Ruben Amorim disclosed that he viewed the 1999 final for motivation prior to Manchester United’s exciting Europa League comeback against Lyon.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that he drew inspiration from the iconic 1999 UEFA Champions League final as he reflected on his side’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Lyon.

In a dramatic encounter at Old Trafford, United found themselves trailing 4-2 in extra time against a 10-man Lyon team, having initially led 2-0 at half-time. However, Amorim’s men produced a remarkable comeback, with Bruno Fernandes converting a penalty in the 114th minute, followed by Kobbie Mainoo equalising in the dying moments of regular time. The night was capped off by an astonishing winner from Harry Maguire in the 121st minute.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim shared his thoughts on the match, stating, “It was fun. I was watching the 1999 game, the commentary, to have some inspiration for this moment.” He referenced the unforgettable final where Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in injury time to secure a stunning victory over Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou.

“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 continued. “I felt that here, everything is possible. You feel the environment, then after the 4-3, the penalty from Bruno, you feel that you can change the game.”

With Joshua Zirkzee unavailable, Amorim opted to deploy defender Maguire in an attacking role, citing his heading ability as a key factor in the decision. “We tried to put Harry Maguire, because he’s the only guy who can head, and then Kobbie Mainoo has a lack of pace at the moment because of his injury.. but he’s really good in short spaces and can do that kind of goal. Sometimes it works,” he explained.

When asked about the dramatic goals, Amorim expressed that the cheers from the United fans are “the best sound in the world.”

In the immediate aftermath of the win, both Maguire and Mainoo celebrated the remarkable achievement but acknowledged that they should not have allowed the match to slip away in the first place.

Maguire remarked, “It’s an incredible game. We made really hard work of it, I must say. At half-time, we were 2-0 up, we had full control. Even in the second half, we had chances to score the third, and then they scored out of nowhere, a bit of a pinball goal.

“Then we were on the back foot, and they managed to score the equaliser. To go 4-2 down against 10 men in extra time is nowhere near good enough. We opened ourselves up too much.”

He added, “We dug in, and we showed great spirit, and that’s what this stadium does. To come back like that, it’s an incredible performance from everyone in the final minutes. As soon as we got the fourth, I felt there was going to be another chance, and obviously it fell to me. Thankfully, I put it in the back of the net, and it was an amazing feeling.”

Mainoo echoed his teammate’s sentiments, describing the comeback as “an amazing achievement.” He said, “We put ourselves in that position. But when I came on, I was just trying to bring energy and contribute to the team.

“When the ball drops in there, a yard feels like a mile, so you’ve just gotta stay as calm as you can and slot it, and that’s what I did.”