The best Champions League semi-finals of all time

The UEFA Champions League semi-finals have been unforgettable viewing, with Inter Milan and Barcelona producing an all-time traditional over two legs.

Inter’s astonishing extra-time win has taken its place within the annuals and we’ve determined to have fun another traditional Champions League semi-finals from previous seasons.

One of the best Champions League semi-finals ever:

Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich (1995)

An uneventful first leg, adopted by an unforgettable return. A goalless draw between Ajax and Bayern Munich in Germany noticed rigidity take over within the first semi-final assembly earlier than the Dutch facet produced a masterclass within the second leg.

Louis van Gaal’s workforce had been sensational in thrashing Bayern Munich 5-2 in Amsterdam, with Jari Litmanen opening the scoring. Marcel Witeczek equalised to place the Germans forward on away targets, however three targets in 5 minutes both facet of half-time noticed Ajax storm forward.

Finidi George fired Ajax again in entrance and Ronald De Boer added a 3rd earlier than the break. When Litmanen struck his second aim, simply seconds after the interval, the semi-final seemed over.

Mehmet Scholl pulled one again for Bayern from the penalty spot, however this was Ajax’s night time.

⚪️????⚪️ Ajax beat Bayern 5-2 #OTD in 1995…#UCL | @AFCAjax pic.twitter.com/c6T2iR6bK7

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 19, 2020

Marc Overmars added the fifth late on, because the Dutch facet went on to finish an Eredivisie and Champions League double with out dropping a sport.

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Juventus 3-4 Manchester United (1999)

Manchester United’s treble dream appeared in tatters in Turin, because the Pink Devils discovered themselves two targets down inside 11 minutes of the second leg. Filippo Inzaghi’s devastating double put Juventus 3-1 forward on mixture at The Stadio Delle Alpi, after a 1-1 draw within the first encounter.

Impressed by Roy Keane, who picked up a reserving that meant he would miss the ultimate, Manchester United roared again into the sport. The Irishman headed in David Beckham’s nook to scale back the deficit, earlier than Dwight Yorke scored a second to place the guests forward on away targets earlier than half-time.

An epic night time in Turin for @ManUtd, who certified for the UCL closing 23 years in the past at this time ???? ????#UCL pic.twitter.com/7WpMhxeLfE

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 21, 2022

Andy Cole accomplished the comeback late on, handing over from a narrow-angle to spark wild celebrations from the Premier League facet. A dramatic win over Bayern Munich within the closing accomplished probably the most historic marketing campaign in English soccer historical past for Sir Alex Ferguson and his facet.

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Liverpool 4-3 Barcelona (2019)

Barcelona had one foot within the closing after a 3-0 win over Liverpool on the Camp Nou, a conflict that noticed Lionel Messi rating twice – together with a superb free-kick – to provide the Catalans an enormous benefit forward of the return.

Liverpool seemed all-but-out and their job was made tougher within the absence of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino for the second leg at Anfield. Divock Origi scored an early opener to breathe new life into the tie, earlier than substitute Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice within the house of 122 seconds after the break to show the tie on its head.

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona ????#OnThisDay in 2019… an evening we’ll by no means, ever neglect ???? pic.twitter.com/4cFt2SpuJr

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) Might 7, 2022

The Spaniards had been shellshocked and conceded an unforgettable fourth when Trent Alexander-Arnold caught Barcelona napping at a set-piece and crossed for Origi to steer residence.

It was the primary time since 1986 – when Barcelona knocked out Gothenburg within the European Cup – {that a} workforce had recovered a three-goal first-leg deficit to win a semi-final.

A well-known fightback.

Ajax 3-3 Tottenham – Tottenham win on away targets (2019)

The very subsequent night time, Ajax had been making ready to get together prefer it was the nineties because the Dutch facet closed in on a primary Champions League closing in 23 years, with Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech targets placing Erik ten Hag’s workforce 3-0 up on mixture.

Donny van de Beek’s winner in north London had been added to with first-half targets from De Ligt and Ziyech within the return, handing Ajax a seemingly unassailable lead.

Seemingly, however not fairly.

???????? THAT Lucas Moura hat-trick in Amsterdam ????#UCL | #FlashbackFriday | @SpursOfficial https://t.co/3IWTftesin pic.twitter.com/VTdFK6dFPa

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2020

Lucas Moura produced an iconic particular person efficiency to attain a second-half hat-trick, together with a 96th-minute winner to ship Spurs into the ultimate on away targets.

Because the Ajax gamers crumbled to the turf crestfallen, Spurs celebrated a sensational comeback that can dwell lengthy within the reminiscence.

Actual Madrid 6-5 Manchester Metropolis (2022)

Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid produced an unforgettable contest in 2021/22, sharing 11 targets over two legs packed filled with incident and drama.

The Residents had been the higher facet and gained a thriller on the Etihad 4-3, although Actual Madrid’s responses by means of Karim Benzema (2) and Vinicius Junior stored Carlo Ancelotti’s males within the tie.

Within the return, Riyad Mahrez seemed set to ship Metropolis into the ultimate after placing the guests 5-3 forward on mixture. Pep Guardiola’s workforce held a two-goal cushion heading into stoppage time on the Bernabeu, solely to endure a catastrophic collapse.

Off the bench, Rodrygo scored twice in 90 seconds to power extra-time and Madrid made it to the ultimate when Karim Benzema transformed from the spot within the added interval. Metropolis, simply seconds from the decider, had been left shocked and disconsolate.

Inter Milan 7-6 Barcelona (2025)

Wow. What an evening. What a tie.

Barcelona and Inter Milan shared six targets in an exciting first leg assembly, an end-to-end encounter that someway ended all sq.. Inter twice led in Catalonia, however on every event had been pegged again by a Barcelona facet chasing a treble.

If the primary leg was unbelievable, the second was even higher.

Inter produced a dramatic turnaround to beat Barcelona and attain the ultimate. Having blown a 2-0 result in path 3-2 with simply two minutes of added time left, the Nerazzurri’s dream seemed over. With seconds to go, Francesco Acerbi smashed in a cross with the veteran centre-back appearing as an auxiliary ahead. A wild shirtless celebration adopted, earlier than the San Siro exploded in noise as Davide Frattesi gained it for the house facet in additional time.

Every of the aforementioned semi-finals had dramatic conclusions however this was 210 minutes of breathless leisure over two legs. An all-time traditional.

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See extra – 5 iconic particular person Champions League performances