Five great Barcelona comebacks: History says not to count out Catalans against Juventus

Barcelona have shown that they are capable of the spectacular back home at Camp Nou in European competition through the years.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, duels with Real Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche during a Primera Liga match in Barcelona on April 15, 2017. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo

Barcelona have another Uefa Champions League mountain to climb if they are to oust Italian champions Juventus to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Barca trail 3-0 from the first leg in Turin last week.

However, the Catalans have shown that they are capable of the spectacular back home at Camp Nou in European competition through the years.

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■ More: Barcelona face another great escape but Juventus will not make same mistakes as PSG

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Here, AFP Sports looks at five of Barca’s finest comebacks.

3-0 v Ipswich Town, UEFA CUP, 1977

Future Barca coach Bobby Robson’s Ipswich side looked to have this last-16 tie in the bag with a famous 3-0 first-leg success at Portman Road.

However, inspired by Johan Cruyff’s double and an 87th minute penalty from Carles Rexach, Barca levelled the scores on aggregate.

After a goalless extra-time, the hosts prevailed 3-1 on penalties.

3-0 v Anderlecht, Cup Winners’ Cup, 1978

A year later, Barca produced another fightback to edge through on penalties on their way to winning the 1978/79 Cup Winners’ Cup.

Johann Krankl, Juan Carlos Heredia and Rafael Zuviria got the goals in normal time before Dutch legend Johan Neeskens struck the decisive penalty in a 4-1 shoot-out win.

3-0 v IFK Gothenburg, European Cup, 1986

Arguably Barca’s finest comeback before their miraculous feat against PSG a month ago came in the semi-finals of the 1985/86 European Cup.

Pichi Alonso’s hat-trick overturned a 3-0 first leg deficit against Swedish champions Gothenburg before Barca edged another penalty shoot-out 5-4.

As another good omen for Barca, they also beat Juventus on route to the final that year.

4-0 v AC Milan, Champions League, 2013

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has already suffered at first hand what a bruised Barca are capable off.

In 2013, Allegri’s Milan side won the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie 2-0.

However, Lionel Messi quickly cancelled out the Italians advantage with two sensational first-half strikes before David Villa and Jordi Alba completed the comeback.

6-1 v Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League 2017

Can lightning really strike twice? Barca looked down and out after a 4-0 thrashing in Paris on Valentines’ Day back in February.

No side had ever overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit in Champions League history and even Neymar declared Barca had just a one per cent chance.

However, the Brazilian inspired a mad final 10 minute spell as Barca scored three times to progress.

Luis Suarez, Layvin Kurzawa’s own goal and a Messi penalty brought Barca back into the tie before Edison Cavani’s away goal looked to have given PSG the breathing space they needed.

However, Neymar’s brilliant free-kick and penalty set up a grandstand finish as his cross was then turned home by Sergio Roberto in the 95th minute to unprecedented scenes of celebration at the Camp Nou.

* Agence France-Presse

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