Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, duels with Real Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche during a Primera Liga match in Barcelona on April 15, 2017. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, duels with Real Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche during a Primera Liga match in Barcelona on April 15, 2017. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, duels with Real Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche during a Primera Liga match in Barcelona on April 15, 2017. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo
Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, duels with Real Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche during a Primera Liga match in Barcelona on April 15, 2017. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo

Five great Barcelona comebacks: History says not to count out Catalans against Juventus


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Barcelona have another Uefa Champions League mountain to climb if they are to oust Italian champions Juventus to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Barca trail 3-0 from the first leg in Turin last week.

However, the Catalans have shown that they are capable of the spectacular back home at Camp Nou in European competition through the years.

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More: Barcelona face another great escape but Juventus will not make same mistakes as PSG

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Here, AFP Sports looks at five of Barca’s finest comebacks.

3-0 v Ipswich Town, UEFA CUP, 1977

Future Barca coach Bobby Robson’s Ipswich side looked to have this last-16 tie in the bag with a famous 3-0 first-leg success at Portman Road.

However, inspired by Johan Cruyff’s double and an 87th minute penalty from Carles Rexach, Barca levelled the scores on aggregate.

After a goalless extra-time, the hosts prevailed 3-1 on penalties.

3-0 v Anderlecht, Cup Winners’ Cup, 1978

A year later, Barca produced another fightback to edge through on penalties on their way to winning the 1978/79 Cup Winners’ Cup.

Johann Krankl, Juan Carlos Heredia and Rafael Zuviria got the goals in normal time before Dutch legend Johan Neeskens struck the decisive penalty in a 4-1 shoot-out win.

3-0 v IFK Gothenburg, European Cup, 1986

Arguably Barca’s finest comeback before their miraculous feat against PSG a month ago came in the semi-finals of the 1985/86 European Cup.

Pichi Alonso’s hat-trick overturned a 3-0 first leg deficit against Swedish champions Gothenburg before Barca edged another penalty shoot-out 5-4.

As another good omen for Barca, they also beat Juventus on route to the final that year.

4-0 v AC Milan, Champions League, 2013

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has already suffered at first hand what a bruised Barca are capable off.

In 2013, Allegri’s Milan side won the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie 2-0.

However, Lionel Messi quickly cancelled out the Italians advantage with two sensational first-half strikes before David Villa and Jordi Alba completed the comeback.

6-1 v Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League 2017

Can lightning really strike twice? Barca looked down and out after a 4-0 thrashing in Paris on Valentines’ Day back in February.

No side had ever overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit in Champions League history and even Neymar declared Barca had just a one per cent chance.

However, the Brazilian inspired a mad final 10 minute spell as Barca scored three times to progress.

Luis Suarez, Layvin Kurzawa’s own goal and a Messi penalty brought Barca back into the tie before Edison Cavani’s away goal looked to have given PSG the breathing space they needed.

However, Neymar’s brilliant free-kick and penalty set up a grandstand finish as his cross was then turned home by Sergio Roberto in the 95th minute to unprecedented scenes of celebration at the Camp Nou.

* Agence France-Presse

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Read more

■ Premier League team of the week: Manchester United provide spine after Chelsea victory

■ Real Madrid v Bayern Munich: International colleagues, once club teammates, Kroos and Muller cross paths again

■ Leicester v Atletico: Shakespeare seeks 'the right balance' to continue Champions League dream

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Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)

Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.