Real Madrid suffered an historic 3-0 hammering last week against Arsenal in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal in London.
Mikel Arteta’s side bossed the game with more possession (53.3%), shots on target (11-3) and passes in the final third (125-80) as Carlo Ancelotti & Co. looked completely lost in the face of the Gunners’ pressure. Two stunning free kicks from Declan Rice and a close-range finish by Mikel Merino gave the Premier League side a nice cushion heading into Wednesday’s second leg at the Bernabéu, and only a string of brilliant saves by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept things from getting worse.
The bad news for Real Madrid is that their Champions League fate seems all but sealed; the good news for their fans, however, is that Los Blancos are no strangers to remarkable comebacks in this competition. After all, there is a reason why they have been crowned champions of Europe more times than any other club (Madrid have 15 European Cup/Champions League crowns dating back to 1956, with AC Milan in second with seven.)
So, ahead of Wednesday’s game, here are some epic comebacks from recent history that will have Real Madrid fans dreaming of a semifinal berth.
Champions League semifinal vs. Bayern Munich, 2023-24
First leg: Bayern Munich 2-2 Real Madrid
Second leg: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich
The road to Real Madrid’s 15th title saw them endure a major scare in the final four when they faced six-time champions Bayern Munich. The first leg in Germany ended 2-2, with two Vinícius Júnior penalties cancelling out Leroy Sané and Harry Kane’s goals.
The return leg at the Bernabéu promised sparks, and it did not disappoint. Alphonso Davies gave the Bavarians the lead in the 68th minute and it looked as though Bayern were cruising into the final. However, an unexpected hero appeared, as journeyman forward Joselu entered the game in the 81st minute to replace midfielder Federico Valverde and provide another threat up front.
In the 88th minute, Joselu was perfectly placed in the box to tap home the loose ball after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer couldn’t hold Vinícius’ shot. Then, with the game heading to extra time, he guided home Antonio Rüdiger’s low cross in the 91st minute to give Madrid a stunning aggregate win.
Madrid would go on to defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final, with goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinícius sealing another unforgettable European victory.
Champions League semifinal vs. Manchester City, 2021-22
First leg: Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid
Second leg: Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City
Clashes between Real Madrid and Manchester City in recent years have provided plenty of thrills, and their 2021-22 semifinal was no exception. City ran out 4-3 winners in the first leg with goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden and David Silva putting them 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 up at various points in the game. But the Bernabéu would play host to another magical European night in the second leg.
Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring in the 73rd minute for Guardiola’s side, making it 5-3 on aggregate and seemingly settling the tie, but up popped Rodrygo, who came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining to score twice in second-half injury time and force the tie into extra time. First he was on hand to tap home a Karim Benzema cross, and barely a minute later, he headed home a Carvajal cross to send the game to extra time.
The momentum clearly with Madrid after that flurry, Rúben Dias fouled Benzema in the 95th minute and Vinícius converted to give Madrid a 6-5 aggregate lead that booked their place in the final. The Brazil international then scored the only goal of the showpiece against Liverpool in Paris to claim another crown for Madrid.
Champions League quarterfinal vs. Chelsea, 2021-22
First leg: Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid
Second leg: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea
Before Madrid staged their epic comeback against City, they had to overcome defending champions Chelsea. Los Blancos actually led 3-1 after the first leg thanks to a Benzema hat trick at Stamford Bridge, and they were forced to make a great escape in the second leg after nearly throwing the tie away.
The Blues came out at the Bernabéu determined to stage a comeback, with Mason Mount scoring in the 15th minute to halve the deficit. However, panic ensued shortly after half-time when Antonio Rüdiger (then playing for Chelsea) headed home Mount’s corner to make it 2-0 to Chelsea on the night and 3-3 on aggregate. Timo Werner then made it 3-0 to Chelsea after Marcos Alonso had a Chelsea goal disallowed by VAR for handball and Benzema had rattled the post for Los Blancos.
But Rodrygo levelled things on aggregate in the 80th minute, beating Blues goalkeeper Édouard Mendy to a Luka Modrić cross, before Benzema completed the fightback in extra time by heading home from Vinícius’ low, clipped delivery.
Champions League round of 16 vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 2021-22
First leg: PSG 1-0 Real Madrid
Second leg: Real Madrid 3-1 PSG
That’s right: it was another epic comeback in the same season! Before they rallied to beat Chelsea and City, PSG were on the receiving end of Los Blancos‘ never-say-die spirit.
At the time, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé formed a star-studded attacking trio for the French giants, which made for a tense first leg in Paris that was won by Mbappé’s 94th minute goal. The second leg then began with Mbappé doubling PSG’s aggregate advantage with a 39th minute finish, leaving Madrid in need of three goals in order to progress.
The hero on this night at the Bernabéu was Benzema, who scored a 17-minute hat-trick in the second half to lift Los Blancos into the quarterfinal. He seized on a Gianluigi Donnarumma mistake in the 61st minute for his first, thundered home a shot from Modrić’s pass in the 76th for his second and, barely a minute later, steered a stunning shot into the bottom corner after some fine approach play by Vinícius.
Champions League final vs. Atlético Madrid, 2013-14
Real Madrid 4-1 Atlético Madrid (AET)
One of Real Madrid’s most memorable Champions League comebacks came during the final in which they claimed La Decima, their long-awaited 10th European crown — and, to make it even sweeter, against their local rivals.
Atleti took the lead in the 36th minute with a goal from Diego Godín, after a serious error by veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The game was dominated by Madrid, but they lacked incisiveness despite their star power, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Benzema, Ángel Di María and Modrić were all largely underwhelming.
With time running out in Lisbon, the desperation was evident for Ancelotti & Co., but then along came a moment known as the “90 and Ramos.” It was in the 93rd minute, when Modrić boomed in a corner, Sergio Ramos rose and struck a powerful header far beyond the reach of goalkeeper then-Atleti keeper Courtois, sending the game into extra time.
With Diego Simeone’s team exhausted from defending their lead for so long and disheartened by losing it so late, the added period was a mere formality for Madrid. Bale gave them the lead following a superb move by Di María, that was followed by a goal from Marcelo before Ronaldo added the cherry on top from the penalty spot to complete a famous 4-1 victory.
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