Bayern Munich stages epic comeback to defeat Juventus in extra time

In the first leg of this last-16 Champions League tie, it was Juventus that erased a 2-0 deficit to draw level.

On Wednesday, it was Bayern Munich.

But one of the most enthralling matchups in recent Champions League history finally had its winner in extra time. Substitutes Thiago Alcantara and Kingsley Coman capped a relentless comeback from the Bavarians and a 6-4 win on aggregate, undoing all the hard work the Bianconeri did in the early stages.

Strikes from Paul Pogba and Juan Cuadrado in the opening 28 minutes produced a 2-0 advantage, putting Juventus in a fantastic position to mount an incredible coup at the Allianz Arena. Bayern pressed and pressed and pulled back a goal later in the second half through Robert Lewandowski - and then, in the 91st minute, Thomas Muller dispatched a solid header to force an additional 30 minutes.

Related - VIDEO: Thomas Muller scores 91st-minute goal to force extra time

The Juventus players, with their legs tiring, couldn't keep the pace. Thiago struck the winner and Coman added insurance on a memorable evening in Munich.

Substitutions prove the difference for Bayern

Pep Guardiola and Max Allegri had contrasting options off the bench, and the difference in quality showed at the most crucial time.

The first change came after the interval. Guardiola saw how Alvaro Morata burned defender Mehdi Benatia on the enterprising run that set up Juve's second goal, and replaced the Moroccan with Juan Bernat, a more offensive weapon.

Fifteen minutes later, former Juventus teenager Coman emerged from the dugout. He added pace and presence to the right wing, and he provided the cross that set up Muller's eventual equalising header.

Thiago's switch for Franck Ribery in the 101st minute provided the injection that put Bayern over the top. Thiago got involved immediately, cooly slotting the winning goal past Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Guardiola has trusted Thiago since his time at Barcelona, and that trust is key in desperate situations like this one.

Allegri - who could only call upon the unfit Mario Mandzukic, the inexperienced Stefano Sturaro, and the largely unused Roberto Pereyra - had to take off arguably his most instrumental players in the second leg.

Morata, who led Juventus with four shots on target, couldn't last 120 minutes of football, and Cuadrado began to lose his concentration in the defensive end. It was in the final 30 minutes of regular time that we saw the impact of the the injuries to Giorgio Chiellini, Paulo Dybala, and Claudio Marchisio. The starting XI looked fine without them, but the bench suffered for it.

Morata an inspiration in Champions League

The 23-year-old Spaniard seems to save his best for the biggest moments. Had Dybala not suffered a calf injury in training, Morata may not have even had the opportunity to start in this encounter. But he was Juve's most influential player in attack.

Morata didn't get the goal he deserved - the linesman incorrectly ruled his looping effort offside - but he registered his name on the scoresheet anyway. His 40-metre run from his own half was a tour de force. He left several Bayern players for dead and slipped a perfect pass for Cuadrado, who waited for Philipp Lahm to bite before beating goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Related - VIDEO: Juan Cuadrado completes phenomenal counter-attack from Juventus

Thanks to the emergence of Dybala, Morata has been a substitute as much as he has been a starter this season. But his record in Europe is unquestionable: He has five goals and two assists in his last nine Champions League matches, which just happened to be in the knockout stages.

Juventus left thinking what could've been

Juventus actually finished the matches with more shots on target (11) than Bayern (7), despite the disparity in possession. The home side kept 70.1 percent of the ball and completed 90 percent of its passes, and for long stretches, Juventus seemed content to maintain its shape at the back and strike on the counter-attack.

The feeling of regret is still real. Morata could've scored in the second half, instead sending the ball into the grateful arms of Neuer, and Mandzukic had his own opportunity inches from the goal in extra time. Those chances could've changed everything.

It's not like two away goals at the Allianz Arena are easy enough to get. Bayern has only shipped that many goals at home on one previous occasion this season - a fluke 2-1 loss to Mainz - and the Champions League is an entirely different proposition.

And Bayern is never out of a game until the final whistle. Guardiola demands at least that much from his team, from the first minute until the last.

"Football results depend on chances," said Gianluigi Buffon. "They attacked a lot in the second half and they took advantage of their chances. It's always a pity to concede a goal in the last minute of a game, but I'm proud of my team. This is a defeat that should make us understand that we are better than last season. We are going out with our heads held high."