It’s another big European night under the Old Trafford lights...
MANCHESTER UNITED v OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS
THURSDAY 17 APRIL 2025 Kick-off 8pm • Quarter-final, second leg
“The advantage of being at home tonight is that we have the incredible weapon of a packed Old Trafford on our side”
et ready to give everything. That is my only message to everybody involved with Manchester United ahead of tonight’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final decider.
Last Sunday, we were naturally disappointed by the nature of our Premier League defeat
at Newcastle, but that is the past, and since Monday we have focused entirely on what we need to do tonight.
As we welcome Paulo Fonseca and Lyon to Old Trafford this evening, we all know what is at stake. The tie is currently level, so we have to win to progress, and to do that we will have to play well against a strong opponent.
We must play with our hearts and our heads, and that applies to the players, staff and supporters. The advantage of being at home tonight is that we have the incredible weapon of a packed Old Trafford on our side, and that can make a huge difference for us.
This competition represents an opportunity for us to take something positive from a difficult season. There are two huge
rewards on offer: the UEFA Europa League trophy and the chance to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Those are prizes worth fighting for. But, tonight, we cannot look beyond the immediate challenge of beating Lyon, so we must all give everything we’ve got to reach the semi-finals.
Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Michael Edelson, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill CBE, Omar Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc Secretary Rebecca Britain Honorary president Martin Edwards
United’s starting XI line up ahead of an entertaining first-leg deadlock in
This evening’s tie is perfectly poised, and Ruben’s Reds are hoping the power of Old Trafford can help achieve United’s goal of a place in the semi-finals...
Manchester United are within 90 minutes of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, but there’s plenty of work still to do for Ruben Amorim’s Reds here at Old Trafford this evening. Ahead of kick-off, we stand alone as the only undefeated team in this competition, but our quarter-final tie with Lyon is locked at 2-2 ahead of tonight’s second leg, after a fascinating first encounter that swung like a pendulum. United seemed to have earned a precious lead to take back to Old Trafford when Joshua Zirkzee nodded home with only a few minutes of normal time remaining. But Rayan Cherki’s equaliser, deep into five minutes of added time, squared things with just seconds left. So it’s all on the line tonight back here in Manchester.
Both teams rotated at the weekend, but it went rather better for our French visitors than it did for Amorim and co: Lyon won 3-1 away at Auxerre, while United slid to a 4-1 reverse at Newcastle. There was further bad news when Zirkzee pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury during the second half.
But despite the loss of Zirkzee, Amorim’s options are growing: Luke Shaw returned to the pitch in the North East, and Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount both made cameos in France last week. And we have a formidable record at Old Trafford in this particular competition, losing one of our last 29 such fixtures.
The implications are clear tonight: progress, and the dream of silverware
(and Champions League football) is alive. But Lyon’s ambition is just as strong. They are not yet guaranteed Champions League football next term, and no French club has ever lifted this trophy.
Whatever starting XIs take to the pitch for both teams, we do have one clear advantage: 70,000 or so fans in our corner. After the match in France, Amorim made it clear that tonight must be about playing with a combination of heart and head. About utilising the fact that “we play with one more player” at this stadium. That’s us, the fans. So let’s make sure we do our bit when the teams line up for the first whistle tonight. Let’s keep it going for 90 (or 120!) minutes. Together we can take that next step towards Bilbao – come on United!
The club recently announced that United will play two post-season fixtures in Asia this May, in Malaysia and Hong Kong. The trip, which is presented by Snapdragon and organised by ProEvents, will be our first to the Far East since 2022, when we beat Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok. Ruben Amorim’s team will play ASEAN All Stars in Kuala Lumpur on 28 May and then face Hong Kong, China in Hong Kong two days later.
For more information, including ticket details, visit ManUtd.com/en/tour-2025
Fans in the Far East will be excited to welcome the Reds for two friendly encounters towards the end of May
While the men’s team went down on Tyneside last weekend, our women’s side managed to provide huge cheer in east Manchester, by beating Manchester City to reach a third consecutive FA Cup final. Celin Bizet and Grace Clinton both scored in the first half at Joie Stadium, and some stout defending plus expert goalkeeping from Phallon Tullis-Joyce ensured the lead was preserved during a tense second period. Marc Skinner’s Reds will now face Chelsea – 2-1 victors over Liverpool – in the 2025 Adobe Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday 18 May, where United will attempt to retain the trophy won at Wembley last year. Well done, team!
4,000
United contested the 4,000th top-flight game in club history on Sunday, when we faced Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Sadly, the result did not go our way, but the milestone reflects the richness of our history. We are just the fifth club in English football to reach the mammoth figure, joining Everton, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. This season is also our 100th competing in England’s top division, and our 50th in succession – a run which started with our 1975/76 campaign under Tommy Docherty, shortly after we stormed the Second Division to earn promotion.
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After a controlled first-leg display bookended by two concessions, United come into tonight’s quarter-final decider with work to do, but cause for confidence...
Yoro levels the score on the stroke of half-time by directing his quick-reaction header beyond Lyon goalkeeper Perri
An absorbing encounter finished all-square between United and Lyon at Groupama Stadium a week ago, setting the scene for a compelling conclusion to the sides’ Europa League quarter-final tie at Old Trafford this evening.
Ruben Amorim’s side can go into tonight’s decider in confident mood after bossing matters for long periods in France, but must naturally remain wary after Les Gones also demonstrated their capabilities in both opening and closing the first-leg scoring.
It was United who first threatened meaningfully, as Rasmus Hojlund directed his effort wide from Patrick Chinazaekpere
Dorgu’s left-wing pull-back, skipper Bruno Fernandes saw his powerful near-post shot deflected fractionally over the crossbar and Casemiro had a perfectly executed bicycle kick clutched by home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
Not for the first time this season, however, missed chances were soon rued as the Reds fell behind, Thiago Almada’s in-swinging free-kick bypassing a packed penalty area and squeezing inside Andre Onana’s far post, to the delight of a baying home support.
The collective fervency of Lyon’s fans was dampened on the stroke of half-time when Leny Yoro deservedly brought the visitors level. The French teenager reacted sharply to nod
OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS 2 Almada 25, Cherki 90+5
MANCHESTER UNITED 2 Yoro 45+5, Zirkzee 88
United XI: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire (Lindelof 83), Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte (Mount 72), Casemiro, Dorgu; Garnacho (Mainoo 83), Hojlund (Zirkzee 63), Fernandes (c)
Booked: Dalot, Ugarte, Mount, Mainoo
Unused substitutes: Bayindir, Heaton, Shaw, Amass, Eriksen, Kamason, Kukonki, Moorhouse
past Perri after Manuel Ugarte had redirected a cleared Bruno Fernandes free-kick back towards goal; Yoro breaking his goalscoring duck in his 23rd appearance since his arrival from Lille.
The leveller wrested control of proceedings for Amorim’s side, who were altogether more composed in possession and dictated the game’s tempo with greater confidence in the second period. Though former Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette skewed a presentable volley wide within a minute of his introduction from the substitutes’ bench, United increasingly appeared the likelier side to notch the game’s next goal. Yoro, excelling in his ball-carrying role on the left side of the Reds’ central
defensive trio, almost added further gloss to his homecoming with a surging run and 20-yard shot which rolled narrowly wide of an upright.
Alejandro Garnacho went one better by testing Perri with 11 minutes remaining, but the Brazilian keeper was equal to the Argentinian’s close-range volley, fending the left-footed effort up and over the crossbar after fine approach work by Fernandes and Dorgu. From the ensuing corner, Casemiro’s firm header hurtled fractionally past the post as United’s control only grew, but soon afterwards Lacazette served a sobering reminder of the game’s fine margins and high stakes when he fizzed a 15-yard shot narrowly over Onana’s goal from an enticing position.
Nevertheless, the Reds bristled with intent as the game entered its final stage, scenting the opportunity to take a lead back to Manchester, and that appeared an inevitability when substitute Joshua Zirkzee struck with less than three minutes of regulation time remaining.
The Dutchman, who had scored in the previous round as United drew at Real Sociedad, stole in behind Clinton Mata at the back post, reached Fernandes’s sumptuous
“We suffered a goal at the end and it’s tough to deal with that, but we have to think about the future. We know that we will have our supporters, no matter what, and we are going to give everything to win the next game to go to the next stage”
– Ruben Amorim
clipped cross and nodded a finish high into Perri’s net. The goal owed much to the quick thinking of Kobbie Mainoo, back as a substitute for his first outing since February, whose alert header teed up Fernandes to supply the assist.
