Manchester United's unlikely scenario

Error-filled Man United still produced a classic victory in the Europa League to reach the semi-finals.

Manchester United entered the 2024/25 season with not the best squad. This is also considered the worst season in the history of the "Red Devils" in the Premier League. However, football is a story of moments, and Manchester United created a match that will go down in history this season.

Unthinkable scenario

The match against Lyon in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals on the morning of April 18 was not considered one of MU's top matches at Old Trafford in the Champions League, but it was still full of emotions, drama and excitement.

Manchester United's 5-4 home win (7-6 on aggregate) over Lyon was enough to rival MU's famous encounters with Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the past.

How Manchester United achieved it will be the stuff of legend for those lucky enough to be in the stands. In a raucous atmosphere from start to finish, Ruben Amorim's side led 2-0 against Lyon, but were then held to a 2-2 draw. Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso's red card in the 89th minute seemed to have turned things around for United, but Lyon scored twice in extra time to take a 4-2 lead.

It was the 104th minute of the first period of extra time, when Alexandre Lacazette scored from the penalty spot. Lyon were just over 15 minutes away from a semi-final ticket.

Then things suddenly went crazy. Man United made a spectacular comeback, scoring three goals in the final seven minutes of the second period of extra time in an inexplicable way.

After Bruno Fernandes' penalty in the 114th minute, it took Kobbie Mainoo just 87 seconds to level the scores at 4-4 in the 120th minute, before Harry Maguire scored the winner in the 120+1 minute. It was madness.

The advantage of having more players can help MU somewhat, but in top football, scoring 1 goal in 10 minutes is difficult, let alone scoring 3 goals in 7 minutes.

After the match, coach Amorim admitted that he thought everything was over. The entire MU team was tired. Many spectators at Old Trafford even left, because they did not believe in their team's chances of advancing. And MU made those who left early regret it.

Each time the ball hit the Lyon net, the cheers grew louder, until Maguire headed home in the 120+1 minute, and the whole Old Trafford stadium exploded. Fans and spectators danced in the stands, and substitutes, assistants and team staff rushed from the technical bench onto the pitch to celebrate.

Maguire's 121st-minute header set Old Trafford ablaze, creating a memorable moment.

When the final whistle blew, confirming a 5-4 win and a 7-6 aggregate victory for Manchester United, the cheers were so loud they seemed to shake Old Trafford. It was also one of the most memorable matches in Europa League history.

Save the season

Manchester United are planning to move from Old Trafford, their 115-year-old stadium, to a more modern venue. The 'Theatre of Dreams' has seen many extraordinary moments, but the match against Lyon is something like nothing else.

When the time comes to leave Old Trafford, the Europa League clash with Lyon in April 2025 will forever be a fixture in the club's most memorable games.

Paul Scholes can't remember any other classic comeback in United's history. If the gap was 1 goal, they would have done it in the Champions League or FA Cup. But to be 2 goals down at the end of the second extra time and then score 3 goals in 7 minutes is crazy.

Commenting on TNT Sports , Ferdinand expressed his amazement at what had just happened: “I have never seen anything like it as a spectator. Many fans left the stadium when the score was 4-2. I thought United needed more than a miracle to come back, but now I believe because it was extraordinary.”

However, as the frenzy subsides and the heart rate of the entire United squad returns to normal, coach Amorim will probably breathe a sigh of relief. Before the match, he stressed the importance of winning the Europa League to his revolution at the club.

Lifting the trophy is one thing, but securing Champions League football next season will make a huge difference to his summer transfer budget as he looks to overhaul his squad. The madness against Lyon was only possible because this Man United squad is so flawed.

How could they have let a two-goal advantage slip away in regulation time when they were in control? How could they have conceded two goals in extra time against a cautious Lyon side with 10 men and heading for a penalty shootout? These are not questions Amorim can answer early on.

At present, the Manchester United head coach can only be satisfied with his players' fighting spirit and courage. However, MU's journey to the Europa League title is still arduous. Athletic Bilbao will be another big challenge, a stronger and more courageous opponent than Lyon.

But that is the beauty and unpredictability of Man United this season. They can beat Manchester City but lose to Wolves, overcome Arsenal but lose to West Ham. With this Manchester United team, no one can predict anything.

Martinelli's goal sealed the victory for Arsenal. In the early morning of April 17, Arsenal defeated Real 2-1 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Bernabeu.

Source: https://znews.vn/kich-ban-khong-tuong-cua-manchester-united-post1546849.html