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There is no doubt that sporting comebacks provide some of the most exhilarating moments in sporting history. They are filled with passion, drama, jubilation and enough pressure to make you go crazy!

This is a list of comebacks, not returns.  So athletes who have retired or suffered a severe injury only to make a dramatic return will not feature this time round!

This is all about sporting triumphs, teams and competitors seemingly down and out only to fight back in the face of adversity to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Here are my top 5 sporting comebacks:

Liverpool vs.AC Milan- Champions League Football Final 25th May 2005.

Having scrapped their way to an unlikely Champions League final, knocking out Italian giants Juventus and English champions Chelsea en route, Liverpool faced the intimidating prospect of facing the imperious AC Milan.

Milan’s journey to the final had been a convincing series of victories combining defensive quality with attacking flair. They had strolled through their group stage and comfortably dispatched Manchester United and Inter Milan in the knock out stages, although admittedly had suffered a wobble in the semi final against PSV Eindhoven.  

In stark contrast Liverpool had ridden their luck having qualified from their group on goal difference and only defeated Chelsea by a dubious goal which never actually crossed the line. Nevertheless a series of gutsy and determined displays had resulted in a deserved place in the final.

Milan were the outstanding favourites and the first half highlighted just why as they completely outplayed their opposition. Brazilian superstar Kaka was running the game and Liverpool were chasing shadows.

After one minute Milan were in front thanks to a goal from Italian legend Paulo Maldini and two further strikes from the clinical Hernan Crespo saw the Italians enter half time with a 3-0 lead. Milan had one hand on the trophy and if there were to be any more goals then Milan were going to score them, such had been their dominance over a poor Liverpool side.

However, as they say in football, half time is where the managers earn their money and Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez did just that. He changed formation and fired up his beleaguered team and they responded in emphatic style.

In arguably the most remarkable six minutes in football history Liverpool came out and scored three goals, levelling the tie by the 60th minute. A shell shocked Milan responded by desperately trying to reclaim the lead they had so easily surrendered but it was not to be.

The match was forced into extra time and after an enthralling thirty minutes the match entered a penalty shootout. After some heroics from goal keeper Jerzy Dudek Liverpool were victorious, sealing one of the greatest come backs in sporting history!

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Watch Liverpool's dramatic comeback below:

Lasse Viren, 10,000m Final Munich Olympics 31st August 1972 

The 1972 Munich Olympics are not always remembered for the actual games that took place but for one unknown Finnish athlete it would be the greatest day of his life.

Lasse Viren had made his Olympic debut in the qualifying heats and a series of strong runs ensured he made the final. However Viren was relatively unknown in the athletics world and lined up for the race as a rank outsider to make the podium, let alone win the gold medal.

Only half way through the final Viren’s hopes all but vanished after suffering a dramatic fall following a collision with a fellow racer. History does not look favourably on athletes who have fallen mid-race and more often than not they will either be forced to withdraw or finish in a lowly position. Jim Ryan (Munich 1972) and Mary Decker (1984) serve as prime examples of how badly a fall can affect an athlete’s chances of success.

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However Lasse Viren was not to be denied and he proceeded to pick himself up, dust himself off and continue running. Viren produced a stunning comeback and within a lap of falling down he had caught up with the leading pack.

Inspired by his own comeback Viren upped his pace before opening up an unassailable lead with two laps to go. Only one other athlete could remain in contention but there was no denying victory to this previously unknown runner from Finland.

Against all the odds Viren had fought back to win the gold medal but what was even more astonishing was that he achieved victory in a world record time!

So the next time you are racing and you take a tumble pick yourself up and keep going, you might just end up winning!

Watch Viren's impressive fightback below:

 

Goran Ivanisevic Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, July 2001

Goran Ivanisevic was the epitome of a runner up. In three Wimbledon finals he had finished runner up, two doubles finals he had finished runner up and in over thirty tour tournaments he had finished, yes you guessed it, runner up.
 Ivanisevic seemed to be allergic to winning but in 2001 he finally found a remedy!

He had entered Wimbledon as a wild card due to the fact he was seeded outside of the top 100 players in the world and at the age of 31 he was close to retirement.