As deflation gripped the hosts and United embarked on late raids which might have yielded a killer third goal, time remained for another late twist. This time, as Amorim’s side retreated deep to see out the final seconds, Georges Mikautadze’s powerful 12-yard effort thudded against Onana’s chest, bouncing out into play giving
Rayan Cherki the opportunity to nip in and prod home the loose ball.
Despite a frustrating climax and a tough outcome for the visitors to take, having played so much of the game on their own terms, Amorim’s Reds can take heart from a useful away draw, and the players had little time to dwell on what might have been, jetting straight back for our Premier League trip to Newcastle ahead of tonight’s quarter-final decider. This European tie is perfectly poised, and tonight under the lights of Old Trafford we’ll find out who will progress to a semi-final showdown against either Rangers or Athletic Club.
A place in the UEFA Europa League’s final four alongside either United or Lyon is the target for the teams contesting tonight’s other quarter-final second legs, to be played in Bilbao, Frankfurt and Rome…
May’s final at San Mames Stadium will soon be in sight for four of the eight clubs that are motoring along the road to Bilbao, but not before a massive night of quarter-final second legs across the continent that will have a defining impact on the make-up of the last four.
That’s after a dramatic set of first legs left three of the four ties, including United v Lyon, firmly in the balance entering this evening’s resuming bouts, which are all due to get under way at 8pm.
While we drew 2-2 with the French outfit seven days ago, Rangers and Athletic Club played out a goalless stalemate that was more entertaining than it sounds at Ibrox, as Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt finished 1-1 in London, hours after Bodo/Glimt produced the shock of the night by beating league-phase table-toppers Lazio 2-0 in Norway.
That’s where we’ll start our wrap of last week’s other games and look ahead to what’s in store away from Old Trafford tonight, as the Norwegian champions are undoubtedly best-placed to secure a spot in the semi-finals – something that a men’s side from their nation has never done in a UEFA competition.
They head to Stadio Olimpico in Rome with a two-goal advantage after a double from midfielder Ulrik Saltnes that will be remembered fondly for some time to come in the Arctic town of Bodo, whatever the result in this evening’s return match.
Saltnes’s first finish was impressive to open the scoring just after half-time, but not nearly as eye-catching as the dinked attempt – or Jens
Petter Hauge’s cutely chipped assist – for the second goal in the 69th minute, an effort worth searching for online if you haven’t seen it yet.
Kjetil Knutsen’s team have now won six of their seven Europa League home fixtures in 2024/25, but tonight’s second leg will be played over 1,700 miles from their Aspmyra Stadion base and at a ground that Lazio will fancy their chances of overhauling the aggregate deficit on.
Unbeaten form on their own turf was the backbone of the Italians’ run to the top of the league-phase standings earlier in the tournament and boss Marco Baroni was clear in his message
at half-time of the tie: it’s far from over for his men. “[Bodo/Glimt] are a fresh, brilliant team, but I am sure that things will balance themselves out at the Olimpico and we have a great chance of getting through,” he asserted.
The team up on aggregate once proceedings are complete in Rome will play the winner of the clash between Eintracht Frankfurt and Spurs, who start their second leg in Germany on an even plane after last week’s draw in north London. Eintracht may be the happier of the two sides though, having weathered an extensive attacking onslaught from their Premier League opponents in the first meeting to take the tie back to Deutsche Bank Park (better known as the Waldstadion) level.
They did initially go 1-0 up through highly rated young forward Hugo Ekitike, but after Pedro Porro put Ange Postecoglou’s charges back on level terms, the better of the opportunities were crafted out by the Londoners, who hit the woodwork twice in their efforts to score again.
Postecoglou and co will be hoping not to rue those chances later tonight, but on the balance of the first-leg contest, the boss is entitled to have every confidence that his side can cause their Bundesliga hosts similar problems once more. “If we repeat that performance, we give ourselves a chance,” the Spurs manager insisted while conducting his post-match media duties last week.
In the other game on United’s side of the draw, Athletic Club of Bilbao host Rangers at San Mames, looking to keep their dream alive of playing next month’s final in their own stadium.
The La Liga outfit are the bookies’ favourites to win the competition entering this Thursday’s matches and have won all five of their Europa League outings on home turf this term, making for a formidable task ahead for the travelling Rangers squad. Barry Ferguson’s team have already overcome adversity in this goalless quarter-final tie however, playing the first leg at Ibrox with 10 men for more than 75 minutes after Robin Propper’s early red card.
Athletic Club were unable to capitalise on their man advantage despite a haul of chances, largely in part due to the goalkeeping heroics of Liam Kelly, who made multiple important stops and saved Alex Berenguer’s late penalty – shortly after Berenguer had a goal ruled out for offside –before giving a rather modest full-time verdict: “I never actually had much to do in the game,” Kelly expressed. “Once we went down to 10 men, the guys in front of me were absolutely brilliant.”
That defensive effort means Rangers remain well in the tie going to Spain, where the victors will set up a pair of semi-final showdowns (to be played on 1 and 8 May) with tonight’s triumphant team at the Theatre of Dreams – one of four venues where any outcome is still possible on another huge Europa League night.
“I
Our
emerging star
talks all things French football, revealing both his favourite United player to hail from across the Channel, and the personal gratitude he feels towards the current Lyon manager...
It’s been a mixed 2025 for Manchester United thus far, but reasons for optimism have been clearly detectable amid the ups and downs. And in recent weeks, chief among the causes for cheer has been the form of summer signing Leny Yoro.
The teenager joined us last July, but had to wait until December to make his competitive first-team debut after suffering a foot injury during a pre-season game with Arsenal in California. But since his return progress has been steady and, in recent weeks, we’ve seen the 19-year-old’s confidence on the ball starting to shimmer. In the Manchester derby Leny’s driving runs from defence were a key part of a quietly encouraging team performance, while our no.15 scored his first goal for the Reds away to Lyon last Thursday.
As we prepare for tonight’s crunch second leg against the Ligue 1 side, who better to talk about Lyon, French football and United’s legendary links to France than the 15th Red to hail from La Republique? Take it away, Leny...
How aware are you of the strong links between Manchester United and French football, with many past matches against Ligue 1 sides and lots of French players representing the club over the years?
Of course, there’s been a lot of French players at United, like Varane, Martial, Cantona, Patrice Evra and more. So it’s really good for me to be part of this group of French players who played for Man United.
Our strong connection with France began with Eric in 1992, 13 years before you were born. Do you know much about his impact here? Yes, of course! He’s a legend here. I’ve never met him, but I really want to! I know the fans just love him and this is normal, because he did a lot for the club. Is he as famous in France as in Manchester? I don’t think so. In France, he’s famous but, here in England, he’s more famous. I don’t know why – maybe it’s because he spent a lot of time in England – but in France he’s not as famous as here.
has put in some highly encouraging displays in recent weeks, as the teenager continues to adapt to the English game
Cantona is one of the most popular players ever to represent this club, and United fans used to sing his name to the tune of La Marseillaise at matches and wave the French flag in his honour... Honestly, I think I’m too young for when he was playing for Manchester United [laughs], but I’ve seen some videos and I can see the fans when they sing his name. I love that he’s a legend here.
You are the 15th Frenchman to play for our senior team. Many, like Eric, were before your time, but which other French players do you think of when you think of United?
In my generation, I think of when Antony Martial came to the club – his first games and his first years here were really top. A top, top player. And of course, Raphael Varane more recently. I think he did a good job in defence, even if he did not stay too long. But he did a really good job here.
There are some real greats on that list, including French international defenders like Laurent Blanc, Mikael Silvestre, Patrice Evra and Varane. How proud are you to be following in their footsteps as a defender?
Of course. When you’re at United, you know there is a big history. Especially with the French players, and I’m really proud to join this history and I hope I will stay part of this history with the fans.
Have you spoken to any of those players since coming to United?
I spoke with Raphael Varane. I spoke with him about the club and he told me only good things about it. So that, for me, was good.
Varane spent three years here. What did you think of him as a player?
He’s a big legend. This guy has a big palmares [list of honours]. He played for Madrid for a long time, for Man United, in the French national team. This is a legend, I think. He has done so many really good things, and he can be proud of them.
Many of the French players had a lot of success here. What would you like to achieve, when you look ahead to your future here?
What would I like to achieve? Of course, to win more trophies, [as many] as possible, to be in the hearts of the fans and to play every game like it’s a final.
Who is your favourite French player to ever play for United?
