Sometimes, it is pointless trying to make sense of this game.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous “football, bloody hell” comment after the 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, which featured two injury-time goals to win it, sprang to mind as Harry Maguire headed off down the tunnel at the end of the thrilling Europa League win over Lyon.
United boss Ruben Amorim responded to his goal by chasing off down the touchline, just as Jose Mourinho famously did when Porto won in this stadium in 2004. Rio Ferdinand, commentating for TNT Sports, was shown jumping up and down with delight.
Most Manchester United fans would have felt the same.
In the cold light of day, United still have a semi-final to play – and, possibly, an all-English final against Tottenham – before they can claim a Champions League place by winning the Europa League and grabbing some silverware to at least make this desperate campaign a success.
But it will be a while before the memories of what happened fade.
The plans are to replace this stadium, that is over 100 years old and has played host to the Busby Babes – the only other United side to win a game by a 5-4 scoreline when they beat Arsenal in the match before the Munich tragedy – the Holy Trinity of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, Double and Treble winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
This team are not a patch on those. But this single game stands alongside any those illustrious predecessors produced as one of the very best.
#Man #Utd #news #games #Traffords #long #history
