Ranking the All-Time Best Champions League Semifinal Matchups

With the 2015 UEFA Champions League semifinals just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to look back at two decades of legendary matches among Europe’s most elite clubs.

This year’s four quarterfinalists—Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid—are all multiple-time champions, but they all had to navigate daunting semifinal matchups in the past to earn their respective shots at glory.

Some of the most memorable, nail-biting and jaw-dropping semis in the modern Champions League era have involved those four clubs facing off against each other—but not exclusively.

From AC Milan to Manchester United and Didier Drogba to Zinedine Zidane, legendary clubs and players have come of age and built their modern mythology in the UCL knockout stages. But which bouts were the best? Which teams turned their desperate battles for survival at the penultimate hurdle into some of the greatest feats of athleticism and skill Europe has ever seen?

Let’s find out by turning back the clock and looking at the 25 best semifinal matchups from two decades of UEFA Champions League action.

25. AC Milan vs. Monaco 1994

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It just wouldn’t feel right to leave the inaugural semifinals off a list dedicated to that phase of the modern Champions League—so here’s the most exciting of the two that 1994 had to offer.

When the competition was reformatted to include knockout stages between the group stage and the final, there was only one stage to speak of: the semifinals. In 1994, the eight teams from the group stage were whittled down to Barcelona vs. Porto and AC Milan vs. Monaco.

Both of those one-off semifinal matches ended with identical 3-0 scorelines, putting the higher-seeded home sides through into the final where AC Milan would beat Barcelona 4-0. However, while the Catalans coasted to their 3-0 victory in the semis, Milan had a slightly more interesting experience against Monaco.

The Rossoneri went up early through Marcel Desailly (pictured above), but they suffered a significant setback when Alessandro Costacurta was sent off after 40 minutes. Determined not to let their advantage slip, however, Milan not only held their lead but also added to it with goals in the 48th and 66th minutes.

The next season, UEFA would again reformat the Champions League to include more teams and a quarterfinals phase.

24. Arsenal vs. Villarreal 2006

TOM HEVEZI/Associated Press

This semifinal tie earns a spot on the list more for historical importance than overwhelmingly exciting action (don’t worry, the rest of this list is dedicated to the exciting matches), but there was still a fair bit of flair to go with the simple scoreline.

In typical Invincibles fashion, Arsene Wenger’s side won the first leg with a score of “one nil to the Arsenal.” Thanks to Kolo Toure’s 41st-minute tap-in, Arsenal would take a slim lead to Spain, but it was s special night for other reasons than the winning goal.

For Arsenal, it was the last time Highbury would play host to a European cup match. The Gunners were set to make the move to the Emirates Stadium, leaving behind all the history of Highbury and the last undefeated Premier League season of 2003/04.

Arsenal would go on to draw the second leg 0-0 and advance to the final against Barcelona (which they would ultimately lose 2-1), but the emotional night at Highbury for legends Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Cesc Fabregas, Freddie Ljungberg and Jens Lehmann will long be remembered in the history of Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

23. AC Milan vs. Inter Milan 2003

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This particular Milan derby in the Champions League semifinals was not the greatest Milan derby in history, but it was classic.

When two teams that share the same stadium meet up in the UCL knockout stages, the away-goals rule may take on a weird feel, but it’s still just as decisive. In the first of two legs at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, AC Milan was declared the “home team,” and they took full advantage by blanking “visiting” rivals Inter Milan.

In the return leg, “home” side Inter Milan found themselves 1-0 down after a first-half stoppage-time strike from Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko. AC Milan then buckled down and committed 24 fouls (compared to Inter’s 15) in an attempt to see out the extremely chippy local affair.

Inter, to their credit, kept pressing for the equalizer—which came through substitute Obafemi Martins in the 86th minute—but they failed to overturn Milan’s advantage.

AC Milan went on to beat Juventus on penalties after a scoreless 120 minutes at Old Trafford. It was their second UCL trophy and sixth European honor.

22. Liverpool vs. Chelsea 2005

The 2004/05 Champions League tournament will always be remembered for Liverpool’s incredible three-goal comeback in the final against AC Milan, but they never would have been in that position were it not for their semifinal bout with Chelsea.

