Goal.com Weekend Special: Football's Greatest Comebacks - Part II

The matches are in no particular order. You can check the part first here.

11. AC Milan v Liverpool (2005)

This was perhaps the most dramatic and unexpected of comebacks in modern European football. It was the occasion of the final of the Champions League at the intimidating Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on May 25, 2005 and Italian giants AC Milan had seemingly secured their seventh European Cup triumph by half-time. They were 3-0 up against a tactically caught out Liverpool side, thanks to goals from Defender Supreme Paolo Maldini and Argentine legend Hernan Crespo.

In the second half, though, a miracle happened: three Liverpool goals in six minutes. Then Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti would define them as "six minutes of madness" while Gerrard himself would enthuse about those "six minutes that shook the world".

"Six Minutes That Shook The World"

Steven Gerrard started the comeback in the 54th minute with a header off a John Arne Riise cross. Two minutes later Vladimir Smicer reduced the deficit and after three minutes Liverpool were awarded a penalty from which Xabi Alonso scored, or be it from the rebound. The first half might have been one of the most lop-sided in European Cup history but those six minutes turned the game on its head.

The match would eventually go into penalties after either side failed to score in extra-time. Ironically, the man who would hand over the European Cup to Liverpool would be the man who had won the competition for Milan in 2003: Andriy Shevchenko had scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003 and in 2005 it would be his saved penalty in the shootout that would ultimately give Liverpool the right to lift the trophy for the fifth time in their history.

12. Charlton v Huddersfield Town (1957)

This is probably the mother of all comebacks, at least in English football. It might have been 'only' a Second Division match at The Valley but on Saturday December 21, 1957, 12,535 spectators witnessed the most astonishing match in England. Charlton suffered a major setback as early as the 17th minute when Derek Ufton dislocated his shoulder and had to be taken off the pitch. With no substitutes, Charlton were doomed to play the remainder of the match with 10 men and by half-time they were two goals down.

Johnny Summers pulled a goal back almost immediately after the restart but inside minutes Huddersfield went 4-1 up. Just past the hour mark it became 5-1 to the visitors and hosts Charlton were doomed. Then started the most remarkable comeback in English football history. Johnny Summers turned on the style and first set up Johnny "Buck" Ryan and then himself scored  to make it 5-3. Summers had put on a new pair of boots at the interval and it appeared that his new footwear was working well for him.

In the 73rd minute Summers completed his hat-trick and just five minutes later Summers scored his fourth goal of the match - Charlton's equalizer. Huddersfield were inexplicably falling apart and with only nine minutes left on the clock allowed Charlton to take the lead for the first time in the match, Johnny Summers again at the end of things.

Huddersfield, though, made it 6-6 with four minutes left but Charlton accomplished the most unimaginable of comebacks when Summers whipped in a cross that Ryan sent home. It finished: Charlton 7-6 Huddersfield.

13. Barcelona v Atletico Madrid (1997)

Atletico Madrid were doomed to crash out of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals after a disappointing 2-2 draw at home in the first leg. But by half-time on March 12, 1997 in the second leg at Camp Nou the Mattress-makers had gone 3-0 up and were on their way to the semis. 15 minutes into the second half, and Atleti were still leading 4-2.

Figo's Goal Against Atletico Was A Gem

That was the crazy 1996-1997 season in which Barcelona had a certain Ronaldo and in which the Catalans were scoring goals after goals after goals. That evening Barcelona then went on to score three more goals: Luis Figo hit a volley from the edge of the penalty area, Ronaldo scored from inside the penalty area and Juan Pizzi rounded up the sensational 5-4 victory.

14. Bayer Uerdingen v Dynamo Dresden (1986)

Bayer Uerdingen were paired with Dynamo Dresden in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals in the 1985-1986 season. Dresden were the firm favourites to proceed to the semis and their 2-0 victory in the first leg consolidated that belief. In the second leg too they continued with that momentum, racing to a 3-1 lead at half-time. They were 5-1 ahead on aggregate.

Until the 57th minute.

Bayer's Icelandic player Gudmundsson was awarded a controversial penalty and Wolfgang Funkel made no mistake from the spot. Six minutes later it became 3-3 and inside moments it became 5-3 to Bayer.

At the time Dresden were still going through on away goals rule but the visitors panicked and couldn't sustain their composure. Funkel scored from the penalty spot again and before the referee blew the final whistle Schafer scored his side's seventh of the match. It ended 7-3 in favour of Bayer, who went through 7-5 on aggregate.

15. Werder Bremen v Anderlecht (1994)

Belgian giants Anderlecht might not have a very proud record in the Champions League but even then a win for them against Werder Bremen in the group stage of the premier European club competition in 1994 should have been easy. After all, they were leading 3-0 with less than 25 minutes of normal time remaining. 

