Somehow, in the most unlikely of fashion, Manchester United saw off Lyon by five goals to four to secure a fantastic passage to the Europa League semi-final.
In all my years of watching football, I have never witnessed anything quite like what occurred at Old Trafford this evening as this iconic football club delivered the most Jekyll and Hyde performance in front of a traumatised audience.
Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico cancelled out first-half goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot to force extra time before Rayan Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette cemented a memorable comeback with six minutes remaining.
However, on an evening when the Reds social team emphasised that big European nights are in the club’s DNA, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and Harry Maguire sent the Manchester faithful into utter delirium, with the travelling support left flabbergasted in anguish.
Although many questions surround the future of several first-team players under Ruben Amorim, his side is three games from the most unlikely success story in the Basque region, with a two-legged affair with Athletic Bilbao to come.
Manchester United never do things the easy way, but that was remarkable!
Without the services of the injured Joshua Zirkzee, Ruben Amorim entrusted Rasmus Hojlund to lead his frontline, with Alejandro Garnacho and Fernandes completing the United attack.
Andre Onana returned to the starting XI following an evening to forget in France and enjoyed some early possession amidst a chorus of jeers from the travelling support.
Amorim’s men enjoyed plenty of the ball throughout the opening exchanges and deservedly took the lead after ten minutes through the impressive Ugarte. A superb passage of interplay on the right wing allowed Garnacho to cut into the area before squaring for his Uruguayan teammate to side-foot home.
Lucas Perri could do nothing about the opener, but he was on hand to expertly deny Casemiro a second within five minutes of the restart.
An extended passage of Lyon possession resulted in a majestic dribble and effort from Cherki shortly after the half-hour mark. But Onana was on hand to deny the 21-year-old. In response, Bruno showcased his skillset moments later, rattling the woodwork with a sensational volley from a 60-yard Dalot delivery.
But a dynamic first-half performance was rewarded with a minute of injury time remaining when Dalot’s run and strength resulted in a sublime finish to double the lead.
In a welcome sight for all, Luke Shaw returned to first-team action at the beginning of the second half in place of Noussair Mazraoui.
Truthfully, the tie should have been over after five minutes when Garnacho raced onto a Hojlund pass before failing to convert a stellar opportunity against Perri.
Any suggestion of a lack of confidence in Onana was vanquished moments later when the Cameroon international expertly denied Tolisso from close range. However, with 20 minutes to play and United seemingly in control, the Frenchman found the net to ignite the visiting supporters towards a grandstand finish.
Yoro replicated the heroics of Phil Jones moments later, regrouping from a slip in the area to throw his head in front of a rasping effort, receiving the complete adoration of the Stretford End. However, pressure continued to build, and Lyon levelled through Tagliafico after 77 minutes.
Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo entered as Amorim attempted to regain a semblance of control in the fixture, before Tolisso was dismissed within 60 seconds for a second yellow card, adding to the tension before extra time.
Harry Amass and Christian Eriksen replaced Patrick Dorgu and Garnacho, while the French side sat deep from the restart and offered an undeniable threat in the transition.
Inevitably, Lyon completed their comeback in the dying seconds of the first period, with Cherki profiting from a shambolic passage of defending in the United backline. It went from bad to worse when Alexandre Lacazette added a fourth from the penalty spot after Malick Fofana was brought down in the area.
With hope all but gone, United were given a lifeline from the penalty spot with six minutes remaining after Casemiro was inexplicably felled. Bruno stepped up to convert emphatically.
With pressure building and a sense of belief growing from every corner of the ground, Mainoo highlighted his remarkable composure to cut inside the area and curl a splendid effort into the far corner in the 120th minute of play.
Within 60 seconds, the formidable stature of United’s makeshift striker Maguire, headed home from the far post to seal a stunning turnaround amidst a euphoric Theatre of Dreams.
A trip to Estadio San Mames awaits Amorim and his men on May 1, with the prospect of European success somehow alive and kicking.
How do you feel about that astonishing Manchester United performance? Let us know in the comments or across our socials.
There’s nothing on earth like being a Red!
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