Hope for Man City, Chelsea & Spurs – great Champions League comebacks

It was a tough couple of days last week for the English clubs in the Champions League.

Six sides from the Premier League took part in last-16 first-leg ties, but none of them won.

Two of them – Newcastle and Arsenal – secured draws, against Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, Liverpool lost 1-0 at Galatasaray, while the other three – Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City – all suffered defeats by three-goal margins.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the second legs take place with Spurs, Chelsea and City all needing something memorable against Atletico Madrid, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid respectively.

Portuguese side Sporting also begin three goals behind when they entertain Bodo/Glimt after losing in Norway last week.

But there is hope for those sides that are trailing heavily.

Before this season’s last 16, there have been 51 occasions of a team losing the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie by three or more goals. Four of those have progressed to the next round.

We have taken a look at those instances, as well as Tottenham’s heroic 2019 comeback from 3-0 down with one half left.