“Will he fall fighting, or will Rashford strike again?” Inspiring moments that keep Barcelona’s hopes alive for another away-day comeback

In the mid-1950s, Milan wrote the first major chapter in the history of such comebacks when they lost 4–3 at home to German side Saarbrücken in the first leg of the inaugural 1955–56 European Cup.

A home defeat at San Siro to relatively unknown opposition seemed to signal an early exit, yet the Rossoneri overturned the tie in Germany, winning 4-1 to advance 7-5 on aggregate and proving that a home reverse is not necessarily the final word.

During the 1993–94 season, Romanian side Steaua Bucharest replicated the achievement against Croatia’s Zagreb (now Dinamo Zagreb), losing 2–1 at home and falling 1–0 behind in the return leg before netting three away goals to secure a 3–2 aggregate win, advancing on away goals after a 4–4 aggregate draw.

Ajax Amsterdam is renowned for dramatic comebacks. In the 1995–96 Champions League semi-finals, the Dutch side initially lost 1–0 at home to Panathinaikos, conceding a late goal that gave the Greeks a slender advantage.

Undettered, the Dutch side travelled to Athens and struck first through Jari Litmanen, levelling the tie early on. Two more goals from Litmanen and Nourredine Wouters in the second half completed a 3-0 win and sent Ajax to the final, underlining their status as European heavyweights.

Years later, Inter demonstrated that a comeback after a home defeat is possible.

In the 2010–11 Champions League round of 16, Inter lost 1–0 at San Siro to Bayern Munich thanks to a late Mario Gomez strike in the first leg.

At the Allianz Arena, Samuel Eto’o’s early strike gave the Nerazzurri the lead, then briefly trailed 2-1, before Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev struck to secure a 3-2 win that sent Inter through on away goals.

The same script unfolded in even more dramatic fashion when Manchester United faced Paris Saint-Germain in the 2018–19 round of 16, as the Red Devils suffered their first-ever two-goal home defeat in European competition at Old Trafford, losing 2–0.

Many wrote off the Red Devils, yet they travelled to the Parc des Princes with a renewed conviction: Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring early, Paris responded to restore their two-goal cushion, and then Lukaku struck again to make it 2–1 on the night.

Deep into stoppage time, Kimpembe handled the ball, and Marcus Rashford stepped up to convert the resulting penalty. That historic 3–1 away win sent United through on away goals, marking the only time in Champions League history a side had overturned a home deficit of more than one goal.
Significantly for Barça, Rashford is currently on loan at the Catalan club, raising the tantalising possibility of history repeating itself.

During the 2018–19 campaign, Ajax overturned a 2–1 home defeat to defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16 with a remarkable 4–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu, advancing 5–3 on aggregate.

Just two months later, Ajax then suffered a similar turnaround at the hands of Tottenham. The Londoners lost 1-0 at home and trailed 2-0 in Amsterdam, only for Lucas Moura’s historic hat-trick to secure a 3-3 aggregate draw and send Spurs to the final on away goals. leaving Ajax supporters stunned in one of the harshest blows the club had suffered in recent memory.

Paris Saint-Germain lost 3–2 at home to Barcelona in the 2023–24 quarter-finals, then travelled to Montjuïc and won 4–1, exploiting Araujo’s red card to advance despite their first-leg defeat in France.

PSG then repeated the feat against Liverpool in the 2024–25 season, losing 1–0 at home and winning 1–0 at Anfield before advancing on penalties, keeping alive their bid for a first European title.

Yet alongside famous comebacks stands one of the most notable failures.

Juventus vs. Real Madrid in the 2017–18 quarter-finals, when the Bianconeri lost 3–0 at home in Turin, with Ronaldo’s stunning bicycle kick seemingly ending their hopes.

Yet the Italians travelled to the Bernabéu with their heads held high, and goals from Mario Mandžukić (2) and Blaise Matuidi briefly silenced the crowd, leaving Europe in shock at a 3–3 aggregate scoreline and a seemingly impossible comeback in the making. only for Ronaldo to step up and convert a late penalty, dashing the Bianconeri’s hopes and preserving one of the most dramatic incomplete comebacks in recent memory.

Barcelona now face a daunting task after losing 2–0 at home to Atlético Madrid. They must win by three clear goals, or by two if they can force extra time in the capital.

The numbers say it is almost impossible, yet the tales of Milan, Ajax, Inter, Manchester United—and even Juventus, who fell fighting at the Bernabéu— remind the Catalans that, however slim, the door to a comeback stays ajar for any side that believes until the final minute, stands on the dream’s threshold and fights, as the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish once put it.

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