Being up by two goals at halftime is always dangerous. Manchester United would have felt confident though, having played really good football in the first half and seeing the better of the two sides' chances. But late in the game, momentum shifted in Lyon's favor and suddenly, the Red Devils found themselves facing elimination.
How did United go two goals up?
In the tenth minute of the game, Manuel Ugarte finished off a fantastic team move, which started in their half. After Bruno Fernandes got on the end of a long ball, he played a nice pass into Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho received it coolly, taking it past two defenders and slotting it into the center of the box, right into the path of Ugarte. In turn, the midfielder kept his composure and gave United the lead.
Old Trafford exploded as Ugarte spread his arms wide for all to see. His teammates celebrated with him, and United were feeling good. Lyon, in turn, started to bring some pressure of their own and give Andre Onana work to do in goal. He stayed true to his task, as did the United defenders.
Captain and United's hero this season, Fernandes almost scored an absolute screamer in the 36th minute. Striking the ball first-time while still in the air, Fernandes' shot ricocheted off the crossbar, much to his bereavement. Only seconds into stoppage time, Diogo Dalot got on the end of a crossfield long ball from fellow defender Harry Maguire. While Lyon adamantly argued for a foul against Dalot, the right-back calmly placed the ball around Lucas Perri, giving United the 2-0 lead at the half.
Man United's guard comes crashing down
United again kept up their pressure in the second half, but Lyon wasn't going away that easy. After early warning signs that United might strike again, Lyon upped their pressure. Garnacho had a chance to put the game out of reach, but his shot didn't cause Perri any distress.
In the 71st minute, Lyon found their answer in the form of Corentin Tolisso's head. His header, following a partial clearance from Maguire, ended up in the back of the net and gave Lyon a fighting chance. Lyon kept hammering down on Onana's goal, almost equalizing just minutes later.
And finally, six minutes later, Lyon secured the goal to send the match into extra time. Though unprecedented, Nicolas Tagliafico wouldn't have minded as long as the ball crossed the line. Manchester United fans were stunned, but Lyon's supporters were in full voice.
Extra time bedlam in Manchester
Going into extra time a player up, United would have felt confident about their chances. Goalscorer Tolisso received a second yellow card, although this decision was questionable. Having numbers on their side, Ruben Amorim was likely feeling okay about his chances to go through. However, Lyon had other ideas.
In the 104th minute, striker Rayan Cherki finally had his moment. His shot rifled past an unaware Onana and gave Lyon their first lead of the night. Again, things went from bad to worse for Manchester United. Just minutes into the second period of extra time, Luke Shaw conceded a penalty and Alexandre Lacazette made no mistake in sending the ball past Onana.
With United now down by two goals and time running out, the team needed a hero. In the most unlikely fashion, Manchester United came roaring back through some big moments from Casemiro. after a lengthy VAR decision, Fernandes did just enough to slot the ball past Perri's outstretched arms and cut the deficit in half after Casemiro won his side a penalty.
Again, Casemiro came up big and provided a wonderful flick into the path of substitute Kobbie Mainoo, who kept his cool and leveled the game once again for United. Old Trafford exploded and Mainoo gave a shout out to his injured teammate, Joshua Zirkzee, by using his goal celebration.
United weren't done yet though, even as the game looked certain to be going to penalties. Makeshift striker Maguire became the last player on the scoresheet, as his powerful header found the left side of the net and secured an all-important win for the Red Devils. And who assisted the goal with a beautiful cross: the Brazilian Casemiro, Manchester United's unlikely hero.
A late comeback win isn't entirely out of the question ever for Manchester United. The best United teams have been able to score in this fashion, especially under Sir Alex Ferguson. Instead of Fergie time, fans might be saying it's Amorim time now.