Every team to reach the Champions League final after losing the first leg at home | OneFootball

Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tonight.

The Gunners travel to the French capital as underdogs, following defeat in North London a week ago. Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute goal earned PSG a 1-0 win at the Emirates and Arsenal are up against it at the Parc des Princes.

Just twice before has a team lost the first leg of a Champions League semi-final at home and still progressed to the final. Can Arsenal become the third tonight?

Every team to reach the Champions League final after losing the first leg at home

AJAX vs Panathinaikos (1995/96)

After a historic Champions League success in 1995, Ajax were aiming to defend their European crown the following season and required a semi-final comeback to reach the decider.

Louis van Gaal’s side had won the Eredivisie and Champions League without losing a game a season earlier and remained a force in Europe despite the exits of Frank Rijkaard and Clarence Seedorf.

Their hopes of defending the Champions League suffered a big blow in the last four, as Krzysztof Warzych’s 87th-minute winner handed Panathinaikos a 1-0 first-leg win in Amsterdam.

However, Ajax bounced back in Athens. Jari Litmanen was on target twice before Nordin Wooter scored late on to seal a 3-0 win.

Ajax’s impressive performance deflated a 74,000-strong crowd in Greece, while it was heartbreak again for Panathinaikos against the Dutch side. Ajax had previously beaten Panathinaikos in the 1971 European Cup final at Wembley.

Ajax, however, failed to defend their title, losing on penalties to Juventus in the final.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs Ajax (2018/19)

Tottenham Hotspur produced one of the great Champions League comebacks to eliminate Ajax in 2018/19.

Donny van de Beek’s goal earned Ajax a 1-0 win in North London and the Dutch side extended their advantage in the return. Goals from Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech put Ajax on course for a first final appearance in over two decades, with Spurs needing three goals to progress.

Refusing to be beaten, Spurs struck twice in four minutes after half-time. Lucas Moura’s double levelled the score on the night to set up a grandstand finish.

Deep into stoppage time, Spurs snatched it. Jan Vertonghen headed against the crossbar before Moura completed his hat-trick to seal a famous win. The Brazilian’s 96th-minute shot on the swivel evaded Andre Onana to send the North Londoners into a first-ever final on away goals.

Like Ajax in 1996, however, Spurs lost the final. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in an all-English decider.

Read – Declan Rice: Arsenal need ‘big balls’ to reach Champions League final

See more – PSG vs Arsenal – Champions League match preview and team news

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