UEFA Champions League knockout stage: Did you know? . Teams have come back from a first-leg deficit to go through to the next stage on 16 occasions. The biggest losing margin a side has overturned was achieved by RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2003/04 when the Spanish club fought back from a 4-1 defeat at AC Milan to win 4-0 at home and progress to the semi-finals.
. Twelve ties have been decided on the away goals rule, including five where the triumphant team lost the first leg. Last season, Villarreal CF beat Rangers FC and FC Internazionale Milano by this method in the first knockout round and quarter-finals respectively. . Manchester United FC hold the record for the biggest first-leg lead with a 4-0 home success against FC Porto in the 1996/97 quarter-finals, eventually going through by that margin after a goalless return. . Only five ties have gone to penalties. Four of these have come in finals - 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2005. The only two-legged tie to be decided on spot-kicks was PSV Eindhoven's 4-2 victory against Olympique Lyonnais on 13 April 2005 after a 2-2 aggregate draw. . In all, ten ties have required extra-time. Along with the five ties mentioned above, four quarter-finals and one first knockout round encounter have also needed an additional 30 minutes in an attempt to determine a winner. . No new countries are represented in the knockout phase of this season's competition but 17 nations have had teams participate at least once since 1992/93. Three clubs - AS Roma, Celtic FC and LOSC Lille Métropole - are all appearing for the first time. . Real Madrid CF have set a new record for knockout stage qualification in successive seasons. This is the tenth straight season since 1997/98 that they have made it to this stage, moving them ahead of Manchester United, who appeared nine times in a row between 1996/97 and 2004/05. Overall, they have now played in the knockout stage eleven times, one more than United and FC Bayern München. . The 2004/05 first knockout round encounter between Lyon and Werder Bremen featured more goals over its two legs than any previous tie - a total of 12 as Lyon defeated Bremen 10-2. . There has never been a tie ending goalless after two legs. Seven have finished 1-0 on aggregate, Arsenal FC featured in two of them in 2005/06 as they overcame Madrid and Villarreal on their way to the final. . Athens was awarded the 23 May 2007 final after a decision by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Tallinn, Estonia in April 2005. The Greek capital will play host to its first European final since the venue was rebuilt to stage the 2004 Olympic Games. The stadium previously provided the backdrop to the UEFA Champions League showpiece of 1993/94, when Milan were 4-0 winners against FC Barcelona. Prior to 1994, Athens also saw the European Champion Clubs' Cup lifted in 1982/83, the year after the venue was first inaugurated. On that occasion, Hamburger SV beat Juventus FC 1-0. The ground also staged the 1986/87 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final when AFC Ajax were 1-0 winners against 1. FC Lokomotiv Leipzig. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