After the first leg ended 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in predictable Jose Mourinho Champions League fashion, there was everything to play for in the second 90. Fans and neutrals alike were hoping for a little more flair at Anfield after the English clubs combined for only three shots on target in London.

Those neutrals (and Reds fans) thankfully didn’t have to wait long to celebrate as Luis Garcia put the home side one goal to the good after just four minutes (highlighted above). Try though they did, Frank Lampard, Tiago, Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba could not find their way to a game-winning away goal.

Liverpool held on for the rest of the 90 minutes and went on to make history with a 3-2 penalty-shootout victory over AC Milan in the final in Istanbul.

21. Manchester United vs. Barcelona 2008

Goals were scarce in this recent matchup, but that wasn’t for lack of trying on either side.

Manchester United were looking for their second Champions League cup in a decade, while their opponents Barcelona were trying to win their second title in just three years. Both sides were practically overflowing with living legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Paul Scholes, Thierry Henry, Gerard Pique (playing for United at the time), Xavi Hernandez and many others.

The first leg at the Camp Nou was a riveting battle that favored the home side (Barca had 16 shots to United’s six), but the match ended scoreless. United and Ronaldo left Spain wondering if the Portuguese’s third-minute penalty miss would come back to haunt them at Old Trafford.

Thanks to Scholes’ excellent 14th-minute goal in the return leg (showed above), however, Ronaldo’s blushes were ultimately spared and United advanced. It was a nerve-wracking 90 minutes, as the Catalans consistently threatened to bag a tie-winning away goal, but it was not to be for Frank Rijkaard’s squad.

United would go on to beat Chelsea on penalties in the first-ever all-English Champions League final.

20. Juventus vs. Nantes 1996

LAURENT REBOURS/Associated Press

Juventus withstood a considerable comeback attempt by the Ligue 1 side in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal tie, but it was never really out of the Bianconeri’s hands. It was still something of a goal fest, though.

Juve grabbed a two-goal lead in the first leg in Turin, thanks to cool finishes by Gianluca Vialli and Vladimir Jugovic in the 49th and 66th minutes, respectively. The home side’s task had been made much easier, however, by Bruno Carotti’s sending off just before halftime.

In addition to the dismissal, Nantes picked up five yellow cards (compared to Juve’s zero), putting their players on thin ice for much of the second half.

Nantes delivered a spirited three-goal rally in just a 40-minute span in the return leg, but it was too little too late—the home side was sunk by Juve’s two away goals. The French side won 3-2 on the night but lost 3-4 on aggregate.

Juventus went on to win the tournament by beating Ajax on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final. It was the Italians’ second European Cup but first Champions League trophy.

19. Ajax vs. Bayern Munich 1995

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Things were tense for Ajax after their 0-0 first leg in Germany. Louis van Gaal’s side had failed to register an all-important away goal at the Olympiastadion, meaning Bayern had the opportunity to take full advantage in Amsterdam.

With this in mind, the Dutch side managed to steady itself with an early Jari Litmanen goal at the Olympisch. The Germans, though, answered with a devastating Marcel Witeczek strike in the 36th minute to put them ahead on away goals.

What followed was an incredible three-goal rally from Ajax in just six minutes of play (41’ Finidi George, 44’ Ronald de Boer, 47’ Litmanen) that put the result of the tie beyond all doubt.

The final aggregate scoreline of 5-2 sent the Dutch side through to a final, where they would beat holders AC Milan 1-0 on Patrick Kluivert’s lone goal.

18. Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid 2012

You might not find a more even matchup from the past decade, which helps to explain why this semifinal went to penalties after two equally exciting legs.

Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich came into the semis off a 4-0 rout of Marseille ready to make a statement. Jose Mourinho’s Madrid had just finished coasting through the easiest draw in UCL quarterfinals history when they were gifted APOEL and proceeded to casually crush the side from Cyprus 8-2.

In the semis, however, things finally got serious.

Bayern took their home leg 2-1, thanks to a 90th-minute finish by Mario Gomez. In the second leg, it was starting to look like a whiteout when Cristiano Ronaldo converted an early penalty and added his second just eight minutes later. The Germans, however, leveled the aggregate scoreline (and grabbed the crucial away goal, as seen in the highlights above) with an Arjen Robben penalty on 27 minutes.

