BEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COMEBACKS EVER. DOES ARSENAL STAND A CHANCE TOMMOROW?

Arsenal are undoubtedly up against the odds in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. Losing 2-0 at home to the European champions and expecting to get anything from the return leg, never mind a two-goal victory, seems more fantasy than reality.

The Gunners are not the only European giant looking for salvation in unlikely places in the last 16: Bayer Leverkusen are four goals down to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the return trip to Parc des Princes, AC Milan lost 1-0 at San Siro to Atletico Madrid, while Manchester City have the thankless task of etching out a big victory at Barcelona's Camp Nou. Schalke and Zenit were also hammered 6-1 and 4-2 at home by Real Madrid and Dortmund respectively in their first legs.

However, the European Cup is littered with examples of unexpected wins and unfathomable comebacks. Goal looks at five classic turnarounds in two-legged battles on the continent...

(5) March 23, 2004: AC Milan 4-1 Deportivo La Coruna

April 7, 2004: Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 AC Milan

Since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1992, only one side have overturned a three-goal margin going into the second-leg of a knock-out game in the latter stages of the competition.

(4) September 6, 1988: Dinamo Berlin 3-0 Werder Bremen

October 11, 1988: Werder Bremen 5-0 Dinamo Berlin

Prior to Deportivo's heroics, the previous team to recover from a three-goal deficit was Werder Bremen, who won a battle against East German rivals Dinamo Berlin in a highly politicised clash in 1988.

(3) April 2, 1986: Gothenburg 3-0 Barcelona

April 16, 1986: Barcelona 3-0 Gothenburg

Barcelona are a club with a history of recovering from an unlikely position to progress in the European Cup.

On the hunt for their first ever crown, they seemed to have struck a dead end when they came up against an excellent Gothenburg side in the spring of 1986.

(2) October 22, 1975: Derby County 4-1 Real Madrid

November 5, 1975: Real Madrid 5-1 Derby County

The season of 1975-76 was a great one for comebacks, but it would be Real Madrid's recovery against Derby County that was the greatest in terms of magnitude, eclipsing Saint-Etienne and PSV who both overturned two-goal deficits at the quarter-final stage.

August 26, 1958: KB 3-0 Schalke

September 17, 1958: Schalke 5-2 KB

October 1, 1958: Schalke 3-1 KB

Schalke, in desperate need of a miracle next week against Real Madrid, were the first team to ever overhaul a three-goal deficit in European Cup football way back in the 1958-59 season.

Danish side KB raced into a three-goal lead in their home leg after just 46 minutes, but their inability to add to their tally would come back to bite them almost a month later, when the second match was played.

Incredibly, Schalke led that encounter 3-0, also scoring their third goal in the 46th minute. Erling Andresen then scored a double for the guests, who were once again seemingly through only to concede two goals in two minutes in the closing stages.

As this was before the away goals rule, a decisive third encounter was played in Enschede, in which the Germans cruised to a 3-1 victory.

CULLED FROM GOAL.COM