Remembering Real Madrid’s ‘Year of the Comeback’ in the UEFA Champions League

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals got off with a bang on April 8th. Over in Munich, goals from captain Lautaro Martinez and Davide Frattesi’s late strike either side of Thomas Muller’s equalizer handed Inter Milan a shock 2-1 win against Bayern. But the biggest stunner without question came at the Emirates.

Arsenal Destroy Shellshocked Real

Arsenal headed into their clash against reigning and record champions Real Madrid as a distinct outsider to progress to the semifinals. The Gunners have faltered in their recent Premier League title bid, with season-ending injuries to both strikers Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus seemingly curtailing their hopes. Many thought that they would struggle against Los Blancos as well, but a masterclass from Mikel Arteta’s side handed them an unforgettable victory on a memorable night.

In a crazy second half, Declan Rice scored not one but two sensational free kicks to hand the Gunners a 2-0 lead. To put his exploits into context, the England international had never scored directly from a free kick in any of his 338 senior club games for either West Ham or Arsenal. He unquestionably impressed Bodog, judging by their recent tweet.

DECLANS ON FIRE 👀

— Bodog (@BodogCA) April 8, 2025

The defensive midfielder turned makeshift striker Mikel Merino then added a third to complete the rout. Now, North London’s finest head over to the Spanish capital as a huge sports betting favorite to progress. Before the first leg got underway, websites offering sports betting online had Real Madrid listed as a +350 third favorite to win the tournament outright this season, with Arsenal out at +700. Those odds have now shifted dramatically, and The Gunners suddenly find themselves as a +300 contender, with the reigning champions pushed all the way out to +2000.

But as any football fan will tell you, this two-legged tie is far from over. Real Madrid’s love affair with the Champions League is unlike anything else, and monumental comebacks on the grandest stage are sort of their thing.

2022’s Fated Run

Throughout Real’s run to the title in 2022, there had to be a higher power at work. On no fewer than three occasions, Los Blancos looked down and out. However, on each occasion, they somehow rallied to emerge victorious. Usually, the trigger was captain and talisman Karim Benzema.

In the round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, the Spanish giants found themselves 2-0 down on aggregate with barely half an hour remaining in the two-legged tie. PSG’s away goal in the Bernabeu, coupled with their 1-0 victory in the home leg, meant that Real needed two quickfire goals or they were going out. Somehow, they found three.

King Karim pulled one back in the 61st minute, and that sent a shockwave through the Bernabeu. Then, he sent the most famous stadium in European football into absolute euphoria. He leveled things up on aggregate in the 76th minute, before completing his hat trick barely two minutes later and somehow giving his side the overall lead in the tie. Despite a strike force of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar, the Parisians couldn’t respond. Real had done the impossible, and they would somehow do it again.

The quarterfinal against Chelsea isn’t talked about much in this run, but perhaps it should be. Real won the first leg away from home 3-1, but then capitulated in the second leg at the Bernabeu and were 3-0 down with just ten minutes remaining. They looked out of ideas. Then, Rodrygo managed to score out of nowhere to tie the contest on aggregate at four goals apiece, before a Benzema penalty in extra time somehow sent Los Blancos through.

Manchester City Miracle

But the biggest comeback of them all happened in the semifinal against Manchester City. The Blues won a 4-3 thriller in the first leg, and then Riyad Mahrez’s 73rd-minute goal gave them an unassailable looking 2-0 lead with not long left. The score remained that way until injury time, and just as it looked like the most storied team in Champions League history was about to be eliminated, all hell broke loose.

Just as he was in the semifinals against Chelsea, Rodrygo was the hero of the hour. He netted two goals in 60 seconds out of absolutely nowhere to force extra time. Then, once again, Benzema would prove the difference maker in the additional period, netting in the 95th minute, and City were unable to respond.

After such a fated run to the final, it’s no surprise that Real ultimately emerged with the trophy. Despite being battered from pillar to post by Liverpool in the Paris showpiece, heroics from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as well as a second-half breakaway winner from Vinicius Junior took the famous Big-Eared Trophy to the Bernabeu once again. Carlo Ancelotti will have to somehow conjure up this energy from out of nowhere if his side are to overturn the three-goal deficit to Arsenal three years on.