Manchester United unveiled a giant tifo that declared “Never Gonna Stop”, then did precisely this by knocking out 10-man Lyon in an electrifying end to extra time that ranks second in the club’s pantheon of late, late continental finishes.
For those here the drama of minutes 114-120 (+34 seconds) will never be forgotten. At this juncture United had gone 4-2 down to a Rayan Cherki strike and an Alexandre Lacazette penalty (on 104 and 109 minutes) that had the French side leading 6-4 on aggregate and apparently dumping Ruben Amorim’s men out of Europe.
But, no. First, Casemiro went over with Nicolas Tagliafico pulling him and after turning down the spot-kick, the referee, Sandro Schärer, awarded this after being ordered to the monitor. Up stepped Bruno Fernandes to coolly beat Lucas Perri to the goalkeeper’s left.
United still trailed as the opening 60 seconds of the five added on-began yet, now, came their auxiliary No 9, Kobbie Mainoo, who, fed by Casemiro, steered through a crowded area to make it 6-6 on aggregate, causing Old Trafford to go ballistic as penalties were surely how the tie would be decided.
Except this is Manchester United and their proud DNA of Fergie-time and that 2-1 triumph over Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou. So: enter Harry Maguire to head the winner 34 seconds into added time, put United in dreamland and take the roof off the stadium – Casemiro again the provider, to make it three involvements in the three crucial strikes.
United, then, head to Spain for a semi-final first leg at Athletic Bilbao and following this who will wager against them reaching the showpiece at the same venue, after what was, too, a night of redemption for André Onana.
With the host broadcaster’s cameras fixed on him before kick-off the No 1 returned a far more accomplished display than last week’s personal fiasco. For swathes of the contest United were also in charge and registered 10 minutes in. Noussair Mazraoui flipped the ball to Fernandes as he cruised along the right, the ball was relayed to Alejandro Garnacho and he ran into a near-post area: the pass to Manuel Ugarte was as precise as the No 25’s left-foot finish that had the congregation in raptures.
United were in a smart, fast mode that pinned Lyon back. But they failed to capitalise, allowing the French to breathe easier and raid United’s area. Cherki saw a shot ping off Maguire for a corner. Georges Mikautadze slipped in towards the spot and Maguire hoofed clear.
Then, the clearest opening – Tagliaficao crossed, Leny Yoro miskicked, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, roving in behind, snatched at the chance to equalise.
Now, United roared back in a moment which thrilled. Diogo Dalot fashioned a long parabola from his half and Fernandes, running in, stretched to power a volley that left Perri a spectator and crashed off the bar, drawing “oohs” from the crowd. More followed when Rasmus Højlund swivelled and fed the irrepressible Fernandes: again the attempt beat Perri, but this time spiralled wide.
United hurtled for the break like a train, the period finishing with their second. It was route-one stuff, in high-class fashion. Maguire, deep in his territory, dropped a 70-yard pass into Dalot, the wing-back shrugged off Tagliafico, then coolly rolled home, off Perri’s right post.
Mazraoui, perhaps injured, was replaced by Luke Shaw as the second half whistle blew, as Garnacho claimed a free-kick via a rapier thrust. The Argentinian flier can lack composure but here he was uber-calm when sprinting after a Højlund defence-splitter. Entering the area and making an amateur of his marker, he steadied, then blazed at goal, only Perri’s acrobatics stopping a certain third.
He nearly rued this when Corentin Tolisso stole an inch in United’s area: the score would have been 2-1 but for the excellent Onana reflexes. If Lyon could pull one back, a grandstand finish would be in store and so it proved.
Mikautadze might have done the trick but the No 69 slashed the ball wide in a moment as panicked as Dalot’s was slick when, moments later, he again bested Tagliafico.
Suddenly, he was in Lyon’s area and crossing but no teammate could finish.
From the Stretford End came the “Ruben Amorim, he’ll bring the glory days again” song and, as Lyon fans lit red flares, the continental dream remained firmly on.
Now, though, came Lyon’s fightback: Tolisso beat Onana with a header after Moussa Niakhaté and Lacazette nodded on and with United in disarray, a Maitland-Niles laser was repelled by an Onana leg but he could do nothing to stop Tagliafico’s equaliser, the No 1 exposed by shoddy defending.
On 89 minutes came Tolisso’s dismissal – a precursor to the heart-stopping, box-office end to the evening.