The two sides remained tightly locked through regulation, but overtime saw momentum shift in Bayern’s favor. Though the Germans failed to capitalize on multiple chances, they would eventually finish off Los Blancos with a 3-1 victory in the penalty shootout.

Despite being in their own stadium for the final, Bayern went on to lose to Chelsea on penalties.

17. Juventus vs. Monaco 1998

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This Champions League semifinal looked done and dusted after the first leg—and it pretty much was—but that didn’t stop Thierry Henry and Co. putting up a serious fight in the second leg.

The tie began with Juventus’ 4-1 mauling of visiting Monaco in Turin. A hattrick by Alessandro Del Piero (though the last two goals were from the spot) and a fourth strike for good measure from Zinedine Zidane in the 87th minute seemed to have put the contest out of reach. However, a pesky away goal from Costinha meant the Italians could phone in the return trip to Monaco.

Nikola Amoruso subbed on for Filippo Inzaghi just five minutes into the second leg, but he turned worry into wonder when he scored the Bianconeri’s necessary away goal just 10 minutes later. To their credit, Monaco fought until the end and scored three goals (including one from future legend Henry), but it was not to be.

Juventus won the semifinal 6-4 on aggregate and went on to lose to Real Madrid 1-0 in the cup final.

16. Bayern Munich vs. Dynamo Kyiv 1999

CAMAY SUNGU/Associated Press

Dynamo Kyiv’s best-ever finish in UEFA Champions League history was this trip to the semifinals. It goes without saying that they lost to Bayern Munich in this tie, but the tie itself was an exciting 180 minutes of high-scoring soccer.

The first leg in Ukraine was the more eventful of the two. The home side opened the scoring with a first-half brace from national hero Andriy Shevchenko, and all looked to be going Dynamo’s way. However, Bayern quickly replied through Michael Tarnat on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-1. 

After the break, the Ukrainians looked safe once again thanks to Vitaliy Kosovskiy's finish on 50 minutes. But the Germans had answers once again through Stefan Effenberg and Carsten Jancker in the 78th and 88th-minute marks, respectively. 

At 3-3 on aggregate, the tie was poised to go either way in the second leg. That is to say it was poised until Mario Basler put the home side up 1-0 after 35 minutes. Dynamo couldn’t muster the two goals necessary to advance, and the final berth belonged to the Germans (who would go on to lose 2-1 to Manchester United in that legendary match).

15. Ajax vs. Panathinaikos 1996

DUSAN VRANIC/Associated Press

The Champions League semifinal involved four-time champions of Europe (and, at the time, present Champions League cup holders) Ajax facing off against Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Despite their pedigree, however, the Dutch side found themselves 1-0 down in the tie after a surprising first-leg home defeat. It looked like Ajax would be heading to Greece without having conceded any away goals until the 87th minute, when Krzysztof Warzycha gave the visitors a very valuable souvenir.

With all to do at both ends of the pitch in the second leg, however, current Ajax manager and then-player Frank de Boer’s side took charge and asserted their quality. A fourth-minute goal by Jari Litmanen canceled out the Greeks’ away-goal advantage, and a second strike in the 77th minute put Ajax on firm footing.

Substitute Nordin Wooter’s 86th-minute goal put the tie beyond any doubt and sent Ajax through to the final with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline.

14. Porto vs. Deportivo De La Coruna 2004

PAULO DUARTE/Associated Press

Though notable for its historical significance, the semifinal segment of Jose Mourinho’s rise to Champions League glory is overshadowed by other matches in the campaign, so it doesn’t rank it quite as highly on this list as some fans of the Portuguese manager might like.

When we look back at the “Special One’s” European campaign with Porto, his earlier 3-2 aggregate victory over favored Manchester United and later 3-0 triumph over Monaco in the final tend to overshadow the semi against Deportivo. The tie between Porto and Deportivo wasn’t boring, but it wasn’t an action thriller either.

