Liverpool have enjoyed some memorable and historic occasions in European competition.
The Reds have won 20 top-flight titles throughout their illustrious history and been crowned champions of Europe six times as well.
With the hunt for yet more silverware continuing, Arne Slot doesn’t have to look far for inspiration as he targets yet another come-from-behind spectacular on the European stage.
Liverpool trail Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate after a first-leg defeat in the French capital, where they were well beaten on the day by the Champions League holders. Yet Anfield has a history of reversing their fortunes on such occasions as this.
The Sporting News details the most famous and influential comeback victories for Liverpool in European competition.
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Liverpool’s best Champions League comebacks
Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (2025 Champions League final)
The greatest and most famous comeback in the history of the Champions League final belongs to Liverpool, as the Reds reversed a 3-0 halftime deficit in Istanbul to draw 3-3 with AC Milan, securing the title on a penalty shootout.
Milan scored in the first minute of the match through Paolo Maldini, before Hernan Crespo bagged a five-minute double shortly before the break.
That left Steven Gerrard and his Liverpool side seeking answers in the dressing room, where manager Rafa Benitez brought Steve Finnan off and installed Dietmar Hamann in his place. The rest is history: Gerrard scored the first in the 54th minute, followed shortly by a goal from Vladimir Smicer and a third on the hour mark by Xabi Alonso.
Eventually, the game would progress to a penalty shootout, where Serginho and Andrea Pirlo missed the first two takes for AC Milan, the latter saved by Jerzy Dudek, putting them behind early. The decisive moment came when Dudek saved Andriy Shevchenko’s effort down the middle, and Liverpool were European champions.
Liverpool 4-3 Barcelona (2018/19 Champions League semifinal)
After losing the first leg of their 2018/19 Champions League semifinal by a heavy 3-0 score at the Camp Nou, Liverpool looked done and dusted. With Lionel Messi leading the opposition, the Reds were simply outclassed in the opening 90 minutes.
Thus, the turnaround at Anfield in the return leg seemingly came out of nowhere. Divock Origi gave Liverpool hope early on with a seventh-minute goal, but at halftime the 3-1 deficit still felt somewhat out of reach. Then came the masterstroke from Jurgen Klopp, who brought Georginio Wijnaldum in at the break for Andy Robertson. The Dutchman scored twice in quick succession just before the hour mark to level the aggregate, and with all the momentum on their side, Origi put the finishing touches on the turnaround.
The memorable moment from this match came on the winning goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold took a quick corner, catching Barcelona off guard and leading to Origi’s elation.
Liverpool 3-1 Olympiacos (2004/05 Champions League group stage)
The famed Istanbul comeback never would have happened had Liverpool not reversed their fortunes in the final group-stage match.
Going into the game against Olympiacos, Liverpool needed to win to advance. They had previously lost in Piraeus and were beaten by Monaco on the road as well. With qualification to the knockout stage suddenly in jeopardy, the Reds were pegged back early by a 26th-minute goal from Rivaldo, and their fortunes seemed grim.
They got back on level terms shortly after the second half restart, as Florent Sinama Pongelle scored an equaliser, but they still had more work to do. Then, the magic happened late on as Neil Mellor struck in the 81st minute, before Gerrard put the game away five minutes after to cap off a 3-1 victory that saw Liverpool qualify for the knockout stage on goal differential.
Liverpool 3-2 Saint-Etienne (1976/77 European Cup quarterfinal)
Still relatively new on the European stage, Liverpool qualified for the 1976/77 European Cup having won the First Division the previous year. The last time they were in the European Cup field, they had gone out in the second round of the 1973/74 tournament.
So as they blazed through Crusaders and Trabzonspor to reach the quarterfinals, they matched up against French side Saint-Etienne who, at the time, had won eight Ligue 1 titles in the last decade and reached the European Cup final the previous season.
A 1-0 defeat in the first leg on the road left Liverpool in a hole, but Anfield delivered in historic fashion. Kevin Keegan scored in the second minute of the second leg to level up the aggregate, but Dominique Bathenay bagged his second goal of the tie shortly after halftime to put Saint-Etienne back in front.
That was when Liverpool reversed the scoreline for good, as Ray Kennedy struck on the hour mark before David Fairclough sent the Reds through with an 84th-minute strike. Liverpool would go on to lift their first-ever European Cup title, as they beat Zurich 6-1 in the semifinals before a 3-1 final win over Borussia Monchengladbach.