The Most Iconic Champions League Games of the Last Decade

Introduction

The Champions League is one of the biggest sports competitions on the planet; careers can be made or destroyed, and depending on performances, clubs can be elevated to legendary status. 

With the amount of pressure this prestigious tournament brings, people can crumble and fail, adding to some of the best comebacks football has ever seen. It is not just comebacks that make these games special; however, massive statement wins can be just as iconic. 

Manchester City 4 vs. Real Madrid, 2022

Manchester City is a newer Champions League force, and Real Madrid is the most iconic and decorated team of all time. It is always a massive game when they play. This two-leg affair is one of the biggest of all time, but the first leg is the game we have chosen today. 

After City started strong, going 2-0 up in the opening 15 minutes, people thought it was going to be smooth sailing, but Stones getting injured and Fernandinho replacing him at right back was when the tide changed. With Madrid inspiring a comeback in both legs of the tie and eventually winning the competition, we needed this game to be on this list. 

Both of these teams will be in the race for the Champions League, with bookmakers Boylesports having both as favourites with Manchester City at 7/4. Real Madrid also sits at lower odds, and it would not be a shock if they both reached the final.

Liverpool 4 vs. 0 Barcelona, 2019

Liverpool has some of the biggest games in Champions League history and arguably the two best comebacks in football as a whole. Going into the second leg, losing 3-0 against a star-studded Barcelona team while missing Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. Origi and Wijnaldum scored a brace each and inspired a comeback that will be remembered forever. Liverpool, of course, went on to win the trophy and cement themselves as one of the best teams in recent memory. 

Ajax 2 vs. 3 Tottenham, 2019

Tottenham had to go away to Ajax after losing the first leg 1-0 at home. The odds were massively against Tottenham, and it got worse when the halftime whistle blew and they were trailing 2-0. The substitution that changed the game was the addition of Lucas Moura. His substitution led to him scoring two goals in quick succession and making the tie slightly in Tottenham’s favour. Then, finally, in the sixth minute of injury time, he popped up again and scored the final goal to make Tottenham progress to their first-ever Champions League final. Every year and every winner of the Champions League has several big games, but 2019 will be remembered as one of the best Champions League seasons in the competition’s history.

Barcelona 6 vs. 1 PSG, 2017

One of the best games the sport has ever witnessed started with the first leg. An incredible 4-0 win for PSG left them feeling very comfortable going into the second leg. Even with the star power of Barcelona and Camp Nou having such a big impact on games, this comeback was still a long shot for the Catalans. 

As the clock got to the 60th minute, Barcelona was already near a full comeback, with the score being 3-0 in their favor. Until a dagger saw Cavani slot home a goal to make it 3-1, making the comeback that much harder. 

Needing three goals to go through, with 5 minutes remaining, Neymar stepped up to get two, meaning they needed one more as the clock continued to tick until a crossed ball from Neymar was met by the boot of Sergi Roberto. With 25 seconds left, the fans were sent into delirium as the comeback was complete and they had turned around the deficit, creating one of the best games of football in the process. 

Conclusion

All of these games being in the last decade go to show how iconic the Champions League is. Games like Liverpool 3-3 against Milan, Manchester United 2-1 against Bayern Munich, etc. This list could go through the history of the competition and pick 100 iconic games. The Champions League will only grow and get better as football does, and it is very exciting for a football fan.