Man Utd and Lyon played out an enthralling Europa League tie which saw the Red Devils stage an unlikely comeback, leaving the French outfit stunned.
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Man Utd beat Lyon 7-6 on aggregate in Europa League last-8 French side surrendered two-goal cushion in shocking collapseLyon players reflect upon the lossFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Manchester United kept their dreams of playing in the Champions League next season alive by staging the unlikeliest of comebacks in their history as they came from two goals down to score thrice in the final seven minutes of extra time in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final at Old Trafford to beat Lyon 5-4 on the night and 7-6 on aggregate. Following the match, Lyon players expressed their agony at throwing away a two-goal lead and explained what was going through their minds.
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The first leg in France ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw, with Joshua Zirkzee scoring United's second goal in the 88th minute before Rayan Cherki equalised just minutes later. That game was just a teaser of everything that would unfold at the Theatre of Dreams on Thursday.
The hosts pulled ahead in the 10th minute, thanks to a goal from Manuel Ugarte, before a precise finish from Diogo Dalot just before half-time made it 4-2 on aggregate for Ruben Amorim's side. However, Lyon showed plenty of courage and fight in the second half, and their determination was rewarded as they scored twice in the space of six minutes to take the tie into extra time.
Carrying the momentum. Paulo Fonseca's men provided a double blow in the 104th and 109th minutes, with Alexandre Lacazette and Cherki finding the back of the net. It was turning out to be yet another night of European heartbreak for the Red Devils, but they staged a wild comeback in the last seven minutes, with captain Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty in the 114th minute.
Substitute Kobbie Mainoo scripted perhaps the biggest moment of his United career yet, when he scored the equalising goal in the 120th minute with a phenomenal curling finish into the far post. United completed the comeback just a minute later as Casemiro's ball from the deep found Harry Maguire, who scored a towering header to send his team through to the semi-finals.
'A MATCH THAT I WON'T FORGET' – MALICK FOFANA
In the post-match press conference, Lyon winger Malick Fofana summed up the game and revealed his thoughts. “I think that everyone is disappointed because we played a very good match but in the end, it wasn’t enough," said the Belgian forward (h/t Get French Football News).
"I think we eased off a bit. We thought it was over but big matches are like that – they are never over. In the end, we have to expect more from ourselves, especially in matches like that. I think it is a match that I won’t forget.”
'WE CELEBRATED 4-2 TOO MUCH' – PAULO FONSECA
Lyon manager Fonseca was asked to share his thoughts by Get French Football News, with the Portuguese manager explaining what he believed to be the reason behind his team's shocking collapse.
“It is a mix of emotions in my head. Until now, it is difficult to understand what happened,” began Fonseca. “I think, first of all, we did magnificent things. We led 4-2 with one player less on the pitch but we celebrated the 4-2 too much when the match was not finished. I think that we lacked emotional balance at this moment. It is the only negative that I can identify. We celebrated the 4-2 when there was still time to play. We should have thought about continuing to manage the match. We lacked experience at this moment […] I am sad because I thought we deserved more.”
