The Champions League Unlikely Comebacks: Should You Have Bet on Them?

The Champions League is a wonderful competition, pitting the elite of European soccer against one another each year to decide which team will be crowned the best in Europe. During the course of its illustrious history, the competition has produced some of the most incredible comebacks in football, defying the Champions League betting markets, indeed this can be shown clearly in the events of its first ever final.

1956: Real Madrid 4 Stade de Reims 3
Twice Spanish giants Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Reims at the Parc des Prince in the 1956 final. 2-0 down after just 10 minutes, the
Spanish giants levelled the game before half time before Reims once again took the lead just after the hour mark. Two late goals, however, from Marquitos and Rial saw Real come back to achieve a stunning victory in the first ever final.

1962: Benfica 5 Real Madrid 3
Five-timewinners Real Madrid must have thought it would be number six when they roared into an early 2-0 lead over Portuguese side Benfica in the 1962 final. At this point, no other team had won the trophy other than Real or Benfica, who had won the trophy for the first time the year before. Ferenc Puskas two early goals put Real in command of this tie, but Benfica had other ideas and had levelled the match barely 10 minutes later. Puskas completed his hat trick before half time, but Benfica roared back in the second half to score three goals without reply and lift the trophy for a second time.

1987: FC Porto 2 Bayern Munich 1
After Ludwig Kogl had given Bayern a deserved first half lead, the hot favourites looked set to lift the trophy until a stunning FC Porto comeback. Led by their wing maestro Paulo Futre, Porto stormed backinto the game late in the second half and Rabat Madjer’s cheeky back heel pulled them level at 77 minutes. Four minutes later, the Algerian
turned provider, crossed for Juary to turn the ball home in one of the
biggest upsets and finest comebacks in Champions League history.

2005: Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 (Liverpool win 3-2 on penalties)
Without doubt the greatest ever Champions League comeback took place in Istanbul in 2005. By half time, Liverpool were 3-0 down to the rampant Italian side as a strike from Paolo Maldini and two from Hernan Crespo put Milan in total control. In six incredible second half minutes, the game was turned on its head as goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought Liverpool level, and then the Anfield men completed the comeback on penalties when Jerzy Dudek saved
Shevchenko’s final penalty for the Italians.

Certainly, these are four of the finest ever games in Champions League history and evidence that sometimes the unthinkable does happen. Despite that, the question remains; if you could have bet on these comebacks at any point during the game, should you have done so?

Certainly, the odds would have been phenomenal. Liverpool were reportedly available at 100/1 to win the match at half time in 2005, but there is a good reason
for that and that is that these miracle comebacks do not happen too often and that is teams seldom surrender a big leads.

So if Manchester United or Barcelona are losing heavily at half time in the 2011 final, should you search for the best Champions League odds and back them big for a miracle comeback?

A small wager on a fantastic fight back, if only to keep things interesting for the second half, can be enjoyable, but as for backing a team for a big comeback, it is worth remembering that these four finals stand out so obviously, they are the exceptions to the rule!