Best comebacks of all time

15 Mar 2017 01:46 pm, by YorkshireSquare


If you haven’t seen the highlights of the Barcelona vs. PSG match yet, then make some time this weekend to take in what is undoubtedly one of the best football matches ever, let alone a stunning comeback. Bookmakers had placed Barca at 200-1 odds to progress.

Trailing 4-0 from their first leg, many football experts had all but written Barcelona off. PSG clearly thought the same when they finished the first leg game. Nobody could believe that the formidable Barcelona could lose by such a big margin but at the same time, there was a feeling that if anyone could score four goals to get to extra time, this Barcelona team could.

From the first whistle, viewers knew that this game was going to be a treat. Barcelona hadn’t turned up to make up the numbers; they genuinely believed that they could get this back. Suarez scored within the first three minutes to set the tone for a game that could be described as anything but boring.

They took it up to 3-0 and had the Nou Camp crowd in full belief that they were going to achieve this astonishing comeback. However, anguish followed for the home fans and players, as Cavani managed to hit one back for PSG. At 5-3 on aggregate to PSG and a vital away goal, this meant that Barca had to somehow score a further 3 goals. Surely it couldn’t be done? As the clock ticked down and only 5 minutes of time remaining, Neymar suddenly scored two goals within the same number of minutes. They had a few minutes, plus stoppage time to try and grab that third goal. Almost inevitably, they snatched a goal in the dying seconds to achieve probably the most amazing comeback in football history.

Steven Gerrard was in the TV studio covering the game, and straight away people were drawing comparisons to that unforgettable match back in 2005 when Gerrard inspired his Liverpool team to fight back from 3-0 down at half-time to go on to win on penalties. Given how desperate they looked in the first half, just to not concede any more goals was an achievement. The fact that they were already huge underdogs before the game made this game even more special.

In 2005, Leeds had a remarkable comeback of their own in the Championship against Southampton. After being 3-0 down at half-time, there wasn’t much hope to turn things around in the second half. Maybe the exploits of Liverpool just six months earlier was in the back of the players’ minds as they went to task, trying to find a miracle comeback of their own.

It wasn’t until the 71st minute that Leeds managed a consolation goal through Butler. At least 3-1 didn’t look as bad on paper. But then the next ten minutes saw an astonishing further three goals go past a bewildered Southampton team. The mighty Leeds were victorious with one of their very own near-impossible comebacks.

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John in Louisiana wrote on 25 Mar 2017 01:06 am

Best comebacks of all time:

Lady Astor: "Winston, if you were my husband I would poison your coffee."

Winston Churchill: "And if you were my wife, I would drink it."

and....

Beverly Hills Country Club Manager: "We don't allow Jews in the swimming pool."

Groucho Marx: "My daughter's only half Jewish. Can she go in up to her waist?"