classic uefa champions league quarter-finals and history
Written by Prince Swaggart on March 15, 2013
UEFA.com looks back at some of the competition’s memorable last-eight ties, including a close all-German affair, several rousing comebacks and a record victory in Manchester.
With eight teams left in this season’s UEFA Champions League, including five former winners, UEFA.com recalls some classic quarter-finals to whet the appetite for next month’s ties. All headline scores are aggregate.
1997/98 FC Bayern München 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
The first time two clubs from the same country met in the UEFA Champions League and it proved a tight affair – a goalless first leg in Munich followed by 90 more scoreless minutes at the BVB Stadion Dortmund. Nineteen minutes into extra time, however, Stéphane Chapuisat finally broke through, dispatching a left-foot volley beyond Oliver Kahn’s despairing dive to take the holders into the semi-finals again.
1999/2000 Chelsea FC 4-6 FC Barcelona
Barcelona had it all to do after losing the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, although Luís Figo’s second-half strike offered a glimmer of hope for the return. Rivaldo and Figo duly scored in the first 45 minutes at the Camp Nou to give Barça the edge on away goals, but Tore André Flo replied with his third goal of the tie on the hour and it took Dani García’s 83rd-minute effort to force extra time. There Rivaldo fired Barcelona in front again on aggregate from the penalty spot, yet it was not until Patrick Kluivert made it 5-1 on the night in the 104th minute that the Blaugrana could breathe easily.
2002/03 Real Madrid CF 6-5 Manchester United FC
Leading 3-1 from the Santiago Bernabéu, Ronaldo stretched Madrid’s advantage early on at Old Trafford, setting the stage for an epic encounter. The Brazilian made it 2-1 five minutes after half-time after Ruud van Nistelrooy had equalised, and completed a majestic hat-trick before the hour, subsequently departing the pitch to a standing ovation from the United fans. Those supporters at least had a second-leg victory to cheer as Madrid-bound David Beckham came off the bench to score twice late on.
2003/04 Real Madrid CF 5-5 AS Monaco FC (Monaco win on away goals)
On-loan Madrid striker Fernando Morientes’s late first-leg goal had seemed scant consolation for Monaco, beaten 4-2 in Spain and further behind when Raúl González registered on 36 minutes at the Stade Louis II. Ludovic Giuly levelled in first-half added time, however, and when Morientes made it 2-1 on the night three minutes after the break the fightback was on. This was completed by Giuly’s second and Monaco’s third in the 66th minute. “This shows that in football anything is possible if you believe deep down,” said Monaco coach Didier Deschamps.
2003/04 AC Milan 4-5 RC Deportivo La Coruña
Holders Milan appeared destined for the last four again having won the first leg 4-1 at San Siro, although Depor had form in the comeback department having recovered from 3-0 down to beat Paris Saint-Germain FC in the second group stage three years before. Walter Pandiani set in motion another rousing night at the Riazor with the first goal after five minutes, Juan Carlos Valerón’s header made it 2-0 30 minutes later and Depor were ahead on away goals before the break thanks to Albert Luque’s predatory instincts. Fran’s deflected shot 14 minutes from time clinched the biggest turnaround in UEFA Champions League history.
2006/07 AS Roma 3-8 Manchester United FC
Beaten 2-1 in Rome, United wasted little time in wiping out that deficit; inside 20 minutes of the return, Michael Carrick, Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney had all found the net. Cristiano Ronaldo added two more either side of the interval and Carrick got his second and United’s sixth on the hour. Daniele De Rossi restored a modicum of pride for a shell-shocked Roma, but Patrice Evra completed the highest win in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals nine minutes from time.
2008/09 Liverpool FC 5-7 Chelsea FC
Meeting in the competition for the fifth straight season, Branislav Ivanović’s first-leg double had given Chelsea a 3-1 victory at Anfield and seemingly a place in the semi-finals, but goals in the first half-hour at Stamford Bridge from Fábio Aurélio and Xabi Alonso brought Liverpool back into the tie. Didier Drogba and Alex settled Chelsea nerves, however, before Frank Lampard’s 76th-minute effort left Liverpool needing to score three more. Incredibly, Lucas (81) and Dirk Kuyt (83) got them two-thirds of the way, until Lampard finally ended their challenge in the 89th minute.
2009/10 FC Bayern München 4-4 Manchester United FC (Bayern win on away goals)
Bayern had required late goals from Franck Ribéry and Ivica Olić to overturn Rooney’s second-minute opener in the first leg at the Fußball Arena München, yet that hard-won advantage lasted barely seven minutes in Manchester as Darron Gibson and Nani turned the contest in United’s favour. Nani’s second in the 41st minute left Bayern with it all to do, but they responded magnificently. Olić reduced the arrears within two minutes and Arjen Robben’s sumptuous volley 16 minutes from time took them through on away goals.