Champions League Last 16: 8 of the Greatest Triumphs by English Clubs

The second legs of this season's Champions League round of 16 stage are set to take place over the next two weeks, as four representatives from England eye a
Champions League Last 16: 8 of the Greatest Triumphs by English Clubs
Champions League Last 16: 8 of the Greatest Triumphs by English Clubs /

The second legs of this season's Champions League round of 16 stage are set to take place over the next two weeks, as four representatives from England eye a place in the quarter finals. 

Tottenham and Manchester City are in the best position out of all the English clubs to reach the last eight following wins in the first leg against Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, with Liverpool still very much in their tie after a goalless draw against Bayern Munich. Manchester United, meanwhile, have it all to do following a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford.

If the Champions League has proven anything however, it's that English clubs can get a result when they need to, with the round of 16 stage being no exception, so ahead of the second legs, here are eight of the greatest wins by English clubs at this stage.

Chelsea v Barcelona (5-4 agg) - 2004/05

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Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

After suffering a 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp in the first leg, Chelsea side knew the difficulty of the task in front of them to reach the quarter finals, as they produced a memorable display at Stamford Bridge in order to do so. 

Jose Mourinho's side raced into a three-goal lead after just 19 minutes, with goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff putting the Premier League side in control, before a brace from Ronaldinho, including an inventive toe poke for the second, gave Barcelona the advantage on away goals.

That was before John Terry rose highest from a corner with just 14 minutes remaining to put the home side back in front on aggregate, before holding on in the latter stages to reach the last eight.

Arsenal v Real Madrid (1-0 agg) - 2005/06

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Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

Arsenal made history during the 2005/06 Champions League - the season that they reached the final, before losing to Barcelona 2-1 - as Arsene Wenger's side dumped Real Madrid out the competition in the round of 16. 

The Gunners in fact won the tie in the first leg, as Thierry Herny's solo strike just seconds after the restart would prove to be the only goal over the two legs, with the Premier League side becoming the first English club to beat Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The second leg proved to be a goalless affair, although it mattered little for Arsenal, who produced a resilient display to make the quarter finals at the expense of Real Madrid.

Liverpool v Barcelona (2-2 agg - Liverpool win on away goals) - 2006/07

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Stu Forster/GettyImages

With much of the pre-match talk dominated by an altercation between Craig Bellamy and John Arne-Riise, it was apt that the pair both scored during a first-leg win for Liverpool at the Nou Camp, after Deco had given Barcelona the lead.

Despite losing the second leg at Anfield through a late Eidur Gudjohnsen strike, the Reds held on to win the tie on the away goals rule, eliminating the holders of the competition in the process.

Manchester United v Inter (2-0 agg) - 2008/09

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Alex Livesey/GettyImages

Pitting the champions of England against the champions of Italy, Manchester United overcame Jose Mourinho's Inter thanks to a pair of headers in the second leg at Old Trafford.

The tie was very much in the balance following a goalless first leg in Milan, although a Nemanja Vidic header four minutes into the second leg put the Red Devils in the ascendancy, before Cristiano Ronaldo's header just after the interval booked their place in the last eight.

That season's holders were given a few scares however, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano both hit the woodwork. However, Sir Alex Ferguson's side held on to navigate a difficult round of 16 tie.

Tottenham Hotspur v Milan (1-0 agg) - 2010/11

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Claudio Villa/GettyImages

Tottenham had already made history in the 2010/11 Champions League by qualifying for the competition for the first time, so their last 16 win over Milan proved to be a huge bonus for Harry Redknapp's side. 

In the first leg, which is also remembered for the touchline scuffle between Joe Jordan and Gennaro Gattuso, Peter Crouch's goal ten minutes from the end gave Spurs a slender advantage ahead of the second leg at White Hart Lane, where dispute a number of nervy moments for the hosts, they held on to reach the quarter finals in a historic run for the club. 

Chelsea v Napoli (5-4 agg. AET) - 2011/12

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Michael Regan/GettyImages

While a 3-1 for Chelsea in the first leg proved to be one of the final nails in the coffin for Andre Villas Boas at Stamford Bridge, the second leg proved to be the making of interim manager Roberto di Matteo. 

Goals either side of half time from Didier Drogba and John Terry gave the hosts the required result needed to reach the quarter finals, before a fine Gokan Inler strike for Napoli put the Italian side back in control of the tie.

Another of the Blues' old guard however came to their aid, as Frank Lampard's penalty 15 minutes before full time sent the game into extra time, where Branislav Ivanovic's thumping finish at the end of the first period decided a thrilling contest in a season that would end with Chelsea lifting the famous trophy for the first time. 

Leicester City v Sevilla (3-2 agg) - 2016/17

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OLI SCARFF/GettyImages

Leicester were rewarded for their stunning Premier League title win in 2015/16 with a maiden appearance in the Champions League the following campaign, where the Foxes continued to defy the odds. 

Having qualifying for the knockout stages, a 2-1 defeat in the first leg to Sevilla proved to be Claudio Ranieri's final game in charge of the club following a difficult league campaign, although Criag Shakespeare helped revert the fortunes of the Midlands club, both domestically and in Europe. 

Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton were the heroes at the King Power Stadium as the hosts

reached the quarter finals, while there was also time for Samir Nasri to be sent off for the visitors and for Kasper Schmeichel to save a Steven N'Zonzi penalty late on to pen another chapter in the Leicester fairytale.


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