5 greatest comebacks in Champions League history

Bayern Munich's breathtaking display to turn a 4-2 aggregate deficit into a 6-4 victory Wednesday against Juventus was lauded as one of the finest comebacks in Champions League history.

Der BVB's hopes looked dashed until 73 minutes, when Robert Lewandowski nodded in at the far post to mark the first of four goals in 37 minutes of a match that needed extra time.

But does it really rank among the best comebacks the Champions League has seen? Here are the greatest fightbacks in the competition:

1999 - Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich

On May 26, 1999, Manchester United was chasing an unprecedented treble after advancing to the Champions League final to face Bayern Munich. Surly skipper Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were suspended for the showpiece at the Camp Nou, leaving duties in the centre of midfield to Nicky Butt and David Beckham. Jesper Blomqvist started on the left wing, and Jonathan Greening was on the bench.

United was soon toiling due to an early Mario Basler goal, and found itself powerless against a well-organised and resolute defence in front of the seemingly impenetrable Oliver Kahn.

That was until substitutes - 33-year-old Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - shocked the football world in injury time, each breaching the backline to give United its first victory in the continent's elite club competition in 31 years.

2004 - AC Milan 4-5 Deportivo La Coruna

A Kaka-inspired AC Milan was coasting 4-1 from the first leg of its quarter-final meeting with Deportivo La Coruna, and Carlo Ancelotti wasn't going to rest on his laurels in naming another star-studded lineup at the Riazor for the second leg.

But the Galicia host didn't read the script, breaking a defence consisting of Cafu, Guiseppe Pancaro, Alessandro Nesta, and Paolo Maldini on four occasions.

The winner was fittingly scored by Fran Gonzalez, a one-club man and crowd favourite who was approaching his 35th birthday. It was his last season with his local team, who bowed out in the next round to Jose Mourinho's FC Porto.

2004 - Real Madrid 5-5 AS Monaco

In what was a cracking year of quarter-final ties, Fernando Morientes did what Bayern's Kingsley Coman did 12 years later and help knock his own club out of the Champions League.

Despite entering his seventh season with Real Madrid, the forward was deemed surplus to requirements and shipped out to AS Monaco on a season-long loan. Naturally, the teams drew one another in the last eight and Morientes was allowed to play.

His late strike in the first leg seemed a mere consolation for the principality side, especially when Monaco was a further goal down with the second leg at the Stade Louis II, making the aggregate 5-2 in the Spanish giant's favour. But Ludovic Giuly brought Didier Deschamp's side to within two goals, before second-half finishes Morientes and Giuly again put the Ligue 1 outfit through on away goals.

"I'm very happy about Monaco's win," Morientes said, "but I have friends in Madrid who must be having a difficult time."

Monaco was beaten in the finals by Porto.

2005 - AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool

The comeback of all comebacks.

This match is so heavily entrenched in football history that tales outside of the events on the pitch have gone down in folklore.

Liverpool players were apparently angered by AC Milan celebrating a 3-0 advantage during halftime, but a pivotal tweak at the break - withdrawing right-back Steve Finnan for the ever-reliable deep-lying midfielder Dietmar Hamann - turned the game on its head.

A six-minute deluge from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso levelled the occasion, and heroics over the 120 minutes and ensuing penalty shootout from Jerzy Dudek secured Champions League glory.

Rafa "the Gaffer" Benitez hasn't had to buy a glass of Rioja on Merseyside since.

2012 - Napoli 4-5 Chelsea

After the first leg of the Round of 16 clash between Napoli and Chelsea, the London side was reeling. That hurtful 3-1 loss at the Stadio San Paolo and two Premier League outings later, and Andre-Villas Boas was out of a job.

In came former player Roberto Di Matteo, a man with the authority of a paper boy but the enthusiasm of a cheerleader, and he stroked the Blues' egos magnificently.

Frank Lampard's 75th-minute penalty levelled the score 4-4 on aggregate, putting the tilt into overtime at Stamford Bridge. Branislav Ivanovic smashed in the winner during extra time.

Chelsea, incredibly, went on to win the final, trumping Bayern Munich on penalties and therefore healing the scars from the shootout loss to Manchester United four years earlier.