Probably I will say Paul Pogba, maybe. You know, when you are young and you watch Paul Pogba, you want to play like him. Technically, even the goals he scored… for me, Pogba is a top player.
And who is your favourite French footballer of all time, forgetting United?
Of all time? [People] never asked me this question before! Maybe I will say Pogba again. This was the guy I was watching most when I was young, so, yeah, I will say him.
Was there anyone you tried to follow in the footsteps of, when you were learning the game?
I was really looking at Sergio Ramos when I was young, and Rio Ferdinand. These types of defenders. When I was young, of course I was looking at some clips and things like that.
Your first years were spent in Alfortville, in the south of Paris, then you spent some time in the Mediterranean, before you moved to Lille. Do you consider yourself Parisian or Lillois?
I’ve spent more time in Lille. Even if I was in Paris sometimes with my family, honestly I grew up in Lille most of the time... but I would say half of my heart is in Paris so I will say half [in each place]!
We’ve heard players like Patrice Evra talk about how important the street football culture in France was to his development, in particular playing in cages and on concrete surfaces. Was this your experience too?
Yeah, of course. When I was younger, I was outside to play football all the time among friends. In France, this is normal. Everyone was doing this when I was young. You go to the pitch with your friends every day. Yeah, I think we have this luck in France, to have a lot of pitches to play in the street, so when I was young I used to play a lot. There was a lot of talent in the street, you know? Sometimes, with some players, you’d say ‘How is this guy not in a professional club?’ But it’s like this, and there were really good games.
It makes you tough, surely, with no referee and lots of tackles…
Yeah! The referee is not here so you can do whatever you want! But there was like a limit. But, of course, you respect each other and they were really good games.
We’ve largely lost that culture now in England – kids play in organised training sessions, rather than on the streets. Do you think that
“We need to be ready, because it’ll not be an easy game. Lacazette, Cherki, Tolisso – really good players, but we will go out as a team with confidence”
kind of ‘free’ play is good for the development of football players?
Of course. I think it is really important to have these types of games when you are young, to fall in love with football, to have this freedom to do whatever you want, some dribbles... you need to do this when you are young, because this will help your development with football.
How closely is the Premier League followed in France?
It is really followed a lot. Everyone knows the Premier League, everyone watches the games. I think in the whole world, to be honest. The Premier League is the biggest league in the world so everyone is looking.
Tell us about football in Ligue 1. How does it differ to the Premier League, or are there many similarities?
In the way to play, there are some differences, but Ligue 1 is a really tough league and the Premier League is too. The Premier League is maybe a little bit more physical, but Ligue 1 is still really tough, not easy.
Did you go to games a lot in France when you were young, to watch?
I watched maybe two or three games, but when I arrived at Lille, they give you free tickets when you are young, so I could go to watch the games of Lille. I spent my time in the stadium whenever they were playing.
Do you still follow Ligue 1 closely?
Yeah, I will not say all the games, but when Lille is playing I am watching. And when there are big games, I’m watching. So yeah, I continue to follow the league. What other teams do I like to watch? It’s just Lille, of course!
The games against Lyon are our first meetings with French opposition since you joined. How does that feel to you? Were you excited when the draw happened? Nervous?
Yeah, of course, I was really excited to go back in France to play against some people that I know. Even the coach [Paulo Fonseca] was my old coach [at Lille], and they are good opposition. How did I find the coach? Yeah, it was a good relationship, because he introduced me in the professional game, so it’s good to meet him again.
You played against Lyon last season, before joining United, and obviously we had the first leg last week. What do you think of them, as a team?
They are a really big team, really strong, with good personal talent. We need to be ready, because it will not be an easy game. Lacazette, Cherki, Tolisso... all these types of players, they are really good.
Are you confident ahead of the second leg?
We have a good record in the UEFA Europa League so far this season…
Of course, in the Europa League we are so far unbeaten, so we need to continue like this and we need to be confident before every game. We will go out as a team with confidence and will try to win the game.
IT’S BEEN AN EVENTFUL 2024/25 FOR THE SEVEN-TIME FRENCH CHAMPIONS, BUT A STORMY SEASON COULD YET END IN TRIUMPH, AS THEY TARGET A FIRST MAJOR EUROPEAN TITLE...
Nicknames: Les Gones (The Kids)
Founded: 20 May 1950
Ground: Parc Olympique Lyonnais (capacity 59,186)
All-time most appearances: Serge Chiesa (1969-83), 542
All-time top scorer: Fleury Di Nallo (1960-74), 222
Last season: Ligue 1, 6th; Coupe de France, runners-up
Top European achievement:
UEFA Champions League semi-finalists: 2009/10, 2019/20
UEFA Europa League semi-finalists: 2016/17
UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finalists: 1963/64
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1997
Lyon’s 2024/25 season has been part-feast, part-famine. A slow start to the campaign, plus some poor form around the turn of the year –crystallised by a Coupe de France exit to fifth-tier Bourgoin-Jallieu in January – meant not even a nine-game unbeaten run in the autumn was enough for manager Pierre Sage to keep his job.
Paulo Fonseca, sacked by AC Milan after just six months in December, replaced Les Gones’ former academy coach at the end of January and the itinerant Portuguese has won nine of his first 13 matches in charge in all competitions, a 3-1 win away to Auxerre on Sunday lifting them to fourth in the Ligue 1 table, and right back in contention for Champions League qualification.
In Europe, Lyon swatted aside Romanians FCSB 7-1 in the last 16, the new boss’s only Europa League opposition before the Reds, with a second-leg 4-0 win notable for its slick movement and sharp finishing from Georges Mikautadze.
More impressive still is that the ex-Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma boss has implemented his trademark high-pressing, attacking philosophy while serving a nine-month domestic touchline ban for squaring up to a referee during March’s 2-1 win over Brest. “What I did wasn’t correct and I should pay for it,” said Fonseca, who is allowed on the touchline in the Europa League and retains his club’s backing. “When you have so much support, you have to fight, to believe in what you can do for the club.”
‘motivation can make miracles’ Belief was central to Lyon’s late equaliser
Lyon celebrate after Thiago Almada (no.32) scores the opening goal last Thursday
Latest news from the Les Gones camp, plus profiles and tactics...
against United seven days ago. Even after Joshua Zirkzee’s 88th-minute strike, OL continued to play with verve and daring intent and were rewarded with Rayan Cherki’s dinked injury-time finish after Alexandre Lacazette’s cute backheel in the box.
Lacazette had wasted a presentable second-half chance but the club captain and homegrown hero nevertheless averages more shots on target in Ligue 1 than any other player, averaging a goal every other game. Now the team’s elder statesman, the former Arsenal centre-forward’s substitute experience is vital, especially with highly rated wingers Ernest Nuamah and Malick Fofana struggling with injury. The former is a certain
Fonseca’s Shakhtar Donetsk side became famous for their ruthless pressing between 2016 and 2019 and the 52-year-old manager has quickly installed the same front-foot philosophy at Lyon. Preferring a back four, the Portuguese cycles between 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 depending on whether he plans to use creative hub Cherki as a narrow right-winger or as a central playmaker behind centre-forward Mikautadze. The mobile Georgian hitman can also play wide-left, allowing Lacazette to plough the central furrow when entering the fray. Back at his alma mater after a five-year spell at Bayern Munich beset by injury, Corentin Tolisso is a one-man midfield engine room with quick feet that prise open space, while Jordan Veretout offers smooth passing in front of defence. Arsenal academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles overlaps with typical elan from right-back, with World Cup winner Nicolas Tagliafico’s delivery from the opposite flank offering a clever point of difference. Ex-Nottingham Forest man Moussa Niakhate has impressed at centre-back.
absentee tonight, though Fofana, who averages a Europa League-high 1.18 goals per game this term, is hoping to shake off an ankle complaint picked up on international duty with Belgium.
With 21-year-old wonderkid Cherki’s impish brilliance, the increasing prominence of Botafogo loanee Thiago Almada, plus Mikautadze’s versatility, it’s not hard to see why only Bodo/Glimt have scored more Europa League goals this season. “I’m really proud of my players, their courage – imposing our game without being afraid of anything,” Fonseca said their first leg against the Reds. “This kind of motivation can make miracles.”
Georges Mikautadze
The Georgia forward lit up Euro 2024 and has been increasingly prolific in his first season back at Lyon, the hometown club with whom he spent seven years as a youth teamer. His unhappy spell at Ajax now behind him, the former Metz striker had hit eight goals in his previous seven outings for club and country before the first leg, with his ceaseless work rate, velvet touch and clinical finishing much to the fore.
