Manchester United’s season lives on – just barely.
On a thrilling night at Old Trafford, the embattled English giants set aside their Premier League woes with a dramatic 5-4 extra-time comeback over Lyon to reach the Europa League semifinals.
United twice threw away control – squandering a two-goal cushion, then clawing back from 4-2 down against 10 men – but Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header in added time sealed one of the most unforgettable wins in the club’s storied European history.
Jubilation swept through the stadium as United kept faint hopes alive of rescuing a campaign mired in domestic disappointment, with the club still marooned in the bottom half of the league table.
“We still have time to make something special of this season,” said head coach Ruben Amorim. “So we have to think like that and be positive.”
Next up: a semifinal clash with Athletic Bilbao, which beat Rangers 2-0.
Tottenham also overcame its domestic problems by sealing a place in the last four with a 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt and a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Bodo/Glimt became the first Norwegian team to reach the semifinals of a European competition by beating Lazio 3-2 on penalties. Lazio forced the shootout after a 3-1 win in extra time leveled the tie at 3-3 on aggregate.
United has been famed for its comebacks over the years – none more famous than its win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final, when late goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed a 2-1 victory.
Such moments feel a long way off for a team that is languishing in 14th place in England’s top flight and is guaranteed to finish with a club-record-low points total in the Premier League era.
The Europa League is Amorim’s last chance for success this season, while victory would also secure a place in the lucrative Champions League next campaign.
United led 2-0 at halftime through goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot and could have been further ahead, with Bruno Fernandes hitting the bar and Alejandro Garnacho failing to score when through on goal.
But it let a commanding position slip by conceding twice in six minutes in the second half, with Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico stunning the home crowd.
Despite Tolisso being sent off in the 89th minute, Lyon led 4-2 in extra time through Rayan Cherki and an Alexandre Lacazette penalty.
As some fans began to leave the stadium, United mounted a comeback with three goals in seven minutes. Fernandes scored from the penalty spot, and then Kobbie Mainoo leveled with a curling shot inside the box.
The stage was set for Maguire – playing as a makeshift striker – to head in the winner.
“It was fun,” Amorim said. “If you see the goals from Kobbie and Harry Maguire, the sound of the stadium was the best sound I ever heard. You want to keep that. People want to keep a lot of things – shirts – I just want to keep that sound. It’s the best sound in the world.”
Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams scored for United’s semifinal opponent, Bilbao. A 2-0 win against Rangers at San Mames settled the tie after the first leg ended 0-0.
Dominic Solanke’s first-half penalty secured victory for Tottenham against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs have also endured a miserable domestic campaign and are one place below United in the league. But the deep Europa League run has provided rare optimism, and the club remains in contention for its first trophy since 2008.
“The players believe in what we’re doing and I’m so proud of them because it was a big game for us – no doubt about it – for our season, for everything, and what we’re trying to achieve,” Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou said.
Spurs needed help from VAR, which awarded a penalty for a foul by Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos on James Maddison.
Solanke fired down the middle for the decisive goal in the 43rd minute.
Spurs will face Norwegian history-maker Bodo/Glimt in the semifinals.
Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikita Haikin denied Lazio’s Taty Castellanos from the spot to decide the shootout.
“It’s historic, not only for Bodo/Glimt but for all of Norwegian football,” Haikin said. “Even after I saved Castellanos’ shot, I didn’t realize we’d won – but then I saw the guys running and I started running too.”
Big clubs remain in the third-tier UEFA Conference League after Chelsea, Fiorentina and Real Betis all advanced to the semifinals.
Chelsea’s 3-0 first-leg win against Legia Warsaw meant it would have taken a remarkable turnaround at Stamford Bridge to prevent the two-time Champions League winner from progressing. Despite a 2-1 loss, Chelsea won 4-2 on aggregate.
Fiorentina needed Moise Kean’s second-half goal to draw 2-2 at home against Celje and win 4-3 on aggregate.
Betis advanced 3-1 on aggregate against Jagiellonia Bialystok after a 1-1 draw.
Djurgarden beat SK Rapid 4-1 to seal a 4-2 aggregate win.
Djurgarden will face Chelsea in the semifinals, while Fiorentina plays Betis.