The first leg featured consistently physical challenges from both sides that ultimately boiled over when Jorge Andrade was sent off in the 86th minute for an ungentlemanly gesture toward Deco. The home side looked the better of the two teams in attack, as they outshot Deportivo by 11 attempts to one.

The second leg (and the overall tie) was decided by a Derlei penalty after a foul on Deco in the 60th minute. Deportivo’s mad dash to score two unanswered goals in the final 30 minutes and save their dream of reaching the final were undone when captain Nourredine Naybet picked up a second yellow for fouling Paulo Ferreira.

Porto went on to win the cup with a 3-0 win over Monaco.

13. Borussia Dortmund vs. Manchester United 1997

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Dortmund came into the 1997 semifinal after a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory over Auxerre, while Manchester United had just seen off Porto thanks to a dominant 4-0 first-leg exhibition. Regardless of the previous scorelines, however, the Germans were the underdogs in their head-to-head matchup with the Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils.

In the first leg, BVB’s boisterous home crowd propelled the Germans to an impressive 1-0 win through Rene Tretschok's strike in the 76th minute. Without an away goal, Sir Alex’s men knew they would have to come out with intensity right from the first whistle at Old Trafford—and they certainly did.

The Red Devils came out of the gates with intent, but the Manchester faithful were stunned when Lars Ricken opened the scoring for Dortmund just eight minutes in. The Germans spent the next 82 minutes trying to hold on to their two-goal lead against frantic pressure.

Dortmund survived Manchester United’s determined and relentless attacks at Old Trafford in the second leg to come out 1-0 winners at the Theatre of Dreams (2-0 on aggregate). It was an impressive underdog performance to be sure to get BVB to the final, where a 3-1 victory over favorites Juventus earned the club its first European trophy.

12. Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea 2014

Though he did not win FIFA’s Coach of the Year award, Diego Simeone absolutely deserved that kind of recognition when he thwarted Jose Mourinho’s Champions League ambitions in 2014.

The Portuguese manager clearly went into the tie with the intention of banking on Chelsea’s defense, as he so often does. However, he clearly hadn’t planned for Simeone and Co. to bring a bulldozer to his parked-bus fight.

The first leg played out to Mourinho’s liking (with the exception of losing goalkeeper Petr Cech and captain John Terry to injury), as the Blues did not concede a goal in the hostile Vicente Calderon. Aside from the injuries, though, not much happened in Spain.

But in the second leg (highlights above), Atletico showed their true colors. The Blues went ahead through former Atletico striker Fernando Torres in the 36th minute and looked set to clamp down on defense until Adrian Lopez bagged the crucial away goal just before halftime.

Forced to come out of their shell to try to score another goal, Chelsea left themselves open to Atletico’s incisive attacks and were made to pay.

Diego Costa hammered home a penalty after being taken down by substitute Samuel Eto’o (aka Mourinho’s forced tactical attempt to score another goal). Arda Turan then added a third in the 72nd minute and put the tie to bed.

Chelsea were favored to go through after the initial draw—and even more favored after going up 1-0 at Stamford Bridge—but Simeone’s ferocious team rose to the occasion and refused to let the Blues walk over them into the final. Atletico would go on to fall to Real Madrid in the championship match, but they deserve credit for their semifinal masterclass in London that silenced the critics of their pedigree.

11. Bayer Leverkusen vs. Manchester United 2002

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When it comes to making away goals count, Bayer Leverkusen had Manchester United’s number in their 2002 Champions League semifinal.

Leverkusen found themselves in an early hole when Boris Zivkovic conceded an own goal in the 29th minute of the first leg, but the Germans rallied through a Michael Ballack rocket inside the box. The back-and-forth trend continued as Ruud van Nistelrooy converted a penalty on 67 minutes and Oliver Neuville leveled eight minutes later.

All things were square on the scoreboard, but Leverkusen knew they were taking home a significant advantage from Old Trafford.

In the return leg, the Red Devils once again took the early lead through captain Roy Keane’s 28th-minute deft clip into an open net. Neuville had the answer again, however. He responded with a blistering first-time blast into the roof of the net from the edge of the area during first-half stoppage time, allowing his side to go through on away goals.

The Germans held on through a second half of intense United pressure and a maddening four minutes of stoppage time to seal their famous victory over Sir Alex Ferguson.

