The Greatest European Comebacks in Real Madrid History
2. Derby County – 1975
The first epic European comeback occurred in 1975 when Real Madrid took on Derby County in the old European Cup. Things were much different for Derby County during that period. In that era, they were reigning English league champions and showcased their quality in the first leg hammering Real Madrid by a 4-1 scoreline.
Back then, this was uncharted territory for Madrid, and overturning such a large deficit looked very unlikely. However, in spite of the uncertainty, they managed to level the tie and sent the game into extra time where Santillana would score the only goal to win 5-1 and see Los Blancos through. A victory that would be the first of many European comebacks to come.
1. Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1985
The biggest and most remarkable comeback in club history came in the 1985/1986 UEFA Cup edition when Real Madrid took on Borussia Mönchengladbach. Real were defending champions and taking part again in the tournament as they looked to win consecutive UEFA Cup titles. However, the first leg went far from expected as they got completely dismantled, which saw the Germans win by a 5-1 scoreline. For most teams, overturning such a large deficit would be an almost impossible task, but Real Madrid are a club known for making the impossible look easy.
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Madrid got off to the ideal start in the return leg and entered the halftime break leading 2-0 with both goals scored by Jorge Valdano. In the second half, Santillana made it 3-0, but they were not playing with the same tempo as they previously did and were struggling to create chances. Then when it looked like Mönchengladbach would hold off, Santillana scored the vital go-ahead goal in the 89th minute to seal a historic come from behind victory. A triumph that would prove to be significant as Real Madrid would their second consecutive UEFA Cup title.