The quarter-final return of Ligue Europa between Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnais, concluded on the score of 5-4, marked the history of the European competition. While Lyon players express the desire to quickly forget this meeting, the British press is ecstatic about the exceptional performance of the Red Devils. The scale of the events, with nine goals scored, five in overtime and two in 1 minute and 26 seconds, is indicative of an evening of rare intensity. Thanks to this victory achieved in the last few moments, Manchester United has managed to qualify for the semifinals, thus maintaining its hope of winning the Champions League in the event of a sacre in May, a prospect intimately linked to the valorization of this competition.

The qualification, torn out in the extensions thanks to Harry Maguire’s life-saving goal, led to a general sluggishness. The English-speaking press compares this match to the glory hours of 1999, recalling the final of the Champions League won against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou. However, the emotional intensity of this evening surpassed even this historic event. Sky News points out that the game is the first in the history of European football to see five goals scored in overtime, while the BBC insists on the exceptional character of the climb. Old Trafford, nicknamed the Dream Theatre, has rarely witnessed such dramaturgy, contrasting strongly with the bitter disappointment of Lyon players.

The heroes of the evening, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, embodied Old Trafford’s communicative energy, offering the public a memorable spectacle. The performance even shook club legends like Rio Ferdinand, who expressed his disbelief at this unlikely scenario. To try to erase this painful elimination, Olympique Lyonnais must now concentrate on his trip to Geoffroy-Guichard against Saint-Étienne, a crucial match to maintain his European ambitions.