Manchester City v Spurs: Where does Champions League "classic" rank in competition's great games? - CNN

    Manchester City v Spurs: Where does Champions League "classic" rank in competition's great games?

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    (CNN)Five goals in the first half. Seven by full-time. And another, potentially decisive strike, dramatically ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) in injury time.

    Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur had absolutely everything.
    With Spurs holding a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg, the lead and momentum shifted multiple times at the Etihad stadium. When the dust settled, it was the London club that was victorious, triumphing on away goals and ending City's dreams of an unprecedented trophy quadruple.
      One English newspaper described the encounter as an "inconceivable classic" while others said it was "extraordinary" and "unbelievable."
        But how does it rank against the competition's greatest and most memorable matches?
        Here's a look back at some of the best.
        Obviously, the list is not exhaustive, and there have been far too many great games to include them all. Still, let us know which ones we missed out on by leaving a comment on our Facebook page.

          Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, 2005 final

          Arguably the greatest European final of all time. Liverpool looked to be on the end of a drubbing after an early goal from Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernan Crespo, the second of which saw the Argentine latch onto one a sublime through ball from the Brazilian international Kaka, gave pre-match favorites Milan a 3-0 halftime lead.
          But a rousing 15 minutes at the start of the second period saw Liverpool's captain-fantastic, Steven Gerrard pull one back before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso leveled matters.
          Extra time couldn't separate the sides so penalties were required. Serginho and Andrea Pirlo missed for Milan before Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saved the decisive kick from Andrei Shevchenko to give Liverpool an unlikely and remarkable win.
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          Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan, 2004 quarterfinal

          Sorry Milan fans, here's another match you'd probably rather forget. Leading Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 from the quarter-final first leg at the San Siro, Milan traveled to north-western Spain as firm favorites to see out the tie.
          But Depor had other ideas as goals from Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron and Albert Luque put them ahead on aggregate using the away goals rule before halftime. Fran added a fourth in the second period to secure victory.
          Depor's surprise comeback was one of a number of upsets in the 2003-04 Champions League that saw an FC Porto side, coached by a young Jose Mourinho, win an unlikely final against Monaco.

          Manchester United 4-3 Real Madrid, quarterfinal 2003

          Manchester United may have won this game but it was all about Real Madrid and the devastating finishing of Ronaldo.
          Real had won the first leg 3-1 in the Spanish capital and a hat-trick from the Brazilian superstar meant Los Blancos would claim a 6-5 aggregate victory across the tie.
          Ronaldo's third goal, in particular, was a standout as he crashed an arrowing drive beyond Fabien Barthez in the United goal.
          Although United battled ably and the momentum shifted a number of times across the match, which also featured a stunning David Beckham free-kick, it was one Real and Ronaldo firmly deserved to win
          United fans even gave "O Fenomeno" a standing ovation as he was substituted late in the game.
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          Monaco 8-3 Deportivo la Coruna, 2004 group stages

          At the time, this was the highest scoring standalone Champions League match ever. While it might not have had the see-saw drama of Wednesday's City v Spurs matchup, it was a goalfest for the ages.
          Croatian striker, Dado Prso, scored four while Jerome Rothen, Ludovic Giuly, Jaroslav Plasic and Edouard Cisse were also on target as Monaco cut loose.
          Although the Spanish side was humbled, it would go on to reach the semifinals after a dramatic comeback against Milan (see above) before succumbing to eventual winners Porto in the semifinals.

          Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich, 1995 semifinal

          After a goalless first leg in Munich, few expected this high-stakes affair to prove so entertaining.
          The flying-Finn, Jari Litmanen put Ajax on its way but Bayern promptly leveled through Marcel Witeczek. Unperturbed, the Dutch team took control of the game before halftime with strikes from Finidi George and Ronald De Boer. Litmanen added another shortly after the break.
          Bayern battled to get back into the game and did pull one back through a Mehmet Scholl penalty. But Marc Overmars extended the lead for Louis van Gaal's young Ajax side with a late strike to make it 5-2.
          Ajax would go on to defeat Milan in the final in Vienna.
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          Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint Germain, 2017 round of 16

          The FC Barcelona of Lionel Messi has achieved some magical things over the last 15 years. But this is right up there with the best of them. After a 4-0 pummelling in the Paris first leg, the Catalan club required all of their legendary firepower to overcome a strong PSG in the return.
          Luis Suarez, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and a Lionel Messi penalty put Barca 3-0 up and the comeback looked very much on. But Edinson Cavani scored what seemed like the vital away goal for PSG just after the hour mark.
          That meant Barcelona needed another three goals to go through. As the clocked ticked down, such a scenario looked increasingly unlikely with PSG spurning a number of good chances. But Neymar gave Barca feint hope with a 88th minute free-kick. Two minutes later a second penalty was awarded and duly dispatched by the Brazilian. The momentum was heading only one way, but time was running out. Step forward Sergi Roberto, an unlikely hero, who stretched to score from Neymar's dinked cross and send the Nou Camp into raptures.
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            Prior to this game there had been 213 European games since 1955 where the first leg of a tie had finished 4-0. Such a deficit had never been overturned -- until the Barcelona of Messi, Neymar and Suarez faced down PSG.