Manchester United produced a comeback for the ages as they came back from two goals down to emerge 5-4 winners against Olympique Lyonnais at the end of extra time in their Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, April 17, 2025. When the visitors scored twice in the first period of extra time, fans started streaming out of Old Trafford thinking the home side had let it slip when it mattered. But just as the tifo banner read, the Red Devils did not stop and went all out in the last 15 minutes of extra time and managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the last six minutes.
First it was Casemiro, who won a penalty that Bruno Fernandes slotted home. Then substitute Kobbie Mainoo scored a stunner to equalise. The Theatre of Dreams was shaking but the hosts were not done yet as Harry Maguire rose highest to slot in his header to help his team clinch a nine-goal thriller and make it to the last four of the Europa League.
After the game, TNT Sports caught up with super sub Mainoo and asked him about his goal. It was reminiscent of his wonder-strikes against Manchester City and Liverpool. "When the ball drops to you in there, you just have to keep calm and slot it in. That's what I did," Mainoo said. The way he stayed calm under pressure despite being surrounded by Lyon defenders to cooly find the back of the net is an art that the Englishman has mastered. Just think of his last-minute strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.
When it comes to special goals, the Carrington graduate is building up quite the catalogue of them. “It was an amazing comeback. We put ourselves in that situation,” Mainoo said. “I tried to bring energy after coming on and when the ball drops in there, a yard feels like a mile… You’ve just got to try to stay as calm as you can and slot it, and that’s what I did.”
A result such as this does a lot for the confidence and with Athletic Bilbao up next in the semi-finals, the England international was asked about how he rated his team’s chances in the competition. “A win like that can bring so much momentum. We’re rolling a snowball that’s getting bigger and bigger and we’re trying to go all the way.” The team is now likely to focus all their energy on trying to win the competition in Bilbao. Hopefully, the players can use this win as fuel to go all the way.
After Manchester United scored three times in the last seven minutes of extra time to knock Lyon out and progress to a Europa League semi-final versus Athletic Bilbao, Ruben Amorim stated he had drawn on the 1999 Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich. Losing 1-0 going into added time, goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær claimed European glory for United 26 years ago. Amorim said: “I was watching the 1999 [Treble] documentary to have some inspiration for these moments. It was a great night, the team were tired, 4-2 with one more player, we think it’s over, but here it’s never over. Here everything is possible, you feel the environment. At 4-3, after the Bruno Fernandes penalty, we felt we could change the game.”
Harry Maguire scored the winner 34 seconds into the 121st minute after Kobbie Mainoo had made it 4-4 on the night, 6-6 on aggregate. At the break, United were 2-0 up in the leg after goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot and cruising through 4-2 on aggregate before strikes from Corentin Tolisso and Nicolás Tagliafico in regulation time took the tie into the added 30 minutes. Rayan Cherki (on 104 minutes) and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty (109) put Lyon two ahead.
Maguire, like Mainoo, was pressed into service as an auxiliary No 9 as United sought salvation. “We tried to put Harry Maguire up front because he is the only one who can score a goal with a header. Kobbie Mainoo has a lack of pace in this moment because of injury, but he’s really good in short spaces,” said Amorim. “The sound of the two last goals were amazing. It is something we can keep for the future. But in the end you go to the semi-finals but you need to win it. We just need to focus on the next stage and try and win the competition.”
It was a night of high drama and emotional highs for Manchester United, who had their backs against the wall after a series of setbacks in the match. The Red Devils had initially looked in control, leading 2-0 at halftime. Goals from Ugarte and Dalot set the tone, but Lyon's resilience shone through as they clawed back into contention. Tolisso and Lacazette's strikes leveled the match, leading to a tense finish.
As the game progressed into extra time, Lyon seemed to have the upper hand, taking a 4-2 lead after Cherki and Lacazette found the net. However, United's fighting spirit shone through. Fernandes's penalty kick brought them back into the match, and Mainoo's equalizer sent the home crowd into raptures.
In a thrilling finale, Maguire's late header sealed the deal, sending Manchester United into the semi-finals with a 7-6 aggregate victory. The match was not only a testament to the team's resilience but also a reminder of the club's rich history in European competitions.
As the players celebrated on the pitch, the atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric. Fans, who had almost given up hope, were on their feet, chanting and singing in unison. It was a night that would go down in the annals of Manchester United history, reminiscent of the club's legendary comebacks from yesteryear.
Looking ahead, the focus now shifts to the semi-final clash against Athletic Bilbao. With the momentum gained from this unforgettable victory, the Red Devils will look to build on their success and push for glory in the Europa League. As the players bask in the glory of this remarkable win, the challenge of Bilbao looms large, but if this match taught anything, it’s that in football, anything is possible.
As the dust settles on this incredible encounter, one thing is clear: Manchester United is back in the conversation, not just as a club with a storied past but as a force to be reckoned with in European football once again.
