 "Real Madrid take on Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Thursday. Image: Reuters")
Real Madrid are in trouble after their massive 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Now, they have to play the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday (17 April), and they need to do something really special to turn things around.
But if any team can make a comeback in the Champions League, it’s Real Madrid. They have done it so many times before. In fact, comebacks are kind of their thing. Here are some of the best ones from recent years that show why you should never count the Los Blancos out.
Champions League 2023-24 Semifinal: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
The first leg in Germany ended 2-2, with two goals from Vinicius Junior. In the second leg in Madrid, Bayern scored first in the 68th minute through Alphonso Davies, and it looked like Real Madrid’s dream of a 15th Champions League title might end there.
But then Joselu, a player who doesn’t usually get much attention, came off the bench and became the hero. He scored in the 88th minute and again in the 91st. Just like that, Madrid won 2-1 and went through to the final, which they later won against Borussia Dortmund.
Champions League 2021-22 Semifinal: Real Madrid vs Manchester City
This was one of the craziest comebacks ever. Manchester City won the first leg 4-3, and in the second leg, they scored again to make it 5-3 on aggregate. It looked over for Los Blancos.
Then Rodrygo came on and scored two quick goals in stoppage time to make it 5-5. In extra time, Karim Benzema won and scored a penalty, and Madrid won 6-5 overall. They later beat Liverpool in the final.
Champions League 2021-22 Quarterfinal: Real Madrid vs Chelsea
Real Madrid were leading 3-1 after the first leg in London, but Chelsea played really well in the second leg. They scored three goals and were about to knock Madrid out of the tournament with an aggregate of 4-3.
But once again, they somehow found a way to make a comeback as Luka Modric gave a perfect pass to Rodrygo, who scored and made it 4-4 on aggregate. Then Benzema scored in extra time to save Madrid and send them through.
Champions League 2021-22 Round of 16: Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain
This was another amazing night for Los Blancos. PSG had stars like Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, and Kylian Mbappe. They won the first leg 1-0 and then scored again in the second leg to make the aggregate 2-0.
But Benzema didn’t give up. He scored three goals in just 17 minutes and helped Madrid win 3-2 on aggregate.