United Review | Lyon at home

Manchester United 5 - 4 Lyon (Manchester won 7-6 on aggregate)

Where do we even start with this one? A memorable night. One of our greatest ever European matches.

Author | Olivia T

Collage of pictures from a magical night

United staged one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory, scoring twice in the final minute of extra time to pull off an astonishing 5-4 comeback against 10-man Lyon at Old Trafford.

Having thrown away a two-goal lead in just seven chaotic minutes during normal time, and then conceding twice more in extra time, United looked destined for a humbling European exit.

Bruno Fernandes then offered a glimmer of hope when he slotted home a penalty with six minutes left on the clock, following a VAR review that overturned the initial decision to wave away a foul on Casemiro.

With the atmosphere inside Old Trafford transformed into a wall of noise, teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo showed nerves of steel to curl a superb equaliser into the bottom corner as the clock ticked towards full-time.

With penalties looming and Sir Alex Ferguson watching on from the stands, the home side summoned a final moment of magic. Casemiro floated a ball into the box and makeshift striker Harry Maguire rose to meet it, guiding a looping header into the corner to complete an unforgettable night. What followed was pure bedlam. Substitutes, staff and players swarming the pitch in celebration.

Party like it’s 1999

Ruben Amorim told the media after the match: “I was watching the 1999 [Treble] documentary to have some inspiration for these moments. It was a great night, the team were tired, 4-2 with one more player, we think it’s over, but here it’s never over. Here everything is possible, you feel the environment. At 4-3, after the Bruno Fernandes penalty, we felt we could change the game.”

From a fan who was there

Liam C was in K Stand and got a great view of the winner, he told us: "The words on that tifo, Never Gonna Stop, summed up the night perfectly. The chant it inspired echoed around the Theatre of Dreams at different moments in the match, carrying very different emotions at 0-0, 2-0 and, eventually, 5-4. The feeling when Maguire's header went in. Wow!"