The league phase is completed, the play-offs done and we are now ready for the Champions League to enter the knockout rounds.
This traditionally is where the drama really unfolds with no safety net to prevent teams from crashing out.
That sense of jeopardy creates excitement, tension, nervousness and has provided the platform for some of the greatest comebacks in football history.
Here, we list five of the best:
1. Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain, March 8, 2017
Pre-match odds: Barcelona were 8/1 to go through
Luis Enrique was later to become the man who led PSG to their maiden Champions League crown but, eight years earlier, he was the scourge of the Parisians after masterminding the comeback of all comebacks.
Barca were hammered 4-0 in the French capital in the first leg of the last-16 tie and went into the return 8/1 to reach the quarter-finals. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored either side of a Layvin Kurzawa own goal to reduce the deficit to 4-3 but Edinson Cavani’s away goal seemingly ended the fightback.
Indeed, with three minutes to go and Barca still trailing 5-3, Messi and Co had drifted out to 200/1 to advance.
Then La Remontada happened.
Neymar curled home a stunning 88th-minute free-kick and then slotted home a penalty after Suarez had been fouled inside the area.
At 5-5, PSG still had the edge on away goals but Barca weren’t done. Neymar picked up the ball and, with 94:39 showing on the Camp Nou clock, clipped a ball into the area where Sergi Roberto stuck out his right leg to divert it into the net. Cue chaos.
From 200/1 to win the tie, to 9/4 to win the Champions League within seven incredible minutes.
As it was, Barca failed to advance beyond the next round, losing 3-0 to Juventus on aggregate.
2. Liverpool v Barcelona, May 7, 2019
Pre-match odds: Liverpool were 18/1 to go through
Two years later and Barcelona were on the receiving end.
They arrived at Anfield with a three-goal, first-leg lead in this semi-final tie thanks to a Suarez strike and a brace from Messi in a one-sided encounter in Catalonia.
According to bet365, they were 1/50 to reach the final. Liverpool, in contrast, were 18/1 to overturn the deficit and go through. A 4-0 home win was priced at a whopping 50/1.
And yet that is exactly what happened. Despite the absence of Mohamed Salah, Liverpool found another hero in Divock Origi, whose two goals came either side of a Georginio Wijnaldum double. Origi’s tie-winning strike has gone down in Anfield folklore, coming from a swiftly taken Trent Alexander-Arnold corner that caught the Barca defence napping.
3. Deportivo La Coruña v AC Milan, April 7, 2004
Pre-match odds: Deportivo La Coruña were 15/1 to go through
Few eyebrows were raised when defending champions AC Milan crushed Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 in the first leg of this quarter-final tie at San Siro. This was a team of Cafu, Paolo Maldini and Andrea Pirlo. Of Clarence Seedorf, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko.
A routine win was par for the course and no-one expected anything less in the return in northern Spain.
And yet the Milanese aristocrats were blown away in one of the most incredible 45 minutes in Champions League history. Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque put Depor ahead by half-time on the away goals rule and Fran Gonzalez completed the rout after the break.
Depor coach Javier Irureta later honoured a promise by taking the pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela!
4. Roma v Barcelona, April 10, 2018
Pre-match odds: Roma were 20/1 to go through
In between the win over PSG and the defeat to Liverpool, came Roma and another inglorious night for Barcelona.
The Blaugrana were 1/100 to advance with some bookmakers having conceded just three goals in their previous nine Champions League games that season.
It seemed mission impossible but the Stadio Olimpico believed and so did the Roma players. Edin Dzeko prodded in the first, Daniele De Rossi’s penalty made it 2-0 and Greek defender Kostas Manolas headed home with eight minutes to go to a cacophony that could be heard at the Coliseum.
5. Ajax v Real Madrid, March 5, 2019
Pre-match odds: Ajax were 4/1 to go through
Not one of the biggest comebacks in terms of goals or odds, but certainly a shock of seismic proportions.
Real Madrid went into the return at the Santiago Bernabeu with a 2-1 first-leg lead and as three-time defending champions. They had not lost a two-legged Champions League knockout tie since succumbing to Juventus in the semi-finals in May 2015.
They were 1/9 to go through.
Ajax were supposed to be cannon fodder for a team that boasted the quality and experience of Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema.
But it did not turn out that way as the Amsterdammers produced a performance that brought coach Erik ten Hag and several of their players to the attention of a much wider audience.
Hakim Ziyech and David Neres turned the tie around inside the opening 18 minutes and the Bernabeu was stunned further when Dusan Tadic thumped home the third.
Marco Asensio pulled one back and the stage seemed set for Madrid to stage one of their famous Champions League comebacks. It did not happen, Lasse Schone’s free-kick sailing over Thibaut Courtois to give Ajax a stunning 4-1 victory.
Reasons to play with bet365
Reason #37 – Knowing when to stop
This list shows what can be achieved and why football remains one of the most gloriously unpredictable sports in the world.
But that doesn’t mean a bet is always a good idea. Shocks happen but they are few and far between.
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Be sure to use licensed sites to ensure your safety and security, while taking steps to control your gambling habits. Set a budget that you can afford, and keep track of the time you spend placing bets. Utilise the responsible gambling tools that are available at bookmakers, including deposit limits, time reminders, time-outs, and self-exclusions.
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