Comebacks in the Uefa Champions League are the stuff of folklore, especially when a team heads into the second leg of the knockout trailing by three goals or more. As is the case for Liverpool against record-holding European champions Real Madrid.

Only four teams, including Liverpool, have managed to overturn a first-leg deficit of three or more goals in the competition. Trailing 5-2 heading into the round of 16 encounter – the Reds are hopeful of repeating the trick on Wednesday, 15 March.

Inconceivable comeback   

“Roma have risen from their ruins! Manolas, the Greek God in Rome! The unthinkable unfolds before our eyes. This was not meant to happen. This could not happen. This is happening. It’s a Greek from Mount Olympus who has come to the seven hills of Rome and pulled off a miracle.”

This ​​seminal monologue from world-renowned English commentator Peter Drury was sparked by an inconceivable comeback from the cusp of defeat by Roma in 2018 – as they shocked Barcelona 3-0 in Rome – having lost the quarterfinal contest 4-1 during the first leg in Spain.

Greek defender Kostas Manolas scored the all-important goal, and the tie finished four-all. But with the away-goals rule still in place at the time, the Italians advanced to the semifinals at the expense of the five-time European champions.

Alongside that magnificent day in Rome, Liverpool are also owners of a memorable and magical turnaround from three goals down – over Barcelona as well, in 2019.

Having lost the first leg of the semifinal encounter 3-0 in Catalunya, Liverpool were written off against a still-formidable Barcelona side. Even though under the tutelage of Jürgen Klopp, Anfield had become a fortress once more; very few imagined the team could flip the contest on its head. They did.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp looks on at the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC on 11 March 2023 in Bournemouth. (Photo: Charlie Crowhurst / Getty Images)

Unforgettable night in Merseyside

Belgian striker Divock Origi and Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum were in particularly inspired form as they netted a brace each on that unforgettable night in Merseyside.

The Reds – who had suffered heartbreak by losing to Real in the final of the Champions League in the previous season – rode the momentum of that special comeback to beat Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Lethal Liverpool claim historic victory over Manchester United in 7-0 record win”

Barcelona grabbed their own piece of Champions League comeback history in March 2017. They became the first and only side in the history of Europe’s premier club competition to wipe away a four-goal deficit from the first leg, in the second leg.

The Catalan club were thumped 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in France. Somehow, they managed to dig deep in the second leg to erase that loss.

They pummelled the Parisians 6-1 in front of a Nou Camp crowd hypnotised by the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar – who moved with the grace of synchronised swimmers on that famous night.

Against Los Blancos, they will hope for a similar type of miracle, or a display akin to the one that saw them recently demolish Manchester United in the Premier League.

“We have an advantage, that’s why we’re favourites, but we have to play another 90 minutes with the same attitude as the first leg,” said Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.

“We have an advantage, but we can’t think of managing the game. We have to play 90 minutes at the top level.”

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and RCD Espanyol at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 11 March 2023 in Madrid. (Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images)

History not with the Reds

History is not on the side of the Reds. All the aforementioned European second-leg comebacks have one thing in common: the defining win came in the home leg of the teams that eventually advanced to the next round.

Never mind by huge margins, Real simply don’t lose many matches. More so with home-ground advantage. The Santiago Bernabéu stadium has been watered by many opposition tears over the decades.

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Providing some hope for Liverpool is that as recently as 2019, Ajax Amsterdam did hand Ancelotti’s men their biggest drubbing at the iconic ground (in European competition). The Dutch giants shocked Los Blancos 4-1 in the round of 16 clash, eventually winning 5-3 on aggregate.

A similar display from the Reds will do just fine in helping them reach the next round. To have any realistic chance of this, they will have to be much better than they were in the loss to relegation-threatened Bournemouth over the weekend.    

“Of course, it’s not cool losing a game 5-2. In football, these things can happen, especially when the opponent is as relaxed and confident as Real Madrid. It’s our job now to make sure we take the mistakes [from the first leg], learn from them, and take the good stuff as well,” said Liverpool manager Klopp.

Joe Gomez of Liverpool FC and Rodrygo Silva de Goes of Real Madrid, during the Uefa Champions League match between Liverpool vs Real Madrid at Anfield on 21 February 2023. (Photo: David S Bustamante / Soccrates / Getty Images)

Home form not inspiring

Outside of the fierce and hostile atmosphere that awaits Klopp and his team in Spain, Liverpool’s home form this season does not inspire much confidence.

On top of being walloped 4-1 by Italy’s Napoli away from home in the Champions League group phase, the Reds have only won three of their 13 games when on the road. They’ve lost seven. This, in contrast to the nine they’ve won from the same number of games at Anfield.

Whatever happens, Wednesday night in Madrid promises to be just as enthralling as the first leg between the two European heavyweights – who on their day can be devastating in attack.

Liverpool will be hopeful that it can be their team inspiring the latest seminal monologue from the commentator’s box at the end of the match. DM

Champions League Round of 16 fixtures:

Tuesday, 14 March

Manchester City vs RB Leipzig (10pm)

Porto vs Inter Milan (10pm)

Wednesday, 15 March

Real Madrid vs Liverpool (10pm)

Napoli vs Eintracht Frankfurt (10pm).