Classic Champions League quarter-finals

The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League is the 30th edition to feature a quarter-final stage. UEFA.com picks out some of the most memorable ties from down the years – all headline scores are aggregate.

1997/98: Bayern 0-1 Dortmund

The first time two clubs from the same country met in the Champions League and it proved a tight affair – a goalless first leg in Munich followed by 90 more scoreless minutes at the BVB Stadion Dortmund. Nineteen minutes into extra time, however, Stéphane Chapuisat finally broke through, dispatching a left-foot volley beyond Oliver Kahn's despairing dive to take the holders into the semi-finals again.

1999/2000: Chelsea 4-6 Barcelona

Barcelona had it all to do after losing the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, although Luís Figo's second-half strike offered a glimmer of hope for the return. Rivaldo and Figo duly scored in the first 45 minutes at the Camp Nou to give Barça the edge on away goals, but Tore André Flo replied with his third goal of the tie on the hour and it took Dani García's 83rd-minute effort to force extra time. There Rivaldo fired Barcelona in front again on aggregate from the spot, yet it was not until Patrick Kluivert made it 5-1 on the night in the 104th minute that the Blaugrana could breathe easily.

2002/03: Real Madrid 6-5 Manchester United

Leading 3-1 from the Santiago Bernabéu, Ronaldo stretched Madrid's advantage early on at Old Trafford, setting the stage for an epic encounter. The Brazilian made it 2-1 five minutes after half-time after Ruud van Nistelrooy had equalised, and completed a majestic hat-trick before the hour, subsequently departing the pitch to a standing ovation from the United fans. Those supporters at least had a second-leg victory to cheer as Madrid-bound David Beckham came off the bench to score twice late on.

2003/04: Real Madrid 5-5 Monaco (Monaco win on away goals)

On-loan Madrid striker Fernando Morientes's late first-leg goal had seemed scant consolation for Monaco, beaten 4-2 in Spain and further behind when Raúl González registered on 36 minutes at Stade Louis II. Ludovic Giuly levelled in first-half added time, however, and when Morientes made it 2-1 on the night three minutes after the break the fightback was on. This was completed by Giuly's second and Monaco's third in the 67th minute. "This shows that in football anything is possible if you believe deep down," said Monaco coach Didier Deschamps.

2003/04: AC Milan 4-5 Deportivo La Coruña

Holders Milan appeared destined for the last four again having won the first leg 4-1 at San Siro, although Depor had form in the comeback department having recovered from 3-0 down to beat Paris in the second group stage three years before. Walter Pandiani set in motion another rousing night at the Riazor with the first goal after five minutes, Juan Carlos Valerón's header made it 2-0 30 minutes later and Depor were ahead on away goals before the interval via Albert Luque's predatory instincts. Fran's deflected shot 14 minutes from time clinched the biggest turnaround in Champions League history at the time.

2008/09: Liverpool 5-7 Chelsea

Meeting in the competition for the fifth straight season, Branislav Ivanović's first-leg double had given Chelsea a 3-1 victory at Anfield and seemingly a place in the semi-finals, but goals in the first half-hour at Stamford Bridge from Fábio Aurélio and Xabi Alonso brought Liverpool back into the tie. Didier Drogba and Alex settled Chelsea nerves, however, before Frank Lampard's 76th-minute effort left Liverpool needing to score three more. Incredibly, Lucas and Dirk Kuyt got them two-thirds of the way, until Lampard finally ended their challenge in the 89th minute.

2009/10: Bayern 4-4 Manchester United (Bayern win on away goals)

Bayern had required late goals from Franck Ribéry and Ivica Olić to overturn Wayne Rooney's first-minute opener in the first leg at the Fußball Arena München, yet that hard-won advantage lasted barely seven minutes in Manchester as Darron Gibson and Nani turned the contest in United's favour. Nani's second in the 41st minute left Bayern with it all to do, but they responded magnificently. Olić reduced the arrears within two minutes and Arjen Robben's sumptuous volley 16 minutes from time took them through on away goals.

2013/14: Paris 3-3 Chelsea (Chelsea win on away goals)

The French side appeared to have come of age when they earned a 3-1 first-leg lead against José Mourinho's heavyweights thanks to Javier Pastore's added-time effort but it was a late strike in the return that proved more decisive. André Schürrle edged the Blues to within a goal of qualification and the telling moment arrived three minutes from time when César Azpilicueta's strike was diverted to Demba Ba, who scooped in to send Stamford Bridge into raptures.

2014/15: Porto 4-7 Bayern

Bayern had barely kept their heads above water in Portugal, conceding twice to Ricardo Quaresma in the opening ten minutes on their way to a 3-1 defeat, leaving them with plenty to do in Munich. The ease with which they stormed into the last four defied their precarious position, Pep Guardiola's side reeling off five goals before half-time, including two for Robert Lewandowski. Xabi Alonso applied the gloss late on.

2015/16: Barcelona 2-3 Atlético

This tie was a tale of three great strikers. Fernando Torres struck first for the visitors at the Camp Nou but was then sent off before the break and Luis Suárez took advantage with a second-half double to give Luis Enrique's men a 2-1 advantage for the return. With Torres suspended, Atleti hopes rested with Antoine Griezmann and the French forward delivered, heading them level on aggregate then squeezing in an 88th-minute penalty to sink the holders.

2017/18: Barcelona 4-4 Roma (Roma win on away goals)

There looked no way back for Roma after they scored two own goals in a 4-1 loss in Catalonia, with Luis Suárez's late fourth seemingly quelling the hope given to the Italian side by Edin Džeko. However, Džeko's early goal and a Daniele De Rossi penalty in the rematch set up a grandstand finish and Kostas Manolas headed the 82nd-minute winner for Eusebio Di Francesco's inspired clan.

2018/19: Tottenham 4-4 Manchester City (Tottenham win on away goals)

Heung-Min Son scored the only goal of the first leg and an equally cagey return was anticipated. It proved anything but. An astonishing opening 21 minutes spawned the quickest five goals in a match in Champions League history with the lead changing hands twice, Raheem Sterling and Son both scoring twice. Sergio Agüero made it 4-2 on the night but Fernando Llorente gave Spurs the most fragile of leads and one they only held on to after Sterling's last-gasp effort was ruled out for offside.

2019/20: Barcelona 2-8 Bayern

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the last-eight ties to be single-leg affairs at a neutral venue and this one at the Estádio do SL Benfica produced one of the most astounding one-off results in the competition's history. A goal at each end inside the first seven minutes set the tone before Bayern ran riot, Ivan Perišić, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller scoring in a ten-minute first-half spell to befuddle Barcelona. Three more in the final eight minutes, including two from the on-loan Philippe Coutinho against his parent club, rubbed salt into the wounds.

2021/22: Chelsea 4-5 Real Madrid

Having staged a remarkable comeback against Paris in the last 16, Madrid appeared to need no such inspiration when Karim Benzema's 26-minute hat-trick gave them a 3-1 success at Stamford Bridge. However, Carlo Ancelotti's side required a late equaliser from Rodrygo to force extra time after Chelsea had stormed three ahead in the return, laying the foundation for the relentless Benzema to head in the winner.