Rayan Cherki
The latest luxuriously gifted graduate from a fertile Lyon academy, Cherki is only 21 and already closing in on 200 senior games for his hometown club, plus he leads the way for most goal contributions (11), assists (eight), shot-creating actions (69), goal-creating actions (12), key passes (42) and expected assists (5.6) across the Europa League this season. Better still, he creates more scoring opportunities per 90 minutes than any player in Europe’s top five leagues this term. Equally at home as a central playmaker or a narrow right-winger who drifts into half-spaces between opposition full-backs and centrebacks, the two-footed wonderkid made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in 2019 and has amazed Ligue 1 watchers with his physics-defying close control and penchant for the spectacular. “He’s the best natural talent I’ve ever seen,” according to team-mate Ainsley Maitland-Niles. As for Cherki, he said recently: “When you see what happens pretty much everywhere in matches, there’s not much entertainment – I want people to enjoy themselves when watching TV.” Lyon fans certainly did thanks to his late goal a week ago.
Clinton Mata
Such has been the Belgium-born centre-back’s consistency this season, the experienced 32-year-old returned from the international wilderness to turn out for Angola towards the end of 2024. A bargain €5m signing from Club Brugge in 2023, Mata had to work his way through Belgium’s lower leagues before taking his place among the elite, his sure technique as prized as his Ligue 1-high 44 interceptions at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium, where he has started every game in Paulo Fonseca’s tenure.
PLAYER
PLAYER
Lyon may have never gone beyond the last four in Europe but Les Gones have reached the semi-finals of the three main UEFA competitions in which they have featured to establish themselves among France’s most consistent continental operators.
Formed in 1950, Lyon made it to the top flight inside a decade, and had an inauspicious European bow with an 8-1 aggregate defeat by Inter Milan in the 1959/60 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but it was the 1962/63 season in which they took their first step to France’s elite. With Jean Djorkaeff (left) – father of future World Cup winner Youri – in defence and a devastating front two of Argentina-born Nestor Combin alongside Fleury Di Nallo, Les Gones were runners-up to Double winners Monaco in the Coupe de France. With Monaco occupied by the European Cup, Lyon stormed to the last four of the next season’s Cup Winners’ Cup, knocking out Olympiacos and Hamburg en route, only to lose an agonising play-off to Sporting.
Nicknamed Le Foudre (the Lightning) for his electric pace and powerful frame, Combin left for Juventus after a brace against Bordeaux in the 1964 Coupe de France final secured Lyon’s first major honour. Arguably the club’s finest player, Di Nallo remained but despite Lyon’s second Coupe de France, he was increasingly alone in carrying his team to the 1967/68 Cup Winners’ Cup quarters after Djorkaeff and keeper Marcel Aubour’s own exits from the club.
Though there would be the odd moments of success and joy over the next three decades – a 1972/73 Coupe de France here, the 1981 signing of midfielder Jean Tigana there – it wasn’t until local businessman Jean-Michel Aulas’s investment took effect that big European nights would return to Stade de Gerland.
Club president from 1987 to 2022, Aulas implemented a grand plan called ‘OL – Europe’ to return the yo-yoing Lyon not only to Ligue 1 but establish them as a continental force.
Aulas gave astrology-loving future France boss Raymond Domenech and sporting director Bernard Lacombe – a club legend who scored what proved to be the winner in that 1973 Coupe de France final – carte blanche to develop a squad, promoting liberally from an academy that included Bruno Ngotty and Pascal Fugier.
By 1991/92, their first season back in Europe for 16 years, Lyon reached the UEFA Cup second round and have spent much of the three decades since providing Aulas with the continental football he so craved, including winning the 1997 Intertoto Cup. The late-1990s arrivals of French midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo and ex-Monaco hitman Sonny Anderson took Les Gones to the brink of a maiden Ligue 1 title, before Lacambe mined the latter’s Brazilian home as hitherto unknown trio Juninho Pernambucano, Edmilson and Claudio Cacapa, plus French academy graduate Sidney Govou, helped the club cross the line with the 2001/02 title.
The first of seven successive Ligue 1 crowns marked what became known in France as ‘Lyon DNA’ as the squad performed when it mattered most. Experienced heads such as Giovane Elber and striker Fred complemented up-and-coming signings Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Eric Abidal, while academy products Hatem Ben Arfa and Karim
Benzema helped deliver three successive Champions League quarter-finals.
Knocked out in the 2007/08 last 16 by the Reds, Lyon made the semi-finals two years later. Though Benzema had joined Real Madrid at the beginning of that campaign, Lyon disposed of the Spanish giants in the last 16; a Lyon side still containing Govou and supplemented by Lisandro Lopez, Miralem Pjanic and Hugo Lloris coming undone only against eventual runners-up Bayern Munich.
That campaign proved the end of Lyon’s golden age as the club slid to upper mid-table in Ligue 1 and European group-stage fodder before a recent resurgence. After reaching the Europa League last four for the first time in 2016/17 thanks to Nabil Fekir loading the bullets for a 37-goal season from Alexandre Lacazette (above), Les Gones would also reach an improbable Champions League semi in the Covid-affected 2019/20 campaign.
Ex-Reds striker Memphis Depay and former Fulham and Celtic forward Moussa Dembele were the stars, the latter scoring twice to beat Manchester City in the one-legged quarter-final behind closed doors. A win tonight would deliver a fifth European semi-final and a chance for Lyon’s febrile fan base to enjoy it this time.
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Old Trafford hosted its final official supporters’ club event of the season earlier this month, when fans gathered for our popular ‘Warm-Up’ the night before the Manchester derby.
Throughout the season, fans from all corners of the globe have been invited to gather in M16 before selected Premier League home games, bringing the United family together for a few hours of connection and celebration.
This time, the star turns were 1980s legends Frank Stapleton and Norman Whiteside, who regaled the hundreds of fans in attendance with tales of their glory days – notably the 1983 and 1985 FA Cup final successes, plus that legendary comeback against Barcelona in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
There was a milestone moment for Manchester United Foundation too, as the money raised for our charitable arm across the 2024/25 Warm-Up events surpassed an incredible £30,000. That hugely significant contribution from fans –raised via raffles and auctions at each Warm-Up night – will now help our Foundation support more young people and the communities that they live in. We also heard moving testimonies from two Foundation participants who made the trip to Munich earlier this year.
It was another fantastic event that displayed the strength and vitality of United’s worldwide network of supporters’ clubs, which now encompasses 330 individual branches across 90 countries. Since January alone, we’ve welcomed eight new clubs, including the Stretford Sikhs,
The family-friendly ‘Warm-Ups’ have been popular additions to supporters’ pre-match schedules and will be back next season to raise more money for Foundation causes
Indonesia Bekasi, Panjabi Red Devils, Albuquerque Red Devils, Birmingham Alabama, Manchester United Supporters Team, and Guizhou.
The Warm-Up will return next season, so get in touch with your local supporters’ club if you would like to attend. Or why not start your own branch? Email musc@manutd.co.uk to find out more.
A very happy birthday to Kian Griffiths (on right), pictured here with friend Reggie Powell and Fred the Red at our Europa League win v Real Sociedad.
10th birthday
and
Happy birthday to you, Lucas Bailey, and wishing you a great time at the game tonight.
Noah Davies has been to 14 games and has only seen one defeat so far – great record!
Happy 10th birthday to our little man and no.1 United fan. With lots of love from Mum and Dad.
Memphis L Hast, aged nine, is ready for his first of many games at Old Trafford, with his dad and grandad (fans since 1984 and 1969 respectively). They’re from Denmark and hope Hojlund and Dorgu score this evening.
Congratulations to Jason and Emily Mitchell on their marriage today, who share a love for Manchester United and each other that will never die.
Happy birthday to Alfie Wilks and brother Freddie, who are turning 10 and eight respectively. Love from Mammy and Daddy.
Happy 17th birthday to Harry Trafford, from all of us at Old Trafford! He’s an avid Red and is pictured here with stepdad Shaun.
A big welcome to James Lambert, from Ireland, who first visited Old Trafford for his 11th birthday in December and who returns here tonight with his dad, Colm, and his uncle, Conor.
A very warm welcome to Grant Traub, a fan of 35 years, who is here all the way from Australia with his children, Aiden and Deacan. They’re both obsessed with Bruno Fernandes and want to thank him and the Reds for all the shared memories. Aiden even created a United pinball machine as part of a school project. Nice!