Leverkusen would go on to lose to Real Madrid 2-1 in the final, but coming from behind against a Red Devils team featuring Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Fabien Barthez, Van Nistelrooy (who led the UCL with 10 goals that season), Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is nothing if not worthy of commendation.

10. Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich 2014

Real Madrid’s quest for La Decima was in its grueling 12th year, and Los Blancos had grown impatient to say the least. Unfortunately for the fans, they found themselves drawn against the 2013 champions Bayern Munich in a semifinal of European soccer royalty (Bayern had five European trophies of their own).

With the attacking talents of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery and Mario Mandzukic facing off against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria, the tie promised a show of world-class firepower. And it delivered—though not how most would have expected.

To the shock of many, the goalscoring was all one-way traffic. Real blew the holders out of the water with a 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu followed by a 4-0 mauling (highlights above) in Germany. 

Ronaldo’s brace in the second leg gave him 16 goals for the campaign and broke the 14-goal season record he and Lionel Messi had previously shared. The Portuguese would go on to add a last-minute penalty in Real’s 4-1 victory over rivals Atletico Madrid in final for an unreal total of 17.

9. Juventus vs. Real Madrid 2003

Juventus vs. Real Madrid in 2003 was such a star-studded affair it should be required viewing for any course on the all-time legends of the game. Here’s just a glimpse of what these two sides had to offer fans and neutrals alike:

Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Gianluigi Buffon, Antonio Conte, Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet.

And, despite having two of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play the game, this tie happily turned into a real shootout.

Madrid took the first leg at the Bernabeu, thanks to strikes by Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos either side of halftime. However, Juve managed to grab a crucial away goal through Trezeguet in the 45th minute to take back home. Things were still very much alive for the trip to Italy.

In the second leg (highlights above), the tide quickly turned in favor of the Italians. The Frenchman added another in the 12th minute to put Juve ahead on away goals, and the Bianconeri pressed their advantage. Buffon made an incredible save on Figo’s penalty in the 67th minute, and Del Piero and Nedved scored in the 43rd and 73rd minutes, respectively, to seemingly put the tie to bed.

Zidane’s 89th-minute response managed to destabilize the tie once again, as Los Blancos would need only one more to advance through away goals, but Juve ultimately saw it out for the 4-3 aggregate win.

Juventus would end up losing to AC Milan on penalties in the final, but that result doesn’t take away from the feast that was their celestial semifinal bout with Real Madrid.

8. Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid 2013

It looked like Madrid caught a break when they drew Borussia Dortmund instead of El Clasico rivals Barcelona or eventual champions Bayern Munich in the 2013 semifinals, but it only took one leg to show the overconfident fans just how wrong they were.

A four-goal masterclass by Robert Lewandowski at the BVB Stadion left Real reeling (as highlighted above). Cristiano Ronaldo gave Los Blancos a lifeline with a 43rd-minute away goal, but their decade-long dream of La Decima once again looked in shambles.

But Madrid rallied.

With relentless attacking, nearly 60 percent possession and 10 shots on target in the return leg, belief was very much alive. Late goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos at the Santiago Bernabeu gave the home side hope of a stoppage-time comeback, but Dortmund were ultimately able to hold on in the closing minutes.

BVB’s demolition job in the first leg coupled with Real’s frantic fight for survival (and near escape) in the second made for a truly riveting 180 minutes.

7. AC Milan vs. Manchester United 2007

Sometimes comebacks in the Champions League are close-run things poised on a knife edge for the entirety of the second leg. Other times they are an emphatic statement that practically erases the first-leg loss from fans’ collective memory. 

AC Milan vs. Manchester United in 2007 falls in that second category.

Milan came into the semifinal off a 4-2 aggregate victory over a subpar Bayern Munich side, while United were fresh off a 7-1 mauling (8-3 on aggregate) of Roma. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men looked set to carry that momentum all the way into the final after beating the Rossoneri 3-2 in the first leg, thanks to a Wayne Rooney brace and a third goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kaka and Co., however, had other ideas.

