The Game That Made No Sense
Sometimes, it is pointless trying to make sense of this game.
Ferguson’s famous “Football, Bloody Hell” comment after the 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich sealed by two injury-time goals sprang to mind as Harry Maguire headed off down the tunnel at the end of this wild, unbelievable night.
United had just come through a 5-4 epic, a scoreline that felt more like a fever dream than a professional football match.
The chaos, the comebacks, the sheer disbelief of it all it defied logic.
Amorim, the unlikely hero, celebrated his goal by sprinting down the touchline, a scene eerily reminiscent of Jose Mourinho’s iconic run when Porto stunned the world at this same stadium in 2004.
On commentary duty, Rio Ferdinand was shown jumping up and down, overcome with the kind of joy and disbelief that only this game this ridiculous game can provide.
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Most United fans would have felt the same.
And yet, in the cold light of day, United’s journey isn’t over.
A semi-final awaits. Possibly even an all-English final against Tottenham.
The Europa League remains their last real shot at Champions League qualification and silverware to salvage something from a campaign that has, at times, bordered on disastrous.
But no matter what lies ahead, the events of this night will linger.
It unfolded in a stadium over 100 years old, steeped in history and glory.
The same ground where the Busby Babes played those legends who were the only other United side to win by a 5-4 scoreline, against Arsenal, just before the Munich tragedy.
The same turf graced by the Holy Trinity of Best, Law, and Charlton; by the double winners, the Treble winners; by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
This current team? They’re not in that league.
Not even close. But for one night, in one game, they gave fans a spectacle that stands alongside the very best that came before.
A game that made no sense but will never be forgotten.
–BBC