Happy 11th birthday to
,
Teddy Wells will be 12 on 16 April. He’s a season ticket holder who goes to every home game and loves an away day, and his favourite player is Amad. Happy birthday from your dad and the rest of your United family.
Happy fifth birthday to Reynold for 4 April. He’s been a United fanatic since he was two and can name every first-team player by number, with his favourites being Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer.
for
Wishing a very happy sixth birthday to Reuben Moore
41st birthday for
Many happy returns of the day to Zain. Lots of love from Dad, Mum, Amir and Loki.
Best wishes to Annabelle Grace Smith, celebrating her 14th birthday today!
A big welcome to Michelle St Leger on her first European night at Old Trafford, to see the Reds take on Lyon.
Happy ninth birthday to Rory Willerton. Enjoy your special day. Love from Mum, Dad and Harry. Happy 50th birthday also to Peter Willerton, and have a great day celebrating. Love from Claire, Harry and Rory.
Welcome to Wiktoria, Daria and Adrian, from Sleaford, who are over for tonight’s match. Lots of love from Mum and Dad.
Have a great time at Old Trafford tonight, Aideen Wisley! She’s here from Ireland for her first game.
Big congratulations to Amar and Umida, who will become Mr and Mrs Patel on 18 April 2025. Wishing you many long years of happiness together, and plenty of United success to enjoy, too!
Happy eighth birthday, Henry T. We hope you have the best time celebrating at Old Trafford. Come on, United! Love from Mummy, Daddy and Isabelle.
Welcome to Old Trafford, Keelan Holland – enjoy the game!
Happy 40th birthday to Gavin Greaves! He’s a lifelong fan who was born in Manchester, and now brings his son over from Ireland for matches.
10th
Trafford welcomes Beth Owen-Booth to her first United game. She’s a big Alejandro Garnacho fan!
Happy 40th birthday to Paul for 24 April. A lifelong supporter in his first year as a season ticket holder. Enjoy the match! Lots of love from Hannah (and Richard).
Footy-mad Zac Aubrey is at his first United game tonight, with his mummy, and celebrates his seventh birthday on 20 April. Lots of love, Mummy, Daddy and Freya.
Happy 40th birthday to lifelong fan Brona Fitzpatrick, over for the game from Co. Down, Northern Ireland. She will be cheering on the Reds from the Stretford End. Lots of love from brother Eoghan and sister Fionnuala.
10th birthday, Theo, from everyone at United.
A very happy 23rd birthday to Dillon, and we hope you enjoyed your recent visit to Old Trafford. Love from Mom, Dad, and brother Archie.
Lexi and Lanna are very excited to be back watching a match at Old Trafford. Enjoy the game.
‘Wishing my amazing son, Kayden, a very big happy 16th birthday! Love you lots, Mum.’
‘Enjoy this special day at Old Trafford, Julian! I love you. From Melani.’
Happy 11th birthday to Arthur Kelly, from his proud dad, Dave, and his sister, Rose. He plays for Altrincham FC and has scored 46 goals this season already!
Happy ninth birthday, Eli Tucker! We hope you’ve had the best time. Love from Mum, Dad, Joey and Brody.
Dear Dad/Grandad: happy birthday! We all love you and hope you have the best time celebrating. All our love, from Kirsty, Millie, Kian, Mum, Gail, Mads and Eve.
Many happy returns to season ticket holder Dylan Arthur, who celebrated his 16th birthday at the derby. He goes to every home game and loves United, sitting with his mam and dad in the North East Quadrant.
Many happy returns to Isla for your 13th birthday on 9 April. Her favourite player is Ella Toone.
Happy 14th birthday, Isabelle Cobb.
Remembering Alan Ankers, a lifelong fan who’d travel down from Northallerton to his beloved Old Trafford. Alan recently passed away and is sadly missed by his family and many friends.
Jim Nutter (1936-2025) originally from Beswick, latterly Cheadle Hulme, recently passed away at the age of 88. He started going to see United immediately after the end of the Second World War and rarely missed a home game until giving up his season ticket at the age of 78. He always said Duncan Edwards was the best player he ever saw, and enjoyed many glorious years watching the Reds, most of them going with his son Jeremy (left of photo) and close friend Mel. He was at the title-winning seasons in the 1950s and ’60s, and various cup finals during the Sir Alex Ferguson years, including his particular favourites, the three European Cup triumphs in 1968, 1999 and 2008. He said the greatest game he ever went to was against Athletic Bilbao in 1957, and the most poignant was the first match after Munich, against Sheffield Wednesday. Rest in peace, Jim.
We were sad to hear of the death of Barry Rickson, from Stockport, a lifelong United fan and season ticket holder for many years, who first became a regular at Old Trafford in the late 1940s.
Shout-out to two young Reds, Noah and Auggie Galley Rojas. Thanks for your support!
In memory of Adam Watkiss-Thomas, by his dad: ‘Born 1 May 2006, he was such a handsome lad, and I brought him to his first United game against Chelsea in the FA Cup in 2013, when he was so happy to see his first hero, Wayne Rooney, score. We next went to against Liverpool in 2022, when his new hero, Marcus Rashford, scored. We came to a few more games after that and he was always asking to go back to Old Trafford. He had a United duvet and curtains growing up and a calendar every year, and I always bought him a new shirt every season. He was reading Rashford’s book before the accident that took his life. I’ll miss him so much.’
In memory of Jan Martin (1960-2025) from Bramhall, Stockport. From watching the United Trinity in action with her older brother, Colin, to bringing her son, Fran, to experience more than 20 years of Sir Alex’s ‘attack, attack, attack’ teams, and in recent years attending with her friend, Simon. She knew her football, she loved this club and she will be missed.
Paul Schofield (1955-2025) was United’s biggest fan for more than 60 years. He was our rock and protector, a kind, caring storyteller, and football mad. Rest in peace, Paul.
We are saddened to share the sad news that our colleague, Jason Gledhill, has passed away. Jason had been with Manchester United for 12 years, working within our Groundstaff team, and he will be much missed by his colleagues – many of whom became friends over the years. RIP, Jason.
With great sadness, we remember Jessie May Robertson, born 28 August 1929, who passed away on 18 March 2025, aged 95. A devoted Manchester United supporter since 1974, Jessie shared her passion with her son, Colin. Her loyalty to the club never wavered, even in her final days. Jessie’s love for United will always be cherished, and her spirit will live on in the hearts of fellow fans. Rest in peace, Jessie, your dedication will never be forgotten.
Ilan Yagoda supported United from a young age. Even though he lived abroad, he managed to watch every game and his beloved Reds were always in his heart. Ilan (pictured above, middle) is a big loss to all his family and friends and we will miss him dearly.
Following Bruno Fernandes’s tie-turning triple against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, United Review takes a look back at every Reds scorer of a European hat-trick at Old Trafford…
v HJK Helsinki
European Cup preliminary round, second leg | 6 October 1965
Context: Having established a somewhat chaotic 3-2 lead in Helsinki, United returned to Old Trafford highly fancied to see off the Finnish amateurs. Execution: It took England winger Connelly just 14 minutes to open his – and United’s – account for the evening, heading in the hosts’ first via the inside of the post from Bobby Charlton’s cross. As the Reds’ greater fitness told, Connelly helped himself to two more of his side’s six, first converting with minimal fuss after a loose ball had bounced his way and then, in the latter stages, drilling in a spectacular angled effort which left goalkeeper Paavo Heinonen motionless. “Maybe, like his colleagues, he was overcome by the sheer impertinence of Connelly’s effort,” proffered Eric Todd, of The Guardian, as United strolled into the next round via a 9-2 aggregate win. Place in history: Connelly’s solitary treble for the Reds also made him Old Trafford’s first English hat-trick scorer in the continental game.
European Cup Winners’ Cup, first round, second leg | 15 October 1963
Context: Held to a 1-1 first-leg draw over in Rotterdam by Dutch part-timers Willem II, the Reds were counting on the fit-again Lawman to avoid embarrassment back in M16. He delivered. Execution: “Bounding back to dominate the scene after his lay-off through injury, it was he who sank the Tilburg team,” reported Daily Mail journalist Ronald Crowther, of Law’s tie-tipping contribution. It took the Scot less than 12 minutes to strike, and he doubled his tally before half-time, before a collection of three powerful close-range efforts was completed with 20 minutes to spare, taking Matt Busby’s side through with an ultimately comfortable 7-2 success.
Place in history: As the Reds’ most prolific hat-trick scorer with 18, it’s both fitting and unsurprising that Law should have the honour of Old Trafford’s first European treble. He also
European Cup first round, second leg | 1 December 1965
Context: Two goals clear after a comfortable away leg, Matt Busby’s side could afford to adopt a disciplined approach for the second meeting, methodically funnelling all attacks through focal point David Herd, who was enjoying the most prolific season of his career.
Execution: “The German side lacked the resource to pierce a firm Manchester defence,” observed The Times’s match report, before adding: “They could have done with someone as deadly at rounding off moves as Herd proved.” With the visitors kept at arm’s length, United counted on the all-Scottish combination of Law and Herd, with the former supplying all three of the latter’s goals as the Reds won 3-1. Each effort was simple and clinical: a Law pass, a Herd conversion; Law’s headed assist, Herd’s tap-in; then, finally, Law’s shot against the post, Herd’s rebound from virtually on the line. Place in history: Following on from John Connelly’s trio against Helsinki, Herd’s star turn was the first instance in club history of Reds bagging hat-tricks in successive European home matches.
Champions League first group stage, matchday one | 13 September 2000
Context: Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had been unexpectedly deposed as European champions in the previous term’s quarter-finals by Real Madrid, and thus opened the 2000/01 campaign with a point to prove.
Execution: Inside the first 15 minutes, Anderlecht were given a sense of their long night ahead when Cole sublimely glanced Ryan Giggs’s header into the far corner. Three up by the break, United continued to streak clear as Cole capitalised on a defensive mix-up to bobble a left-footed effort into an untended goal, then planted home his second brilliant header of the night via the underside of the Stretford End crossbar, wrapping up an eye-catching 5-1 success.
Place in history: Cole’s treble – his second in Europe after his 1997 haul at Feyenoord –briefly made him the Reds’ outright leading European Cup/Champions League goalscorer, ahead of long-term record holder Denis Law.
v Fenerbahce
Champions League group stage, matchday two | 28 September 2004
Context: Despite unbearable clamour to see Wayne Rooney make his Reds debut after signing from Everton, the teenage tyro was forced to wait a month for his broken foot to fully heal. It was worth the wait.
Execution: Following Ryan Giggs’s fine headed opener, the star soon showed himself, battering home a smart left-footed effort from the edge of the area which was soon trumped by a 25-yard right-footed howitzer which rocketed into the bottom corner. Dialling back the power, Rooney then clipped home a magnificent free-kick less than 10 minutes into the second period, setting the tone for a career which would ultimately top all United goalscoring exploits.
Place in history: Unsurprisingly, as one of just two hat-trick debutants in club history, Rooney’s effort made him the one and only United player to score three times in Europe on his first Old Trafford outing.
v Sparta Prague
Champions League group stage, matchday four | 3 November 2004
Context: As he returned to full fitness following injury, Ruud van Nistelrooy was grafting away to rediscover his edge, having netted only three times from open play in the opening months of the 2004/05 season. Unfortunately for Sparta Prague, the breakthrough came during their visit. Execution: Never one to turn down a goalmouth gift, Ruud gleefully pounced on a stray backpass after 14 minutes, rounding goalkeeper Jaromir
Rooney steps up to steer a free-kick into the Fenerbahce net as he opens his record-setting United career with a debut hat-trick
Blazek before slotting home. Within 10 minutes he had another, stroking home a nerveless penalty, and his hat-trick came on the hour with a crafty lob. For good measure, an injury-time tap-in from Liam Miller’s centre rounded off a comfortable 4-1 success.
Place in history: No firsts, but Ruud’s quadruple served up second and third instances. Following Rooney’s effort against Fenerbahce, this was the second time Old Trafford had hosted United hat-tricks in successive European matches, while the Dutchman became just the third Red – after Denis Law and Dennis Viollet – to net four times in a continental fixture.
Despite the Reds’ elimination in the last 16 of the 2004/05 Champions League, Ruud ended up as the tournament’s leading goalscorer with eight goals
v Olympiacos
Champions League Round of 16, second leg | 19 March 2014
Context: Not since 1984’s epic win over Barcelona had the Reds overturned a two-goal first-leg defeat in European competition. If that were to change after a listless 0-2 reverse in Piraeus, David Moyes’s big-name players had to step up…
Execution: Top scorer in the previous campaign, Robin van Persie rediscovered his mojo in spectacular fashion on a rocking night at Old Trafford, first winning and converting a penalty midway through the first period, then steering home a calm finish on the stroke of half-time to level the tie. Completing the job, the Dutchman curled home a 25-yard free-kick at the Stretford End just six minutes into the second period to send joyous reverberations through M16.
Place in history: “To score a hat-trick in the Champions League is a big thing,” reflected manager Moyes. “There are only certain players in the world who are capable of it and Robin van Persie is one of them.” Moreover, the Dutchman became – and remains – the first and only Red to bag a hat-trick in the Champions League knockout stages since the competition’s 1990s reform.
A van Persie free-kick finds the bottom corner of the Olympiacos goal to send the Reds through to a last-eight duel with Bayern Munich
Celebrating his second on the stroke of half-time as the visitors’ first-leg lead is wiped out
v SAINt-Etienne
Europa League Round of 32, first leg | 16 February 2017
Context: As the Reds progressed through the Europa League in Jose Mourinho’s first season at the Old Trafford helm, a second-round draw with Saint-Etienne switched all attention to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who already had 14 career
goals – including two hat-tricks – against Les Verts from his time with PSG.
Execution: There would be no let-up from the Swede, who required barely 14 minutes to open the scoring with a deflected free-kick. With the tie in the balance and United struggling for cohesion, Zlatan stepped up his one-man vendetta by tapping in a close-range second with 15 minutes left, then rounded off his treble with a last-minute penalty at the Stretford End. Place in history: As well as making Saint-Etienne the outright preferred opponents across his entire career (17 goals) Zlatan laid down a new marker at United as the club’s first Scandinavian hat-trick scorer in European competition.
v RB Leipzig
Champions League group stage, matchday two | 28 October 2020
Context: A thrilling win at PSG on matchday one was secured by Marcus Rashford’s late winner, yet Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to rest his no.10 when the Bundesliga leaders pitched up in M16 on matchday two. Mason Greenwood’s opener had the Reds 1-0 ahead by the time Rashford entered from the bench shortly after the hour. Execution: Despite social distancing ensuring that there were still no supporters allowed inside Old Trafford, the super-sub seemed intent on putting on a show, racing through on 74 minutes to slot home his first, lashing home his second from an angle four minutes later and then, after Anthony Martial’s late penalty, emphatically ramming in a fifth in injury-time.
v Real Sociedad
Europa League Round of 16, second leg | 13 March 2025
Team-mates rush to celebrate Rashford’s second before repeating the revelry upon the completion of his hat-trick in injury-time
Place in history: As well as the fastest European hat-trick scored by a United player at Old Trafford, taking just 18 minutes in total, Rashford’s treble was the first and so far only bagged by a Reds substitute.
Context: With a quarter-final berth in this season’s UEFA Europa League at stake, and the aggregate score poised at 1-1 going into last month’s showdown with Real Sociedad, the stage was set for a hero… Execution: United’s need took on added urgency within 10 minutes, as Mikel Oyarzabal stroked home a penalty to edge the visitors
Fernandes beats Real Sociedad stopper Remiro from the spot for a second time en route to sealing his hat-trick and the Reds’ place in tonight’s quarter-final
ahead. Having seen the visiting skipper net from the spot, United captain Bruno Fernandes returned the favour just six minutes later, sending goalkeeper Alex Remiro the wrong way with a penalty of his own. The Portuguese repeated the feat early in the second half and, despite a subsequent red card for Jon Aramburu, the Reds’ progress was only assured three minutes from time. Inevitably, that assurance was provided by Fernandes, threading an unstoppable low finish inside Remiro’s far post after fine approach work from Alejandro Garnacho. As BBC journalist Simon Stone stressed: “In a crisis, the former Sporting midfielder is the player most likely to step up.” Place in history: Our Portuguese magnifico
As striking in clay as he was on the pitch, this Eric Cantona figurine is an eye-catching tribute to one of Old Trafford’s most iconic and enduring legends…
This ceramic figure of Eric Cantona, standing at 16 inches tall, is a tribute to one of United’s greatest ever players. Handmade by the renowned Groggs studio, in Pontypridd, Wales – from whom it is on loan to the club museum – this clay collectible captures the unmistakable swagger of ‘King Eric’ in caricatured form: collar up, chest puffed out, hands on hips, an unmistakable air of authority.