Being seeded at 125th in the world Ivanisevic was not fancied to come anywhere near the final and most expected him to be knocked in the early stages. However he defied his critics and managed to reach the semi-final where he face British number one Tim Henman.

After surprising everyone by taking the first set Ivanisevic lost the next two as Henman took a commanding 2-1 lead. Henman was playing the best tennis of his life and had thrashed Ivanisevic 6-0 in the third set. Few would argue that Henman was going to stroll into the final and at the beginning of the fourth set he went a break up.
Ivanisevic was on the ropes, starring at a humiliating drubbing, but then at the best possible time (although the worst for Henman) the rain came pouring down and forced a postponement.

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After what must have seemed like an eternity for both players the rain finally stopped and they returned, with Henman in total control of the match. However the length of time they were off court had meant that Henman had lost all momentum and Ivanisevic took full advantage. He immediately broke back and to the surprise of everyone went on to win the next two sets to set up a final with Pat Rafter.

After five sets of drama and tension Ivanisevic beat the world number 2 to become the first wild card entrant to win a grand slam title. Ivanisevic had finally broken his runner up curse and took a well earned place in the Wimbledon hall of fame!

Watch Ivanisevic break his runner up curse below:

England vs. Australia, Cricket Test Match, 1981.

This age old rivalry has produced some stunning spectacles over the years and the third test of the 1981 Ashes goes a long way in highlighting that.  

Australia were 1-0 up after two matches and England were in turmoil following the resignation of Ian Botham as captain, thanks to terrible record of twelve straight losses.

New captain, Mike Brearley, had got off to the worst possible start as Australia steam rolled their way to 401 runs before declaring. England responded in a calamitous fashion as they were skittled out for just 174 runs, still 227 runs behind the Australian total.

As a result England were forced to follow on which meant they had to go back into bat and attempt to not only overturn the 227 run deficit but open up a large enough lead that the Australians could not reach.

True to form England spectacularly collapsed to 105 for 5 and not a person on the planet could see past an Australian victory, apart from Ian Botham. Botham walked out to bat in a defiant mood and slogged the Australian bowlers around for an amazing knock of 149 runs, nearly as many as the whole England team had managed in their first innings. By the end of England’s innings they had managed to accumulate a lead of 124 runs.

In cricket terms 124 runs is not a lot and so the job was only half done. The quality of the Australian batsmen should have ensured they surpassed this total with ease but the confidence was now oozing from the rejuvenated English. Australia cracked under the pressure and after Botham took the first wicket Bob Willis cleared up with an impressive eight wickets.

Against all the odds England had sensationally avoided certain defeat to win the test by just 18 runs! The result proved just the boost England needed and they went on to win the Ashes 3-1.

Watch Botham inspire this great sporting comeback below:

Buffalo Bills vs. The Houston Oilers, NFL playoff game, March 1993

Not the most original nick name in the world but “the comeback” certainly sums up what happened in this match fairly well.

The Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers were facing each other in the play-offs having only played each other a week earlier in the last game of the season. The Oilers had won that encounter 27-3.
This time round the stakes were much higher as they were competing for a place in the next round of the play-offs with both sides looking to make the Super Bowl final. Houston dominated the first half and managed to restrict the Bills from using their dangerous offense. As a result Houston went into free scoring and entered half time with a 28-3 lead.

Things got worse for the Bills after the break as Houston increased their lead to 35-3, an enormous 32 points ahead. However as is so often the case in sport the Bills were aided by a bit of luck, on this case a gust of wind altering the direction of the ball as it was about to be kicked, and the Oilers kicker Al Del Greco lost possession. The bills took full control and immediately scored a touchdown to make the scored 35-10.

This stroke of luck provided the Bills with the vital boost in confidence they needed and they went on to dominate the remainder of the game, tying the scores at 38-38. The game was forced into overtime but despite suffering a second half capitulation the Oilers had managed to regroup and were looking the more threatening. However this extraordinary comeback would not be in vain and the Bills managed to steal possession and score the winning touchdown to win the tie 41-38.

It is the largest comeback to have ever occurred in NFL history and the Buffalo Bills eventually went on to compete in the Super Bowl final.

Watch the greatest comeback in NFL history below: