Best ever UEFA Champions League semi-final ties

Check out our selection of the best ever UEFA Champions League semi-final ties since the competition's rebranding in 1992.

Inter Milan 7-6 Barcelona (2025)

The 2025 UEFA Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona may well go down as the best of all time, with two epic encounters showcasing an exhilarating spectacle of football played at its enthralling best.

The tie began with a bang as Inter forward Marcus Thuram opened the scoring in Barcelona with a delicious flick after just 30 seconds, with the Nerazzurri doubling their advantage through the enterprising Denzel Dumfries after 21 minutes.

Hansi Flick's Barcelona were able to fight back to 2-2 courtesy of goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres to complete a sensational first-half at the Catalans' temporary home of the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

The goals kept on coming in the second period of the first leg, with Dutch international Dumfries adding to his account with a header from a corner before Brazilian Raphinha saw a ferocious drive ricochet off Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer and into the net to level the tie ahead of the return leg in Milan.

If the first leg did not provide enough entertainment, the meeting of Inter and Barcelona at the San Siro was equally pulsating, with Simone Inzaghi's side once again racing into a two-goal lead, this time through Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Like in the first leg, Barcelona showed resilience to rally back into the tie, with Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo finding the net before Raphinha drove home what he must have thought was the semi-final's winning goal in the 87th minute.

It was not to be for the Catalans, however, with veteran defender Francesco Acerbi notching a sensational equaliser in the 93rd minute to send the semi-final into extra time, with Italy international midfielder Davide Frattesi settling the tie with a coolly-taken left-footed effort to book the Nerazzurri a place in the Munich final.

Barcelona 3-4 Liverpool (2019)

Liverpool were able to record one of the great UEFA Champions League comebacks when overcoming a three-goal deficit from a first leg defeat in the Camp Nou in front of a raucous Anfield for a memorable second leg triumph.

A Lionel Messi masterclass inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 win in the first-leg in Catalonia, scoring a brace which included a sensational free-kick to go along with a goal from ex-Liverpool hitman Luis Suarez.

Only on three previous occasions in UEFA Champions League history had teams overturned a three-goal deficit heading into the second leg, and this is exactly what Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were able to achieve in front of their ardent home support in Merseyside.

The Reds' fight-back began courtesy of Belgian striker Divock Orig, who found the net in the seventh minute to send nerves jangling in the Barcelona rearguard.

The half-time arrival of Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum would prove pivotal, with the PSV academy graduate striking twice to level the tie before Origi fired home his second and the tie's winning goal with a memorable finish from a quickly-taken Trent Alexander-Arnold corner.

Real Madrid 6-5 Manchester City (2022)

With 11 goals across two scintillating legs of football, the 2022 UEFA Champions League semi-final clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City is justifiably recalled as an all-timer.

A spectacular first leg at the Etihad saw Pep Guardiola overcome his old rivals Real with City earning a 4-3 victory in Manchester, with four different scorers for the Citizens on the night in the form of Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.

City were able to extend their advantage in the Santiago Bernabeu through Riyad Mahrez with Guardiola and co. likely to be thinking they had all but assured their place in the UEFA Champions League final.

The Citizens would be mistaken for thinking this, however, with Los Blancos - the competition's most successful team ever - striking on three occasions in a remarkable five minute period during injury-time to somehow squeeze their way through to the final.

Brazilian winger Rodrygo notched the first of these two historic goals before Karim Benzema bagged the all-important winner from the penalty spot.

Tottenham 3-3 Ajax (2019)

In the same year as Liverpool's miraculous comeback from a three-goal deficit against Barcelona, the 2019 UEFA Champions League semi-finals also saw Tottenham record their own epic Remontada against Ajax.

The Amsterdam giants secured a 1-0 win away from home in north London courtesy of a Donny van de Beek goal to leave Erik ten Hag's side in a commanding position ahead of the second leg in the Netherlands.

Things would get even better for Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena as the Netherlands' most famous club raced into a two-goal lead through Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech.

What was to unfold next will forever be etched into the brains of Spurs fans, as the Lilywhites were somehow able to recover from 3-0 down on aggregate at half-time in the second leg to prevail on away goals as Brazilian Lucas Moura struck a sensational hat-trick - the third of which found the net in the 96th minute,

Man Utd 4-3 Juventus (1999)

In the year Manchester United became the first English side to win the Treble of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup - the Red Devils were victorious in one of the most entertaining European semi-finals of all time.

Faced with a formidable Juventus side featuring players of the calibre of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and Edgar Davids, Man Utd would travel to Turin for the second leg up against it after sharing a 1-1 draw with the Old Lady at Old Trafford in their home first leg.

Juventus' favouritism ahead of the second leg appeared justified when Filippo Inzaghi struck twice in the first 13 minutes to give the Italian giants a 3-1 lead on aggregate.

Sir Alex Ferguson's United were not to be denied, however, with midfield general Roy Keane delivering an epic performance as the Red Devils roared back to a 3-2 victory.

Keane, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole were the goalscorers on the night, with Man Utd going on to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy following another epic comeback in the final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou.

You can see all the latest UEFA Champions League odds on our dedicated UEFA Champions League hub.