Not only was Cantona the first Frenchman to represent the Reds, but he was also just the third player from outside of the UK and Ireland to play for us in the Premier League era – following Andrei Kanchelskis and Peter Schmeichel.
He quickly became a huge fans’ favourite, with Sir Alex Ferguson famously saying of him: “If ever there was one player, anywhere in the world, that was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona. He swaggered in, stuck his chest out, raised his head and surveyed everything as though he were asking: ‘I’m Cantona. How big are you? Are you big enough for me?’”
That pose has certainly been captured here by creators Groggs, who are known for their quirky, exaggerated style. For collectors and fans alike, the Cantona Grogg is more than just a clay model; it’s a nod to the artistry of a player who brought elegance, excitement, plus the odd moment of controversy, to the English game.
The Frenchman, who was in the crowd for our recent home game against Manchester City, remains hugely popular with United supporters – as reflected by this Cantona item and many others on display in Old Trafford’s museum.
As our quarter-final with Lyon resumes, UR takes a look at just some of the digits relating to United’s continental record, the Reds’ many French connections, and the UEL season so far… 11
That’s how many different goalscorers the Reds have had in the UEFA Europa League this season (excluding own goals).
Of our 21 goals in the competition to date, Rasmus Hojlund leads the way with five strikes, ahead of Bruno Fernandes with four.
John Connelly scored United’s first competitive goal against French opposition, when he struck in the 19th minute of our maiden match against a Ligue 1 side. That goal, against Strasbourg, came in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in May 1965, a game the Reds won 5-0 at Stade de la Meinau (and by the same scoreline on aggregate after an Old Trafford stalemate).
That was the shirt number worn by Eric Cantona when he made his United debut against Manchester City on 6 December 1992. In replacing Ryan Giggs as a half-time substitute he became the first Frenchman to represent the Reds, with 14 compatriots following in his footsteps since. 17
Bruno Fernandes’s brace of penalties in his hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the last round was the 17th time a player has netted two spot-kicks in a match since Charlie Mitten’s hat-trick of penalties in March 1950 (v Aston Villa). It was the first time Bruno has scored two penalties for the Reds in the same game, a feat Wayne Rooney achieved on four occasions.
Following our trip to Lyon last week, the Reds have scored this many goals in the UEFA Europa League this season. Our 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad last month was our biggest in the 2024/25 competition, plus our most convincing in Europe since beating Real Betis by the same scoreline in March 2023.
75,521
This is the record attendance for a game between United and a French opponent, coming against Lyon on their last visit here to M16. That game, a 1-0 United victory courtesy of a first-half Cristiano Ronaldo goal, was a UEFA Champions League knockout tie back in March 2008.
439
Bruno Fernandes has attempted this many passes in the opposition’s half in Europe this season, more than any other United player. He’s also had our most shots off target (12), and attempted most crosses (50).
34
Tonight’s return leg with Lyon is our 34th competitive fixture against French opposition, of which 15 prior to this one have been played here at Old Trafford. Our record across those matches reads: Won 9, Drawn 4, lost 2. We’ve scored 22 goals in those games, conceding 11.
2,060
Frenchmen have collectively made this many appearances for Manchester United, with Patrice Evra (right) contributing most to that total, with 379. Mikael Silvestre is next with 361 matches for the Reds, and, of course, Leny Yoro is ensuring this total continues to tick up.
On 5 October 1977, the Reds played a ‘home’ European tie at Plymouth’s Home Park. The fixture was moved there as punishment after crowd trouble in the away leg of our European Cup Winners’ Cup tie with Saint-Etienne. United won the game 2-0 with goals from Stuart Pearson and Steve Coppell.
649
That’s how many miles separate Lyon’s stadium and our own, as the crow flies. A crowd of 58,018 watched last week’s first leg (above) and around 72,000 will be inside Old Trafford tonight.
Club snapper Ash Donelon (above) gets a close-up view of the first-leg action in Lyon, capturing an all-encompassing image of United on the attack from a Bruno corner...
Image taken: During our Europa League quarter-final first leg, Groupama Stadium, Lyon, Thursday 10 April.
Ash says: “This was the first match I’d photographed in Groupama Stadium and it’s one I won’t forget in a hurry as the atmosphere was truly spectacular. Behind each goal were huge nets suspended from the roof forming a barrier between the raucous home fans and the pitch, and the photographers and TV camera operators were stationed in front of these nets. For the second half my position was right on the grass so I had an incredibly close view of the action, and when Bruno Fernandes took a corner kick I switched to a fisheye lens to get a different perspective. This ultrawide angle allowed me to capture different elements in the frame which otherwise go unseen, such as the long row of photographers on my left all vying to get their shot, and the security staff on the right holding a riot shield to protect the players from thrown objects. And catching former Red Nemanja Matic warming up on the sidelines was an added bonus!”
A group of Foundation partner high school pupils enjoy an unforgettable trip to Limassol, Cyprus
Those who follow the Reds will recognise the notion of a great Manchester United moment: a fusion of mental strength, spirit, unity and – most crucially – magic. Throughout the club’s history, these moments are often reserved to on-pitch affairs, but the influence of United goes much further than that.
All these key ingredients were present when 12 young people from the Foundation’s partner schools, all of whom have shown significant resilience in their lives, were rewarded with the opportunity to embark on a residential trip to Cyprus, funded by the club’s charity with support from our Cyprus supporters’ club.
For many of the youngsters, they were facing not only their first time on an aeroplane but also their first time out of Manchester as they headed away on an action-packed five-day trip to a new country – which included a rope adventure park experience, a padel session with professional players and even a visit to a camel park.
“United is my life, my passion,” said Charalambos Loizou, secretary of our Cyprus supporters’ club. “I live in Cyprus now, but I was born in Whitefield [in Greater Manchester], and
so I have a special connection to Manchester and recognise the huge impact United can, and should, have on local young people.
“After a conversation with John Shiels [the Foundation’s chief executive] about how we as a supporters’ club could help the amazing work the Foundation does, it was agreed that we would host a deserving group from Manchester and give them a true Cypriot experience. It just goes to show the amazing things we can do when we come together as a club.”
As well as the aforementioned activities, the Cyprus Reds also gave the young people their first experience of playing padel, co-ordinated a private screening of a film at a local cinema, and treated the group to an amazing Cypriot banquet. “It’s been a truly unforgettable experience,” said
Niccola Massey, the Foundation’s life skills manager, who led and organised the trip. “Every element of this week will be so impactful for the kids, whether it be the activities and pushing themselves to move out of their comfort zone, sampling new food, meeting new friends and even just being in another country; it really will be life-changing for them.”
Kaydi, who attends Whalley Range High School, reflected enthusiastically on a very memorable few days, saying: “We’ve done so many different things this week. I’ve loved it all and I’m really happy that I was able to come – it means a lot to have been picked. I found the animals at the camel park very cute.”
It was a special trip with a group of special people, creating memories to last a lifetime.
Young people supported by the Foundation received an incredible gift from club partner and legendary British fashion company Paul Smith recently. As part of a special employability session at Old Trafford, aimed at supporting their future ventures and rewarding their fantastic work, each of the youngsters were gifted a brand-new coat by Paul Smith – ensuring they look and feel the part as they explore their next opportunities. Those in attendance – a selection of participants and volunteers in their late teens – also enjoyed
a session in our Skills Lab and a stadium tour. Indeed, one of the recipients, Joe, is a former participant at the Foundation’s pan-disability football programme, Ability Counts, and is now a regular volunteer across Foundation programmes. “Wearing coats like these makes you feel like you’re in a different world – like a million dollars!” said Joe, sporting a classic brown trench coat. “It feels so nice wearing these clothes, you feel good about yourself and it expresses how you feel, and I love to do that.”
Partner school pupils at Stockport Academy gained insight and inspiration from British welterweight title holder Conah Walker at their school this month. The former Commonwealth champion – who brought along three of his title belts to show pupils – went back to school for the day, generously sparing his time for a number of assemblies and a signing session – before joining a smaller group to offer specialist advice and lead a sparring exercise, before signing autographs. One pupil, Ibrahim, said: “I really liked meeting Conah and enjoyed getting taught different stuff. He said about if we want to keep on doing something after school like our passion, you have to be consistent so that’s one thing I want to do. I will definitely be watching his fights in the future, he’s a really nice guy!”
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Can you match the French words to their English translations?
Our mascot is here to test your knowledge! Answers at the bottom of each page...
Order these five players – who all represented United and Lyon –from 1-5, based on how many games they played for the Reds…
ANSWERS
We can’t confirm the lads actually said these things – but you never know!
