The first legs of the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16 are now in the bag, and some teams have plenty of work to do if they are to progress to the quarterfinals. PSV Eindhoven’s hopes are well and truly in the mud after a 7-1 drubbing at home to Arsenal, while Borussia Dortmund and Lille head back to France with the tie on a knife edge following a 1-1 draw at Signal Iduna Park.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, will have to overturn a one-goal deficit against cross-city rivals Real after succumbing to a 2-1 defeat in a thriller at the Bernabeu. Usual superstar Vinicius Junior had to take a back seat on this occasion, with goals from Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz on either side of Julian Alvarez’s equalizer enough to secure the victory for the reigning champions on the night.
The sportsbook providers certainly feel that the tie is on a knife edge following a thrilling first leg. The latest odds from Thunderpick sportsbook currently make Diego Simeone’s side a live 3.00 underdog to overturn the one-goal margin and progress to the quarterfinals, with Los Blancos the 1.30 favorites. But for Los Rojiblancos, there are plenty of teams they can look at to take inspiration from. Here are the best UCL round of 16 comebacks of all time.
Roberto di Matteo Resurrects Chelsea’s Hopes
Back in 2012, Chelsea was in disarray. The Blues were way down in fifth place in the Premier League when they headed to Napoli for the first leg of their Champions League second-round game. A 3-1 defeat in Italy cost manager Andre Villas-Boas his job, with former midfielder Roberto di Matteo taking over on an interim basis until the end of the season. His immediate task at hand was somehow overturning a two-goal margin against a Partenopei outfit consisting of the likes of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and Marek Hamsik.
The Italian manager immediately got to work. He brought veterans Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and John Terry back into the first team flow, and he was immediately rewarded. All three of them scored in the return fixture at Stamford Bridge, as did Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler, which forced the tie to extra time. In the extra period, Serbian powerhouse defender Branislav Ivanovic popped up with the all-important winner, securing a 5-4 aggregate victory for the Blues.
Mbappe Announces His Arrival
When Monaco was drawn to face Premier League giants Manchester City in 2017, many expected the English side to progress. Iconic manager Pep Guardiola had just taken charge at the club, and with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, and Raheem Sterling firing on all cylinders, progression to the quarterfinals seemed a given. But the principality outfit had other ideas, and they had an ace up their sleeve in the form of superstar Kylian Mbappe.
The teenage French striker had only just broken into the Monaco squad, but he had formed a devastating partnership with Colombian hitman Radamel Falcao. The pair of them took the fight to their more illustrious opponents, both getting their name on the scoresheet in the first leg – with the Colombian bagging a brace. But the Ligue 1 side had to succumb to a 5-3 defeat at the Etihad after late goals from John Stones and Leroy Sane. In the return fixture, they would have their revenge.
Mbappe scored again just eight minutes into the return fixture, before Fabinho’s 29th-minute goal gave Monaco the lead on away goals. Sane netted for the second time in the tie late on to seemingly put the visitors on the brink of progression. But with just 13 minutes remaining, tireless French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko found his way past Claudio Bravo to sink Guardiola’s men and secure their spot in the last eight.
Neymar Brilliance Helps Barcelona Complete Mission Impossible
That same year, Barcelona met with an upstart Paris Saint-Germain side determined to finally make an impact on the continental stage. Despite dominating in Ligue 1 following their Qatari-backed takeover six years prior, the Parisians had struggled to truly shine in the Champions League. That looked set to change in 2017 when they thumped Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their second-round tie.
The Blaugrana were shell-shocked, and progressing to the quarterfinals looked nigh on impossible. But despite the overwhelming odds saying that their herculean task couldn’t be completed, they immediately got to work. Luis Suarez and a Layvin Kurzawa own goal gave Barca a 2-0 halftime lead, before Lionel Messi added a third five minutes after the break. However, Edinson Cavani’s crucial away goal on the hour mark left the 2015 champions needing three goals if they were to progress.
The game stayed that way until the 88th minute, and PSG must have thought they had finally made the European statement they so desperately craved. Unfortunately, they would have to think again.
Neymar scored a stunning free kick with two minutes remaining in normal time before he added another from the penalty spot three minutes later. Suddenly, Barcelona needed just one goal to progress, and that came in the 95th minute when the brilliant Neymar picked out Sergi Roberto unmarked in the penalty area to volley past Kevin Trapp. That made the score 6-1 on the night and completed the most stunning comeback the Champions League has ever seen, eventually finishing 6-5 to the Catalonians on aggregate.
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