But Bremen stunned the Belgians as they went on to score no fewer than five goals in 24 minutes. Rufer scored twice and Hobsch, Bratseth and Bode scored one each to overhaul Anderlecht's 3-0 lead to win the match 5-3. Certainly one of the most shocking turnarounds in Champions League history.

16. West Germany v Hungary (1954)

That was Hungary's Golden Generation and they were everyone's favourites to win the 1954 World Cup. Hungary had thrashed Germany 8-3 in the group stage and were expected to breeze past them in the final.

The Mighty Magyars started the match in sensational fashion as expected, racing to a 2-0 lead inside just eight minutes in front of over 60,000 spectators at the Wankdorf Stadion in Berne, Switzerland. A less than 100% fit Ferenc Puskas started the proceedings in the sixth minute and a couple of minutes later Zoltan Czibor added the second.

Puskas Couldn't Stop The Miracle From Happening In Berne

The Germans, though, are renowned for their spirit and amazing comebacks and two minutes after going 2-0 down, they pulled one back, Max Morlock giving his compatriots some hope. Eight minutes later in the 18th minute Helmut Rahn equalized for West Germany. 

Hungary, though, carried on bombarding the German goal but failed to restore their lead. Then with just six minutes left on the clock, German striker Rahn received a long ball in front of the Hungarian goal and shot with his left foot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Although Puskas equalized soon after for Hungary, the Real Madrid legend's goal was ruled out because of off-side.

They call it "The Miracle of Berne".

17. Juventus v Manchester United (1999)

Manchester United drew the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Juventus 1-1 at home and went 2-0 down inside the first 11 minutes of the second leg at the Stadio Delle Alpi. Juventus were cruising to their fourth successive appearance in the Champions League final.

Roy Keane Was The Inspiration

But the tone of the match was altered in the 24th minute when Roy Keane scored for United. It became 2-1 at the time and ten minutes later Man United were back on level terms in the second leg when Dwight Yorke scored with a diving header. Both sides had chances after that but six minutes before the final whistle United hammered the final in Juventus's coffin when Andy Cole scored to make it 3-2 to the visitors.

18. Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City (2004)

Manchester City Under Kevin Keegan Were Fun

Once upon a time Manchester City were pretty much another also-ran in the Premier League whose only path to Europe was via Cup competitions. In the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2004, City were 3-0 down at half-time to a rampant Tottenham Hotspur side. Soon after City had Joey Barton sent off when he picked up his second yellow of the match. But the Blues didn't submit themselves unto Defeat's arms and scored four times in the remainder of the match, Jon Macken's last minute looping header securing the then Kevin Keegan's side's place in the next round.

19. VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich (1976)

Not all of football's great comebacks have taken place in England or Spain. Bayern Munich's enthralling 6-5 victory over VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga in 1976 is one of the most inexplicable comebacks in football history. Bochum were 3-0 to the good at the half-time interval and eight minutes after the restart went 4-0 up. But at the time Bayern had the likes of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Gerd Muller and they combined with each other to put Bayern 5-4 up in the next 20 minutes. Bochum did draw level in the 80th minute but Bayern were in the mood at the time and in the dying minutes of the game scored through Uli Honess. Bayern won 6-5.

Rummenigge's Eyes Were Watching Goals

20. Metz v Barcelona (1984)

Mighty Barcelona had thrashed French side Metz 4-2 in the first leg in the first round of the Cup Winners' Cup and increased their aggreggate lead in the second leg at Camp Nou to 5-2 thanks to a goal from Carrasco. Then started the amazing fightback from Metz. Zvonko Kurbos scored a hat-trick and inspired Les Grenats to a 4-1 win over the Catalan giants.

Some more great comebacks:

21. North Korea defeated Iraq 3-2 in a 1994 World Cup qualifier after going behind 2-0 in the first half.

22. AS Roma lost the first leg of their European Cup semi-finals against Dundee United 2-0 but won the second leg 3-0.

23. Mumbai FC were losing their I-League 2008-2009 match against JCT 2-0 until the 50th minute. Mumbai then made two substitutions and scored thrice. Strangely, the match was played on November 26, the same day of the infamous Mumbai attacks.

24. Liverpool scored two late goals against Arsenal in the final of the FA Cup in 2001 to win the match 2-1.

25. At one stage in the FA Cup final in 2006 Liverpool were 2-0 down and at another point the Reds were 3-2 down. But Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a 3-3 scoreline in normal time and Liverpool went on to win the final 3-1 on penalties.

Do you think we have missed some major footballing comebacks? Is there a better one than the ones featured in this two-part special series? Goal.com wants to know your view.

Subhankar Mondal