The Brazilian added to his first-leg brace (highlighted above) with an 11th-minute goal in the second match. Clarence Seedorf buried Milan’s second about 20 minutes later, and the Rossoneri never looked back.

Substitute Alberto Gilardino’s 78th-minute curling shot around Edwin van der Sar essentially put the tie to bed and set up Milan with a UCL final rematch with Liverpool.

AC Milan dominated the second leg against United and went on to defeat Liverpool 2-1 in the final. Kaka, thanks in part to his huge three-goal contribution against the Red Devils, took home the Champions League golden boot (10 goals total) and went on to claim the 2007 Ballon d’Or.

6. Chelsea vs. Barcelona 2012

The most recent of a number of classic run-ins between Chelsea and Barcelona in the Champions League, this semifinal bout was a pendulum of drama from start to finish.

Chelsea took the first leg 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, thanks to (who else?) Didier Drogba. The Blues defense successfully blanked Barcelona’s attempts to score a crucial away goal—despite Alexis Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez both hitting the woodwork—so the pressure was on the Blaugrana at both ends of the pitch heading back to the Nou Camp.

In the return leg, first-half goals from Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta instilled hope in the home crowd. However, a superb away goal from Ramires just three minutes later knocked the Blaugrana back again with the finish line in sight.

Knowing one more goal would see them through, Barcelona threw every ounce of their considerable attacking talent forward in the second half. But the Catalans where ultimately caught out and finished off by a classy Fernando Torres dagger in the 92nd minute (highlighted above by Gary Neville’s unforgettable “scoregasm” commentary celebration).

The fact that hope was well and truly alive for both sides throughout the two legs is what made this a tie neither team (or neutral) could look away from.

5. Inter Milan vs. Barcelona 2010

“Hello, world. It’s me, the Special One. Again.”

Fabricated Jose Mourinho quotes aside, Inter Milan vs. Barcelona was the defining moment of the 2010 Champions League. It was the moment Mourinho’s “anti-Barcelona,” anti-soccer tactics dethroned the modern Beautiful Game’s most aesthetically pleasing team.

Some called it a victory for the underdog—others an affront to the lofty ideals of Total Football—but the philosophical debate it sparked goes on to this day.

The only thing that is certain is Inter advanced 3-2 on aggregate after managing a shock 3-1 victory in their home leg and controversially (as seen in the above highlights) holding the Blaugrana to a 1-0 victory in Barcelona.

Since Barcelona had Pedro Rodriguez’s away goal from the first leg, they were still very much alive in the return (especially after Thiago Motto was sent off in the 28th minute). Even though Gerard Pique scored a magnificent goal in the 84th minute, Bojan Krkic had the winner incorrectly disallowed just minutes later and the Catalans went out.

Inter went through to the final and beat Bayern Munich 2-0 for the crown, setting up Mourinho’s eventful move to Real Madrid that summer.

4. Chelsea vs. Liverpool 2008

Before Fernando Torres became a Chelsea man, he played against the Blues in one of the greatest Champions League semifinals in history.

The first leg looked to be going Liverpool’s way after Dirk Kuyt scored in the 43rd minute, but a headed own goal by John Arne Riise in the final moments of stoppage time gave Chelsea a slight advantage heading back to London.

In the return leg, goals weren’t nearly as scarce.

Didier Drogba opened his account in the tie with a low strike in the 33rd minute, only to see it answered by El Nino in the 64th minute with a low finish of his own (highlighted above). When neither side could break the 2-2 aggregate scoreline in regulation, the contest went to overtime.

Frank Lampard converted a penalty after substitute Sami Hyypia felled Michael Ballack in the box. Drogba (his name appears a lot on this list) added his second 105 minutes in, and it looked like Chelsea were home safe.

Ryan Babel sent Blues hearts a-pounding once again, however, with a goal in the 117th minute, but it proved too little too late for the Merseysiders.

This match served as something of a historical turning point, as Liverpool (the 2005 champions) began fading from the European spotlight to make room for the 2008 finalists (who eventually lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United on penalties) and 2012 champions Chelsea.

3. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid 2011

What could be better than El Clasico in the Champions League semis? (Well, El Clasico in the final—but the semifinal is still pretty close.) 

