With another European quarter-final right around the corner,
Manchester United continue the charge to add more silverware to their trophy cabinet this season. United fans will be hoping their side can replicate their Europa League journey of six years ago, in which they dismantled Erik ten Hag’s former club Ajax in the final. The Old Trafford faithful are no strangers to some remarkable games under the lights in European competition. With that in mind, here are some of the most memorable European knockout games Manchester United have triumphed in. ALSO READ: Man City connection that Sevilla hope will kill Manchester United Europa League hopes
Champions League quarter-final vs Roma - 2007 Four days before the clash with Italian side Roma, United produced an impressive 4-1 thumping over Blackburn in the league, despite going 1-0 behind. However, they would need to pull off a similar feat as they fell to a 2-1 defeat in the first leg in Rome. The Reds needed a strong performance in the second leg, something which they delivered on in bucketloads. Four goals in the first half completely turned the fixture on its head. Patrice Evra is joined by
Cristiano Ronaldo to celebrate scoring Manchester United's seventh goal against Roma (Image: Manchester United) The goalscoring did not stop there, with Ronaldo getting his second of the game just four minutes after the restart. After a long-range finish in the first half, Carrick outdid his previous attempt with an even better pin-point strike to make it 6. Daniele De Rossi would pull one back for Roma, before Patrice Evra wrapped the game up at 7-1. This dismantling of Roma demonstrated the United’s depth of goalscoring ability and dominance over a high-quality European team. European Cup quarter-final vs Athletic Bilbao - 1957 Going back 50 years from victory against Roma, Manchester United participated in their first European Cup. They came up against Spanish champions Athletic Bilbao in what would become a remarkable tie. Despite strong fighting spirit, United lost the first leg 5-3, leaving a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture. Old Trafford was not fitted with appropriate floodlights, meaning that the second leg was played at Maine Road, the home of rivals
Manchester City. Within the first half, United had begun their comeback with a goal from Dennis Viollet. Tommy Taylor then scored his sixth goal of the tournament, before Johnny Berry made it 3-0, winning the tie for his side. The incredible comeback secured United’s place in the next round, where they would ultimately lose to eventual champions and European giants
Real Madrid. The following season resulted in tragedy for Manchester United after eight players, along with 12 others, died in the Munich air disaster. Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan were among those who passed away in February 1958. Champions League Round of 16 vs
Paris Saint-Germain - 2019 A more recent classic came during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first European games as head coach of Manchester United. After an impressive start to his interim career after the departure of
Jose Mourinho, the Norwegian was tasked with overcoming one of Europe’s strongest teams, Paris Saint-Germain. United fell to a 2-0 defeat in the first leg after a lacklustre performance. However, the tie was reignited in Paris when Romelu Lukaku latched on to a poor pass to make it 1-0 within two minutes. Even so, PSG would draw level just 10 minutes later through Juan Bernat, before Lukaku grabbed his second of the night, leaving the tie at 3-2 to PSG at half-time. Despite a barrage of attacks from PSG, the United defence stood firm to keep themselves within a chance of progression. Such an opportunity game in added time, when Diego Dalot’s shot struck the arm of Kimpembe. After a VAR review, United were awarded a penalty, in what would be their last chance of the game. Marcus Rashford of Manchester United scores the penalty shoot of the victory over Gianluigi Buffon of Paris Saint-Germain (Image: Xavier Laine/Getty) Marcus Rashford thumped the spot-kick past Gianluigi Buffon, giving United passage to the quarter-finals on away goals. Despite the heroics in Paris, Solskjaer’s men would fail to progress further than the next round, falling to defeat against an impressive
Barcelona team. Champions League semi-final vs Barcelona - 2008 Returning to United’s European glory days now, in a fixture which produced one of the club’s most iconic goals in the Champions League. After comfortable wins against Roma in both quarter-final legs, United were paired with Spanish giants Barcelona. After a tight first leg, finishing goalless, everything was riding on the reverse fixture at Old Trafford. A nervy start was followed by an incredible strike from Paul Scholes, who hit the ball perfectly on the bounce and rifled it into the far corner. Paul Scholes celebrates scoring the goal that saw Manchester United into the 2008 Champions League final Old Trafford erupted, and United continued to push for a second. Chances came for Park Ji-sung, Nani and Carlos Tevez, but the lead over Barcelona remained at just one goal. After a tense finish, Alex Ferguson’s side held on to book a place in the final against fellow English side
Chelsea. Just over three weeks after victory against Barcelona, United would once again emerge on top in the final, beating the Blues in
Moscow on penalties after a crucial save from Edwin Van der Sar. Ferguson would go on to lead his team to another two Champions League finals, losing both however to the Barcelona side they had overcome in 2008. European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final vs Barcelona, 1984 Another classic European night in United’s history once again came against the
Catalan giants, this time 24 years prior to Scholes’ wonder strike. After winning the FA Cup in the season prior, Ron Atkinson’s side faced Barcelona in the quarter-final after wins against Dukla Prague and Spartak Varna in previous rounds. The Spanish opposition was littered with talent, including Argentine icon Diego Maradona. Living up to their prestige, Barcelona took a 2-0 lead into the second leg at Old Trafford. Amongst an already electric atmosphere in Manchester, Bryan Robson nodded in from six yards to bring his side back into the tie before half-time. The United veteran then went on to double his tally for the game in the 51st minute after reacting quickly to a loose ball in the Barcelona box. With the tie back on level terms and Old Trafford bouncing, it took only another two minutes before the comeback was complete. Francis Stapleton poked the ball in from close range, sending the United faithful into even more pandemonium. In the following round, Manchester United would fall to a last-minute defeat against Juventus. However, Robson and Co. had produced an iconic night in Manchester, one that has lived long in the memory of nostalgic supporters. Bryan Robson shoots to score and bring Manchester United level on aggregate against Barcelona in their 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup tie at Old Trafford (Image: Trevor Jones/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive) Champions League Semi-Final vs Juventus, 1999 2008 was Manchester United’s third time of reaching European football’s summit, but arguably the most infamous was their success nine years prior. In 1999, the Reds were pursuing a historic treble. United were still battling on three fronts, and in Europe they faced Italian champions
Juventus in the Champions League semi-final. The two met at Old Trafford in the first leg, which ended 1-1 after a late Ryan Giggs equaliser. However, it would be the second leg that placed the tie as one of the great contests in European
Football. The game in Turin began with two quick-fire goals from Filippo Inzhaghi, putting the Old Lady 3-1 up in the tie. The situation looked dire for United, but a goal from Roy Keane in the 24th minute restored hope. Just 10 minutes later, everything was all square again, as Dwight Yorke planted a perfect header into the bottom corner from an Andy Cole cross. At 2-2, It was not until the 83rd minute that the decisive winner was found. After a long ball from Peter Schmeichel, the ball fell to Yorke who wriggled through the Juve defence. After taking it around the keeper and being brought down in the process, the ball fell to Cole, who finished it from a tight angle to send United through. The final itself would prove to be even more iconic, as goals past the 90th minute from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed United’s iconic treble. READ MORE: Rashford suffers injury vs Everton Scholes accuses Ten Hag of not using some players often enough United working hard on signings ahead of transfer window United vs Everton highlights The latest United news