Manchester United made a staggering comeback on Tuesday as three goals erupted within seven chaotic minutes to send ten-man Lyon out of the Europa League with a 5-4 victory in their Champions League second leg. Harry Maguire wrapped up the 7-6 aggregate win with a thumping header in the 121st minute, leaving Old Trafford agog. The madness of extra-time produced five goals—first time ever for a big European game and United’s comeback was one for the record books.
The Red Devils began well with Manuel Ugarte and Diego Dalot scoring early, only for Lyon’s comeback with Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico erasing the lead within six minutes. It then turned dire as Tolisso received a red card before the final whistle, but still, Lyon went on to lead with Rayan Cherki’s classy finish and Alexandre Lacazette’s spot-kick. But United turned things around—Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty, Kobbie Mainoo curled home a beauty, and Maguire’s late heroism sealed it.
“This match was unreal,” said Maguire, grinning from ear to ear. “We were 2-0 up, then they came back, so we had to dig deep—it’s unbelievable!” Manager Ruben Amorim, reminiscent of the 1999 treble heroes, said, “We thought we could overturn it after being 4-3. Something like that is possible here.” Tonight, Friday, Manchester United host Athletic Bilbao in the last four, three matches from a return to the Champions League, and a tasty £85.8 million pot.