Old Trafford witnessed a night to remember as Manchester United came back from two goals down in the last five minutes of extra time to snatch an incredible 5-4 win against Olympique Lyonnais in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday.
It should not have been so dramatic as the hosts entered the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot.
Ruben Amorim must have wanted more of the same from his players who looked pumped for the contest from the first whistle. But the team’s fragile mentality was exposed in the second half as from nowhere the visitors scored two within six minutes to take the game to extra time.
But the Red Devils still seemed in control of the tie as Corentin Tolisso rightly saw a second yellow and was subsequently sent off. Surely the home side would find a way to pick the lock against 10 men with 30 minutes to play.
Lyon over-celebrated The script was turned on its head as the Ligue 1 side scored twice in the first period with the United backline in shambles as they yet again crumbled under pressure.
The way the Lyon players celebrated, it seemed like they had already reached the last four. A hushed silence descended on the Theatre of Dreams on a special night where things was supposed to work out.
But this club has never done things the easy way! And the footballing gods stepped in to remind them what United are all about.
True to the pre-match tifo which read “Never Give Up”, United did the unthinkable! Casemiro first won a penalty in the 113th minute and skipper Fernandes stepped up to reduce the deficit expertly. And then magic happened in the space of a minute.
First it was substitute Kobbie Mainoo, who kept calm under pressure to equalise with a cool finish. And from the subsequent attack, Harry Maguire, playing as a makeshift striker, headed to send the crowd into raptures.
What a response! The Lyon players could barely believe it, Amorim could barely contain his excitement, but now they will know, this club are the kings of comebacks! Nobody does it better than the 20-time English league champions.
There are concerns with the fragile backline to address, while Amorim will also be cursing his attackers for floundering their lines so many times.
But for now, this club has produced yet another miracle when it matters and have secured their place in the last-four of the competition.
A tie with Athletic Bilbao awaits Amorim’s men as they look to secure a place in Bilbao for the final. This win will give them enormous momentum and hopefully, the players can continue to rise to the occasion.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
