Manchester United pulls off ‘miracle’ comeback to reach Europa League semifinals in historic fashion

By George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) — Moments from the end of extra time, Manchester United’s Europa League campaign seemed dead and buried against Lyon.

It looked like this was going to be another low point in United’s dismal season: 14th in the Premier League table and now about to exit Europe’s second-tier competition having thrown away a two-goal lead in the quarterfinal.

But from the clutches of defeat, the beleaguered home side somehow rescued an astonishing victory, scoring three times in the final six minutes of extra time to claim a 7-6 aggregate win.

United now faces Spanish team Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals, a chance for silverware still very much alive and kicking.

“I said in commentary, it’s going to take more than a miracle to get back in it,” said former United defender and TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand. “Now, I’m actually a believer because that was outrageous.”

After the first leg in Lyon had ended 2-2 last week, United took a commanding lead in Thursday’s return fixture thanks to first-half goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot. In between those strikes, Bruno Fernandes almost scored a spectacular volley from Dalot’s long pass, his shot thumping off the crossbar.

Everything appeared to be playing into United’s hands as the match wore on, but with 20 minutes of normal time remaining, Corentin Tolisso’s header hauled Lyon back into the contest. That was soon followed by Nicolás Tagliafico’s equalizer, which saw United’s lead evaporate in the space of six minutes.

With extra time looming, Lyon’s chances of progressing were dented when Tolisso was sent off for a second yellow card, but that did little to quell the French side’s ambition.

Rayan Cherki’s strike from the edge of the area in the 104th minute gave the 10 men an advantage before Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty early in the second half of extra time added a fourth goal for Lyon without response from United.

Cue one of the most memorable comebacks in European football. Fernandes’ penalty made it 4-3 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate, while Kobbie Mainoo’s neat finish in the 120th minute sparked pandemonium inside Old Trafford.

The United fans inside the stadium – those who hadn’t given up hope and headed for an early exit – would have been overjoyed to see the game go to penalties. But the comeback wasn’t finished there. Up stepped Harry Maguire – the central defender being deployed as a makeshift striker – to head the ball into the net in the first minute of stoppage time, an unlikely hero for an improbable victory.

According to Opta, United is the first team to score two goals in the 120th minute of a major European match, which also marked the first time that five goals have been scored in extra time.

“I think that is why we like this sport so much,” United manager Ruben Amorim told reporters. “All the frustration that a coach has in this season, the bad moments – when you have moments like this, it is all worth it.”

Defender Leny Yoro, meanwhile, told TNT Sports that he “(couldn’t) understand what happened,” adding: “We gave everything and thanks to God we won this game … That was crazy.”

United will travel to northern Spain for the first semifinal leg against Athletic Bilbao on May 1, while Premier League rival Tottenham, which defeated Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Thursday, will host Bodø/Glimt – the surprise package of this season’s Europa League – in the other semifinal.

Bodø/Glimt shocks Lazio

The Norwegian champion entered its quarterfinal tie against Italian side Lazio as a heavy underdog, but was well-placed to reach the final four after a 2-0 win at home in last week’s first leg.

Lazio piled on the pressure in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, reducing the deficit through Valentín Castellanos’ first-half goal before Tijjani Noslin bundled in a dramatic equalizer in the 93rd minute to send the match to extra time. Moments earlier, Andreas Helmersen had missed a glorious chance to seal victory for the visitors.

Boulaye Dia scored Lazio’s third with a close-range header to take the lead for the first time in the tie, but Bodø/Glimt, which faced 33 shots over the course of the game, found a response through Helmersen in the 109th minute.

The substitute was later sent off for a second yellow card, though the game was destined for a penalty shootout at that point.

And with Lazio failing to convert three of its five penalties, Bodø/Glimt became the first Norwegian team to reach the semifinals of a European competition – a remarkable achievement for the town of just 55,000 people located inside the Arctic Circle.

“It’s huge. We’re very happy,” said goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, who made two saves in the shootout. “It’s historic, not only for Bodø/Glimt but for all of Norwegian football.

“I was angry after the missed chances, but you know that it’s part and parcel of football and that’s why we love it.”

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