With the pinnacle of European club silverware on the line, the tension between these rivals (and their managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho) was at an epic high.

Barcelona had humiliated Los Blancos 5-0 in November 2010, tied them 1-1 in April and lost 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final just days later.

The first leg of their UCL rendezvous would come just a week after that Copa del Rey final, and it seemed like Mourinho had finally figured out how to stifle the Blaugrana attacking threat. The self-annointed “Special One,” however, would soon realize no one can shut down Lionel Messi for long.

After Pepe (aka Messi’s human ball and chain) was dismissed by a red card in the 61st minute, the little Argentine broke the deadlock at the Santiago Bernabeu to give Barcelona a crucial away goal in the 76th minute. He then added a second in the 87th minute to put Guardiola’s side on comfortable footing (highlighted above).

Marcelo scored an away goal with almost 30 minutes left to play in the second leg, but Barcelona ultimately won the tie 3-1 on aggregate and went on to take the title over Manchester United by the same scoreline.

The final two acts (aka the UCL semis) of the 2011 “Spanish Soccer War of Attrition” between Barcelona and Real saw 11 yellow cards, two reds and all the drama you would expect from a Clasico with a European title on the line.

2. Barcelona vs. Chelsea 2009

Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea organized every bit of Chelsea’s brawn to stymie Barcelona in the first leg of their 2009 semifinal clash. With the aggregate score at 0-0, there was everything to play for in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

It seemed like the Blues were content to let the tie go to penalties, but a monstrous strike from Michael Essien in the ninth minute turned the tide in Chelsea’s favor early. A single away goal from Barcelona would send the Blaugrana through, but a clean sheet would do the same for Chelsea.

It was as finely poised a match as you’ll ever see, and in true climactic fashion, it was decided by an absolute wonderstrike in the deepest depths of stoppage time (in this case: the 93rd minute).

Barcelona’s Eric Abidal was sent off in the 66th minute, stacking the odds even more against the visitors. The Blaugrana had yet to register a shot on target in 10 attempts, and Dani Alves had been blasting his crosses into Row Z of Stamford Bridge all night long. But just when all hope seemed lost, Andres Iniesta stepped up to divine a winner for the ages (shown in the video above).

It was one of the rare marriages of perfect timing and pure golazo skill that actually warranted a prolonged exclamation of “Goooool!” from commentators worldwide. The quiet man who would go on to win the World Cup for Spain one year later was just giving the planet a preview of what was to come.

Barcelona would go on to beat Manchester United 2-0 in the final with one of the greatest squads in the history of the game.

1. Manchester United vs. Juventus 1999

LUCA BRUNO/Associated Press

What typified the 1999 Red Devils more than their never-say-die attitude and unimaginable feats of stoppage-time resurrection? Well, David Beckham’s hair, we guess—but it’s mostly the stoppage-time heroics thing.

Manchester United will be forever remembered for their 2-1 comeback victory in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich, but that wasn’t the first time they performed a Houdini-esque escape act in that year’s Champions League.

Six Alex Ferguson’s crew found itself facing Zinedine Zidane and the 1996 champions Juventus in a semifinal first leg at Old Trafford.

Bianconeri captain Antonio Conte put the visitors ahead with a precious away goal after 25 minutes, and it was a serious blow.

For the rest of the match, Juve thought they’d be leaving the Theatre of Dreams as 1-0 victors, but Ryan Giggs had other plans. The United legend salvaged a 1-1 draw with a goal in the 92nd minute and gave the Red Devils hope going into the second leg.

Still smarting from their last-minute defensive lapse, Juventus came out swinging in Italy. They went ahead early through Filippo Inzaghi’s 11-minute brace and looked to be in control, but United stormed back with goals from captain Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke in the 24th and 34th minutes, respectively.

Suddenly the advantage was United’s—even though Juve still only needed one more goal to go through with the tie poised at 3-3 after three halves of play. In the 83rd minute, however, the Red Devils finally sealed their progression with Andy Cole’s strike.

It wasn't the final against Bayern Munich, but United needed a special semifinal against Juventus just to get there. In this case, “special” might be an understatement.

All stats courtesy of UEFA.com unless otherwise noted.