Manchester United dragged their season out of the ashes in quite extraordinary fashion as they scored twice in the final minute of extra time to complete a staggering comeback from 4-2 down against 10-man Lyon at Old Trafford. United appeared to be heading out of the competition in the worst possible manner as they tossed away a two-goal lead in the space of seven minutes before conceding twice in extra time. Supporters were streaming for the exits in their droves but Bruno Fernandes breathed new life into United when he converted a penalty six minutes from time after a video assistant referee intervention for a foul on Casemiro that had initially gone unpunished. With Old Trafford a cauldron of noise, Kobbie Mainoo somehow kept his cool to curl an equaliser into the corner of the Lyon goal as the tie entered its final minute. That was extraordinary. But there was no inclination to settle for penalties from the hosts. In front of legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was watching on from the stands, United produced an ending right out of his 1999 Champions League-winning playbook as Casemiro lifted the ball into the penalty area and makeshift centre-forward Harry Maguire rose to send it arcing into the corner. Cue pandemonium as substitutes, the substituted and anyone else who could get there joined in the celebrations. It was up there with the most famous games this stadium has ever seen and means Ruben Amorim's side now face a semi-final with Athletic Bilbao. Sometimes, it is pointless trying to make sense of this game. Ferguson's famous 'Football, Bloody Hell' comment after the 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, which featured two injury-time goals to win it, sprang to mind as Maguire headed off down the tunnel at the end of the game. Amorim responded to his goal by chasing off down the touchline, just as Jose Mourinho famously did when Porto won in this stadium in 2004. Rio Ferdinand, commentating for TNT Sport, was shown jumping up and down with delight. Most United fans would have felt the same. In the cold light of day, United still have a semi-final to play - and, possibly, an all-English final with Tottenham - before they can claim a Champions League place by winning the Europa League and grabbing some silverware to at least make this desperate campaign a success. But it will be a while before the memories of what happened fade. The plans are to replace this stadium, that is over 100 years old and has played host to the Busby Babes - the only other United side to win a game by a 5-4 scoreline when they beat Arsenal in the match before the Munich tragedy - the Holy Trinity of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, double and Treble winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. This team are not a patch on those. But this single game stands alongside any those illustrious predecessors produced as one of the very best. It is Amorim's job to piece through the ridiculous events that unfolded at Old Trafford. He will know that, for 70 minutes, United produced arguably their best performance under him as Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot put them within touching distance of a place in the last four. But they were made to pay for the failure to take one of numerous chances to score a tie-sealing third and then simply tossed away their advantage. The start of their unravelling was a straightforward free-kick into the box. Former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette got a flick on and Corentin Tolisso nipped ahead of Leny Yoro to head home. The goal seemed to suck all the certainty and purpose out of the home side. Substitute Malick Fofana began to threaten and Thiago Almada skied an excellent chance over from the edge of the area, But United were rocking and they were unable to stabilise themselves before the French visitors levelled. This time there was an English element as Ainsley Maitland-Niles let fly with cross-shot that fizzed to Nicolas Tagliafico at the far post. Unmarked, the Argentina defender scuffed his effort but Andre Onana, scrambling desperately across his goal, could not prevent the ball crossing the line. It was a seven-minute spell that summed up everything that is bad about Amorim's team. From that point on, with substitute Mainoo operating as a false nine and Mason Mount in support, the home side were simply no threat, not even after Tolisso had been unluckily dismissed for accidently tripping Yoro. Even a man down, there was greater purpose about Lyon and it was no real surprise when man of the match Rayan Cherki put the visitors ahead from the edge of the area in the first period of extra time. The jubilation that followed that goal was nothing compared to the celebrations after Lacazette sent Onana the wrong way from the spot after Yoro and Luke Shaw had combined to upend Fofana inside the penalty area. United appeared to be heading out. There was going to be no European football next season for only the second time since English clubs returned to Europe in 1990 following the Heysel tragedy. The financial cost of missing out on the Champions League is immense. But Amorim and his players were not done. In the end, the glory was all theirs. Meanwhile, Manchester United defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Victor Lindelof had to leave Old Trafford to attend urgent family issues. Mazraoui did not appear for the second half after starting the game while Lindelof appeared to be getting ready to come on but in the end, the change never materialised. Both issues were independent of each other and United sources said both players were fine.

There are few more famous comeback wins in Manchester United's history than their 1999 Champions League triumph. That night at the Nou Camp, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær struck in injury time to overturn Bayern Munich's early 1-0 lead and win European club football's most coveted prize. While Thursday's night's dramatic and unexpected comeback victory against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals is not of the same magnitude as that famous night 26 years ago, it motivated Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim to experience such moments himself. "I was watching again the 1999 documentary to have some inspiration for these moments," Amorim revealed to TNT Sports after the 5-4 win against 10-man Lyon, during which United scored three goals in the final six minutes of extra time to seal a 7-6 aggregate win. "It was a great night - 4-2 with one more player you think it's over, but here it is never over. I felt here everything is possible." United are 14th in the Premier League but despite the disappointing season they are just three games away from a European trophy and with it direct access to the Champions League next season. It had looked like United would make comfortable progress after goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot in a commanding first-half display had them in control. But they proceeded to throw away the two-goal advantage as Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico struck to level the tie and take the game to extra time. Even though Lyon had Tolisso sent off in the final minute of normal time, Rayan Cherki put the French side ahead before Alexandre Lacazette's penalty looked to have sent them through, prompting some United fans to leave and beat the traffic. But then came the incredible fightback as Bruno Fernandes' penalty and Kobbie Mainoo's cool finish levelled matters, before Old Trafford erupted when Harry Maguire headed in the winner with seconds remaining. "The sounds of the stadium was the best ever," Amorim added. "Some people collect shirts, scarves, but I want to keep that sound, it's the best sound in the world. "I feel for the people who had to leave at 4-2 because of the traffic, they will be gutted. "We know we are underperforming and deserve all the critics, but we have time to make something special of this season." Maguire agreed with his manager that the Old Trafford atmosphere was something that helped the players stage one of the most memorable comebacks. "To go down 4-2 in extra time to 10 men is not good enough, we opened ourselves too much," he said. "But we dug in and showed great spirit, that's what this stadium does." Maguire's goal was the first 120th-minute winning goal scored in Europa League history and the first in a major European tie since Atletico Madrid beat Liverpool at Anfield in March 2020 This was only the second 5-4 win in United's history, along with their 5-4 victory over Arsenal in the top flight in February 1958. This is the first game in major European football history to see five goals scored after extra time. Fernandes has scored 14 penalty goals in major European competitions (three for Sporting, 11 for United) - only Robert Lewandowski (20), Cristiano Ronaldo (20) and Lionel Messi (18) have scored more.

