Juventus’ Best UEFA Champions League Comebacks | OneFootball

Juventus delivered a classic on the opening night of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. After a drab first half of their home encounter with Borussia Dortmund, the second stanza burst into life, and the visitors looked to be heading back to Germany with three huge points as they led 4-2 in the 93rd minute. What followed was a stunning display of the character that defines this historic club.

Vlahović and Kelly Steal a Surprise Point

First, Dusan Vlahović pulled one back in the 94th minute, firing home to cut the deficit to a single goal. Hope flickered. Then, just two minutes later, an unlikely hero emerged. Defender Lloyd Kelly, who had earlier conceded a penalty, rose highest to meet a cross and headed home a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser. The final whistle blew on a scarcely believable 4-4 draw, a match where all eight goals were scored after the 51st minute.

Despite the thrilling comeback, the bookies still don’t consider Juve Champions League contenders this season. Websites offering betting on football list them as a lengthy 66/1 shot to leave Budapest with the trophy next May, well behind the frontrunners such as Liverpool and PSG (both 6/1).

One thing that the opening European night of the season taught us, however, was that the Bianconeri simply love a European comeback. Here are some other classics from over the years.

2017/18: Wembley Subdued—The Dybala & Higuaín Heist

Despite their Europa League success last season. Spurs are hardly one of Europe’s big boys in modern times. The latest Premier League odds make them a 50/1 shot to be crowned champions of England this season, as well as a 10/3 outsider to even finish in the top four. Back in 2018, however, with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm and Harry Kane up top, Tottenham were a different proposition entirely.

Juventus met Spurs in the last 16 of the 2017/18 Champions League, and the English outfit managed a comeback of their own in the first leg in Turin, rallying from two goals down to draw 2-2. And in a time when the away goals rule was still in effect, Poch’s side will have been feeling like they had one foot in the quarterfinals.

In the second leg at Wembley – with Spurs playing their home games there while their state-of-the-art new stadium was under construction – the hosts flew out of the blocks, taking a first-half lead through Heung-min Son. As the second half progressed, Juventus required two away goals with just over half an hour to play. The odds were nosebleed high.

What followed was a passage of football that only the most impervious cynic could call anything but iconic. In the 64th minute, Gonzalo Higuaín pounced from close range to net his third goal of the tie. Then, just three minutes later, with Spurs still reeling, Paulo Dybala broke clear, latching onto a clever pass, and finished with cold-blooded precision into Hugo Lloris’ top corner.

Two attacks, two goals, three minutes of chaos. Juventus, battered for an hour, managed to flip the tie on its head, silencing Wembley and progressing to the quarterfinals.

2018/19: Ronaldo’s Reckoning Against Atlético

No player in history embodies Champions League glory quite like Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus acquired him from Real Madrid for moments exactly like their Round of 16 showdown with Atlético Madrid. The first leg in Spain? Atrocious—a 2-0 loss, defensive lapses, and Spanish arrogance radiating from every seat at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Atleti faithful goaded the Bernabeu legend and every turn, but in Turin, CR7 would have his revenge.

Ronaldo dragged Juve back into the tie with two powerful headers, bullying Atleti defenders to win the ball on both occasions. Then, the Bianconeri were handed a late penalty, providing the Portuguese icon the perfect opportunity to seal his hat trick and his side’s progression at the same time. With the tie on a knife-edge and the whole of Italy holding its breath, Ronaldo dispatched past Jan Oblak with nuclear calm.

A hat-trick, a 3-2 aggregate turnaround, and the kind of Champions League night that burrows into the soul of a club. Ronaldo cemented his legendary status in Turin with 43rd, 49th, and 86th-minute strikes. Atlético delivered only regrets.