Did the UEFA Europa League match between Manchester United and Lyon turn out to be the game of the season? With two penalties, a red card, and Harry Maguire emerging as the hero, it certainly had its moments.

Harry Maguire showcased his immense grit and determination once again last night, powering home a header to send Manchester United through to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. However, that only told a tiny part of a topsy-turvy story at Old Trafford, which showcased football at its wildest and most unpredictable.

If anything, United’s season has been largely predictable—certainly in the Premier League—with stodgy and turgid displays that have left Ruben Amorim’s side languishing in the bottom half of the table. While excitement may have been in short supply domestically, that definitely wasn’t the case in Europe, as United became the first team in history to score two goals in the 120th minute of a major European match.

Lyon scored four unanswered goals to recover from 2-0 down to take a 4-2 lead. With 70 minutes played, it looked like United were heading for a comfortable win after goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot. Incredible scenes unfolded as Mainoo snatched a leveller deep into extra time, prompting a jubilant reaction from the crowd.

But Amorim’s side were left to rue several missed chances to wrap up the match, as Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico wiped out their lead. Tolisso was then harshly given a second yellow card with extra time approaching for a foul on Casemiro, but the match unexpectedly turned in Lyon’s favour.

United fans experienced that sinking feeling again when Rayan Cherki fired the Ligue 1 side in front, before Alexandre Lacazette gave Paulo Fonseca’s side a 4-2 lead from the penalty spot after Malick Fofana was brought down inside the box. But then came the turnaround that would have prompted plenty of hasty rewrites of the narrative in the press box.

Casemiro earned the hosts a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes dispatched in the 114th minute, before Kobbie Mainoo was coolness personified to fire home a remarkably composed 120th equaliser. The drama was not over, though, as Maguire’s late header from Casemiro’s drifted ball into the box completed an outstanding turnaround.

It sparked absolute pandemonium in the commentary box, as Darren Fletcher, Rio Ferdinand, and Robbie Savage had barely caught their breath after Mainoo’s leveller. Speaking in commentary as Casemiro took hold of the ball, Fletcher said: “Let’s just break for a second to remember there might be penalties yet.” A penalty shootout was the reality for a matter of seconds, as the next words to come out of Fletcher’s mouth were: “Here’s Casemiro, into Maguire!” To which a jubilant Savage replied: “I told you, I told you!”

Fletcher then composed himself and did his best to sum up the mayhem that had ensued inside Old Trafford, continuing: “Maguire has just scored and Manchester United are heading into the semi-finals in one of the most remarkable nights this stadium has ever seen in European competition. Manchester United looked dead and buried, and Harry Maguire—the centre-back playing centre-forward—has just scored what might be the winning goal!”

Amorim, reflecting on the match, drew inspiration from Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary 1999 squad, admitting he was motivated by their incredible comeback in the UEFA Champions League final. He told TNT Sports: “It was fun. I was watching the 1999 game, the commentary. To have some inspiration for this moment. It was a great night. I think the team was tired, and you feel it during the game. 4-2, even with one more player, you think it’s over. But here it’s never over.”

Amorim’s substitutions on the night certainly paid off, and Maguire’s role as a makeshift centre-forward saved United’s season. Despite facing criticism for both club and country, the 32-year-old’s incredible resilience shone through. Amorim noted, “We tried to put Harry Maguire up front because he’s the only guy capable of scoring a goal with his head.”

He added, “Kobbie Mainoo has a lack of pace at this moment because he had that injury, and he stopped for a while, but he’s really good in small spaces, and he has the ability for that kind of goal. We tried, sometimes it works, and today was a good day.”