Ruben Amorim made a pretty significant point in the aftermath of his side's staggering 5-4 comeback win against Lyon. A point that underlined the high stakes game his first part-season at Manchester United has become. Sat in the media room at Old Trafford, about at hour after his players had been careering around the Old Trafford pitch taking in their achievement after coming from 4-2 down with six minutes of extra time remaining to conjure up a sensational victory, Amorim took a deep breath and offered a bit of analysis. "This kind of moment can help the players a lot in this kind of season," the Portuguese manager said. "It can create some connection with the fans and the players and we can forget for a few minutes what kind of season we are having. "Today is a good feeling but tomorrow we start everything again." Tomorrow, for United, is the start of preparations for Wolves at home. Their manager Vitor Pereira was in the Old Trafford stands for the start of the Europa League epic, but like many supporters, had headed for the exit before the drama-fuelled ending. Pereira knows the outcome suits his team. United have to recover from such a draining experience. Amorim hinted at changes being made to protect tired players. Wolves could end up facing a very weakened team. "We have to take a risk and save some players," said Amorim. "If you look at our season, the most important thing for everybody is Europa League." So, United's season boils down to the two games against Spain's Athletic Bilbao and, maybe, a final against Bodo/Glimt from Norway or Tottenham. Team selections for Wolves and, after that, trips Bournemouth and Brentford, will be shaped by the fitness of their key men. Not a chance will be taken. That, in turn could have a negative impact on results, which haven't been great to start with. United's current 14th-place might get even worse, with the accompanying loss of Premier League prize money - approximately £3m a place. It just heightens the feeling of a game of roulette. If United win the Europa League, they qualify for the Champions League and pocket tens of millions of pounds. If they don't, they will have even less than they thought to work with. On the plus side, what the monumental ending to this contest provided is proof that United's players are up for a fight. They have character in abundance, have inherited the club's 'never say die' DNA and are willing to give everything for the cause. But the negatives will not go away. They keep giving away poor goals, often following each other in the space of a few minutes. They do not take their chances. Had Alejandro Garnacho or Patrick Dorgu done that in the second half when the score was 2-0, the nerve-jangling, head-splitting, chaotic ending would not have been required. The flaws are capable of undermining any improvement, at any moment. There is no point at which United can be trusted not to throw a winning position away. It just heightens the sense of risk. In this era of micro-managed coaching, when every detail is assessed, that is not how it was supposed to be. It is certainly not supposed to be like this for Amorim, the coach who spoke of having to get his players used to operating in a certain way tactically but whose fundamental route to his most thrilling victory in charge of United was to shove the big guy up front and lump it up. Harry Maguire delivered, with a goal Old Trafford will never forget. Amorim tried to play down the significance of his route one tactical switch afterwards. "In these moments, it's something really important, I see Harry Maguire as a striker. I see one guy inside the box. He's a striker, not a defender. He knows how to behave in that space," he said. So United roll on in their haphazard way, with five weeks of this ludicrous season left, not knowing how it will all end. United's season could end in glory or embarrassment. There is no inbetween. It was not supposed to be like this. But that is their reality.

"You're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer." On Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou admitted to having "no idea" if he would still be in a job following the Europa League quarter-final second leg trip to Eintracht Frankfurt. But, following Thursday's 1-0 victory in Germany, Tottenham are through to a semi-final against Norway's Bodo/Glimt and have a first trophy in 17 years in their sights. "Our fans have been through a tough time. Hopefully this gives them something to look forward to," said Postecoglou, whose Spurs side are 15th in the Premier League. "I'm the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements but I'll leave that there. "I don't care, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't affect what I do. For me, it's always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? "That's much more important than what others may make of me. "So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer." Despite being on the way to equalling their lowest Premier League finish, set in 1994, Postecoglou said he never lost faith in his players and feels his players have kept faith in him. "They've been so united in believing in what we're trying to achieve here," the Australian manager said. "And that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back [from injury], that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me. "Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we're doing. That is crucial when you're having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there." Postecoglou, with his back against the wall, lives to fight another day. We will never know whether Tottenham would have relieved him of his duties had they gone out of the Europa League on Thursday - but he was certainly under huge pressure heading into a game that was probably the biggest of his reign so far. Victory buys the Australian some time - you can't see a scenario where Tottenham would sack him before the semi-final. But while it keeps the wolves from the door for now, he isn't out of the woods yet. While Europa League success is a factor, it won't be the only consideration for Spurs when it comes to them deciding whether Postecoglou is head coach next season. Their Premier League form, which has be extremely poor, will be taken into account as will Postecoglou's connection with the supporters, which has been mixed to say the least. With a win in Germany, Postecoglou has given himself a fighting chance, although this result alone is unlikely to be enough to keep his job safe in the longer term.