JAKARTA - It's not one of Manchester United's great teams, but they will always be remembered as a club that presents one of the nights in the greatest European tournament.
Manchester United's history has many great opportunities in the Champions League under the lights of Old Trafford.
This is not one of them, but it is still filled with quite a lot of ups and downs, the excitement and drama to stand between the famous clashes with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Part of the importance, Manchester United beat Lyon in the second leg of the quarter-finals, Friday, April 18, 2025, at Old Traford to secure a place in the Europa League semi-finals. They keep their season alive.
How they get there will become legends for supporters who are lucky enough to get tickets.
Played in the midst of a shocking atmosphere from start to finish, Ruben Amorim's team advanced against Lyon with a 2-0 advantage and was then equalized to 2-2.
The red card given to Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso, at normal times seems to benefit Manchester United.
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However, Lyon actually scored twice in extra time to take a 4-2 lead that night and a 6-4 aggregate to nearly top four.
Then, there was chaos. Manchester United somehow came from adversity and scored three goals in seven minutes which could not be explained.
After Bruno Fernandes' penalty, there was only an 87 second gap between Kobbie Mainoo's goal which made it 4-4 and Harry Maguire's winning goal.
Whenever the ball hit the net, the noise escalated until Maguire's header in injury time extra time lifted the roof of the magnificent stadium.
The hosts' supporters ran around the stands and substitutes ran from the bench across the pitch to join the celebrations.
When the final whistle sounded moments later to ensure a 5-4 victory that night and aggregate 7-6, there were cheers that were so loud that they threatened to bring Old Trafford to the ground.
Manchester United want to move out of their homes over the past 115 years and move to a new, more modern place.
When it comes time to leave and remember the greatest match ever played at Old Trafford, the Europa League match against Lyon in April 2025 will be the venue.
"The sound of the stadium is the best ever. Some people collect T-shirts, scarfs, but I want to defend that voice, it's the best sound in the world."
"I feel sorry for the people who have to leave with a score of 2-4 due to traffic jams, they will be disappointed."
"We know we are performing poorly and deserve all the criticism, but we have had time to make something special this season."
"That night was incredible, the team was exhausted, the score was 2-4 with one extra player, we thought it was over, but here it never ends."
"Everything is possible here. You feel the environment," Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports.
When the euphoria subsided and the heartbeat finally calmed down, he breathed a sigh of relief.
In preparation for the match against Lyon, he explained what could be done for the Europa League victory and its revolution.
Raising a trophy is one thing, but playing in the Champions League next season will make a big difference in his summer transfer budget as he tries to overhaul his squad, a difference much needed.
Kehitung malam itu hanya mungkin terjadi karena tim Manchester United ini penyakis.
How can they waste a two-goal lead in normal time when they have such control?
How did they concede two goals in extra time against Lyon's side who played conservatively with 10 players and hope to get a penalty?
"This is not a question that must be answered amicably after a thrilling match, but those questions must be answered in the end."
"We have to recognize the context. We lack a lot of characteristics in our team, physically being a problem."
"When we play against European teams, we can handle it better. In the Premier League, we suffered a lot."
"One moment can change things in the minds of the players - we have to really focus on the Europa League and sometimes take risks in the Premier League."
"The fans have to understand that, we have to focus on the Europa League. Everyone at this time believes that (to win it) is possible," said Amorim.
For now, the Manchester United coach can at least be happy that his players have the fighting spirit and character to give themselves the chance to win trophies at Bilbao on May 21, 2025.
First, there is a semi-final of two legs against Athletic Club that must be passed. The game should not end in an anti-limax, fighting against Lyon only to lose in the next obstacle.
That's the beauty and frustration of Manchester United this season. They were able to beat Manchester City and lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers. They beat Arsenal and lost to West Ham.
"Good, bad, and bad things are all shown against Lyon to contribute to the game that will never be forgotten."
The match against Lyon at Old Trafford is part of the journey to the Europa League final and the first trophy for Manchester United under Amorim.
However, he now understands more than anyone else. With this Manchester United team, you'll never know.
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