start with the Round of 16 and the heavyweight battle between Atletico Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was a vintage performance from the Portuguese marksman with a second leg hat-trick including an 86th minute penalty to eliminate Atletico.

PSG lead their Round of 16 tie 2-0 heading back to Paris and were advancing 3-2 on aggregate… until the 94th minute of the second leg.

And surely plucky Ajax couldn’t turn around a 2-1 deficit at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid after the Spanish heavyweights won in Amsterdam.

Then came the quarter finals where Ronaldo’s magic wasn’t enough to save Juventus on their trip to Amsterdam.

De Ligt was so impressive over two legs, Juventus decided they had to sign him in the next available window.

Spurs took the first leg of their quarter final 1-0 and their plans to defend the lead were blown out of the water after 4 minutes.

Cue absolute chaos in Manchester.

City thought they had pinched it with a goal to Sterling in stoppage time but VAR intervened and City’s hearts were broken, not that it mattered to Spurs fans who were too busy celebrating.

Both Champions League Semi Final ties were fantastic advertisements for the competition, starting with Barcelona taking on Liverpool.

The only reason Liverpool were given a chance to overcome a 3-0 deficit at Anfield in the second leg is because this season had proved that anything was possible.

Say the words “corner taken quickly…” to any Liverpool fan and they can’t help but smile at the memory of their fourth goal.

In the other semi final, the real battle was between the two clubs looking to claim underdog status in the eyes of the neutral.

Ajax thought they were home, up 3-0 on aggregate with 40 minutes remaining, enter Lucas Moura.

2018 Quarter Finals – Real Madrid v Juventus

Ronaldo’s final Champions League run with Juventus was kept alive by a late, controversial penalty to eliminate Juventus, right as it looked like Real were going to blow a 3-0 lead from the first leg.

It also featured this bicycle kick from Ronaldo in the first leg.

2018 Quarter Final – Roma v Barcelona

Who would have thought Eden Dzeko’s garbage time goal in the first leg would have been so valuable.

Barcelona were up 4-1 after the Camp Nou and the second leg was probably an afterthought for many viewers, at least until Danielle De Rossi made it 4-3 on aggregate with half an hour to go.

Then, cue delirium.

2017 Quarter Final – Barcelona v PSG

Humiliated 4-0 in Paris in the first leg, Barca were just playing for pride at home and to make the final score a bit more respectable… right?

Or not.

https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1361460805359849482?s=20&t=pJavA4dOfNiTi1-bzO9eZg

2017 Round of 16 – Manchester City v Monaco

A wild 5-3 first leg won by City was followed up where Kylian Mbappe introduced himself to the world.

City couldn’t hold on in the second leg, going down 3-1 and losing 6-6 on away goals.

2016 Round of 16 – Bayern Munich v Juventus

Just when you thought Bayern were out they pulled us back in.

A 2-2 first leg in Turin set the stage for the second leg where Lewandowski and Muller levelled the tie in the final 20 minutes of normal time to send it to extra time where Thiago and Kingsley Coman sent Bayern through.

2013 Quarter Final – Borussia Dortmund v Malaga

Malaga were not Champions League regulars and might feel a bit hard done by with this exit against Borussia Dortmund.

2012 Semi Final – Chelsea v Barcelona

Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League triumph was built around being the comeback kings and producing late drama.

But no moment was better for Blues fans than going into the Nou Camp and Fernando Torres sealing the tie with this cool run.

2010 Semi Final – Inter Milan v Barcelona

Holding onto a 3-1 lead heading into the second leg, this was a masterclass from Mourinho in the dark arts of football.

Probably not the prettiest game but a classic nonetheless, just like The Special One’s celebration.

2009 Quarter Final – Chelsea v Liverpool

4-4, need we say any more?

2005 Final – Liverpool v AC Milan

3-0 up in the second half, there’s no way AC Milan could blow this one right?