Sniff… nice deodorant! I just LOVE this tunnel!
Can you find these eight Gallic ex-Reds in our wordsearch?
Five facts about tonight’s visitors
All of their seven Ligue 1 titles were won consecutively between 2002 and 2008.
Lyon’s nickname is Les Gones, which translates as The Kids.
Nicolas Tagliafico (below, right) helped Lisandro Martinez and Argentina to win the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Lyon have won away at Manchester City and Everton in the last decade.
They are aiming to become the first French club to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
Impact Season 2023/24
1,685 signed and charitable items distributed
500k+ attendances at free-of-charge sessions 40% female participation
£608,317
raised by season ticket holders and online fan donations
117 young people engaged projects
42,178
mufoundation.org/ourimpact
United player appearances p55 / Season fixtures and results p56-57
This evening’s visitors Lyon are one of 10 French clubs United have faced over the years in European competition – UR takes a look at our record against them all...
Lille OSC
P6 W3 D2 L1
Prior to tonight’s game, Lille were our most frequent French foe following six tight Champions League matches in the 2000s. Lyon move level tonight.
Olympique Lyonnais
P5 W2 D3 L0
United and Lyon first crossed paths in 2004/05 at the group stage, then met again in the Round of 16 in 2007/08 (above).
Saint-Etienne
P4 W3 D1 L0
Crowd trouble in our 1977 Cup Winners’ Cup tie with Lyon’s big rivals meant the ‘home’ leg was played at Home Park in Plymouth. We met again in 2017’s Europa League campaign.
Olympique Marseille
P4 W2 D1 L1
Our Champions League meetings in 1999/2000 and 2010/11 were feisty and low scoring – the last being a 2-1 home win settled by a Javier Hernandez brace.
Paris Saint-Germain
P4 W2 D0 L2
The most recent addition to this list is PSG, who we met in both 2018/19 and 2020/21 (below) in the Champions League, with the sides sharing two wins apiece.
RC Strasbourg
P2 W1 D1 L0
Our first French opponents – in the 1964/65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup –were seen off 5-0 on aggregate, all five goals coming in the away leg.
Montpellier Herault
P2 W1 D1 L0
Our European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final opponents were seen off 3-1 on aggregate en route to famously winning the trophy in Rotterdam in 1990/91.
P2 W0 D2 L0
United and Monaco met in the 1997/98 Champions League quarter-finals, when a Stretford End strike from David Trezeguet knocked us out on away goals.
P2 W2 D0 L0
It’s two games and two wins against Les Girondins, who we met in the 1999/2000 second group stage of the Champions League.
P2 W1 D1 L0
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer marked his 29th birthday with a brace in February 2002’s 5-1 rout of Nantes, a week after the maiden Champions League battle was drawn on French soil.
Leny Yoro scored his first United goal in our 2-2 first-leg draw with Lyon last week, becoming the 12th Frenchman to score for the Reds. In doing so he also became our 17th different scorer this season – Bruno Fernandes leads the way in 2024/25 with 16 goals, while Alejandro Garnacho has 10.
Altay BAYINDIR 102030200080
2
Chinazaekpere DORGU 5(1) 010003000 9(1) 0
Christian ERIKSEN 47(21) 2 5(2) 0 4(2) 3 13(7) 200 69(32) 7
Jonny EVANS 141(19) 4 11(5) 0 20(3) 2 27(8) 2 3(3) 0 202(38) 8
Bruno FERNANDES 187(3)6220(3)10 9(4) 4 50(4)19 10 267(14)95
Alejandro GARNACHO 55(33)158(5) 2 7(3) 4 12(11) 3 0(1) 1 82(53)25
Daniel GORE 0(1) 000 0(1) 00000 0(2) 0
Tom HEATON 000020 0(1) 000 2(1) 0
Ayden HEAVEN 1(1) 0 0(1) 0001000 2(2) 0
Rasmus HOJLUND 43(14)137(1) 1 1(3) 0 13(4)10 00 64(22)24
Victor LINDELOF 163(25) 4 21(2) 0 15(2) 0 42(5) 010 242(34) 4
Harry Amass made his first Premier League start in our game against Newcastle on Sunday, following up his full debut as a substitute against Leicester City last month. He’s one of several Academy players who have been included in the first-team’s matchday squad in recent weeks.
Noussair Mazraoui is closing in on his first appearance milestone for the Reds, having played 48 games this season ahead of tonight’s UEFA Europa League return leg with Lyon. Joshua Zirkzee, who sadly picked up an injury at the weekend, is level with the Morocco international on that tally of appearances.
PL Sun 29Tottenham Hotspur (H) 4.30pm 0-3 73,587 4-2-3-1Onana
PL Sat 7 Nottingham Forest (H) 5.30pm 2-3 73,7783-4-2-1Onana Yoro
UEL Thu 12Viktoria Plzen (A) 5.45pm 2-1 11,3203-4-2-1Onana
Manchester United and Greater Manchester Police have very detailed emergency procedures and contingency plans in place to deal with any emergency scenario which might arise at the stadium. Part of these procedures can involve evacuation plans should such an eventuality be required. We strongly advise that should any unforeseen emergency incident develop then please remain in your position and listen carefully to any public address announcements or directions from the attendant stewards. Loudspeakers are located in the stands, concourse areas, hospitality areas, toilets and outside the stadium. Depending on the nature of the incident, whole stands, part stands or even the entire stadium may be evacuated. There is also an option to evacuate spectators on to the pitch. Our public address system operates on a stadium zone-by-zone basis. It may be that certain zones are affected by an incident but not others. In such an event our main attention will be focused on the zone concerned. If you hear an announcement in an area other than your own, you should ignore it and respond only to messages directed towards your section or by stewards. All spectators are asked to respond calmly and as quickly as possible to emergency directions.
Help tackle discriminatory or offensive behaviour inside Old Trafford by texting HELP to 84222* followed by the STAND, ROW and SEAT of the offender and then the nature of the problem. Allow us to do the rest. *Texts are charged at the standard network rate.
Brace yourself for some brilliant and baffling posers as our alphabetical series reaches ‘B’ for the second time. It could be the first letter of the subject, or the answer. Let’s go!
European Cup final the semis?
United defeated Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final after beating which Spanish club in the semis?
2. Nicky Butt’s Premier League and FA Cup debuts both came against which Greater Manchester club?
Steve Bruce is the top-scoring defender in United history, but how many goals did he get: 31, 41 or 51? 4. 1. 3. 5. 9. 8. 10. 6. 18
Aside from the Reds and Blackburn, who were the only other club to finish in the top two in the first three seasons of the Premier League?
Wes Brown and which other Reds defender left Old
2011?
Who was the last United player to score in the
Against which team, whose name begins with B, did Zlatan Ibrahimovic score on his Premier League debut? 7.
Which player, whose surname begins with B, helped United defeat his former club in the 2017 Europa League final?
Who is second behind Casemiro for the most Reds goals scored by a Brazilian player, with 14?
51; 5. John
Against which ‘B’ club did Altay Bayindir keep his first United clean sheet?
Answers
Altay BAYINDIR
Victor LINDELOF
Noussair Mazraoui
Matthijs de Ligt
Harry MAGUIRE
Lisandro MARTINEZ
Mason MOUNT
Bruno FERNANDES
Rasmus HOJLUND
Joshua Zirkzee
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu
Christian ERIKSEN
Leny Yoro AMAD
Alejandro GARNACHO
CASEMIRO
Diogo DALOT
Tom HEATON
Luke SHAW
Andre ONANA
Manuel Ugarte
Ayden heaven
Jonny EVANS
Kobbie MAINOO
Harry Amass
Toby Collyer
Dermot mee
Elyh Harrison
jack fletcher
Jack moorhouse
James Scanlon
HABEEB OGUNNEYE
JAYCE FITZGERALD
JAYDAN KAMASON
GODWILL KUKONKI
SEASON 2024/25
Nicolas Tagliafico
Paul Akouokou
Jordan Veretout
Corentin Tolisso
Alexandre LacAZette
Malick Fofana
Tanner Tessmann
Abner
Rayan Cherki
Moussa Niakhate
Sael Kumbedi
Clinton Mata
Lucas Perri
Warmed Omari
Enzo Molebe
Nemanja Matic
Thiago Almada
Ernest Nuamah
Remy Descamps
Teo Barisic
Lassine Diarra
Mathys De Cavalho
Duje Caleta-Car
Georges Mikautadze
Alejandro Rodriguez
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
