Manchester United stunned Juventus with a late rally to secure a dramatic 2-1 win to keep their Champions League destiny in their own hands.
It was a result and fightback so good that it invites comparisons with historic games of years gone by.
So just how good was the result in the grand scheme of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United reign and the club’s historic European record? We’ve taken a closer look…
Mourinho’s finest United hour
Jose Mourinho has not secured a better result as United manager. The only realistic competitor was last season’s 3-2 triumph over Manchester City, but even that was tinged by the knowledge that the Reds were just delaying the inevitable.
This one really mattered. With United facing an uphill battle to remain in the Champions League, Mourinho’s tactical changes altered a game that his side managed to stay in through sheer resilience at times.
There still does not appear to be much of a Mourinho blueprint beyond ‘fight for our lives’ but that conversation can wait until the glow of Mourinho’s best result as Reds manager has worn off slightly.
Another performance result like this at the Etihad on Sunday would amplify that feel-good factor no end.
Best European result since Ferguson?
There’s no doubt this is United’s best European result since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The club may have won the Europa League in the interim but Old Trafford managers are judged in Europe’s elite competition.
When was the last time United secured such a good European away result? That winning goal makes it better than the 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in 2013.
Impressive away wins at Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan in the late 2000s could perhaps challenge last night’s triumph, but there is an argument to say that even during Ferguson’s golden era from 2007 to 2013, they did not secure a result as good as last night’s.