Maguire’s Last-Minute Goal Sends Man Utd to Europa League Semis

Photo : AFP

Harry Maguire scored a dramatic last-minute goal to help Manchester United reach the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, with a 7-6 win on aggregate over Olympique Lyonnais in an exciting quarter-final match.

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The second leg of the game at Old Trafford went into extra time after United lost a two-goal lead. The score was 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette scoring to bring the tie level.

In extra time, United had a man advantage after Corentin Tolisso was sent off for a red card. Maguire took advantage of this and scored a header in the 121st minute to win the game, making it 5-4 in the second leg.

United started the game well, taking the lead in the 10th minute when Manuel Ugarte finished a great team move. Diogo Dalot then added a second goal just before halftime, putting United 2-0 up.

But Lyon fought back in the second half. Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico scored two quick goals to make it 2-2, tying the match and putting United in a difficult position.

Tolisso’s red card gave United hope again, but Lyon managed to take the lead in extra time. Cherki scored a great goal, and Lacazette scored from a penalty to put Lyon ahead.

But Bruno Fernandes gave United fans hope by scoring a penalty, and substitute Kobbie Mainoo scored a beautiful goal with what seemed like the last kick of the match, leveling the score once again.

In the very last moments of the match, Maguire scored the winning goal, heading in a cross from Casemiro to send United through to the semi-finals.

United is now the first team ever to score two goals in the 120th minute of a major European match, making history in the process. "It was a crazy game, but I was happy to score when the chance came to me," Maguire said after the match. "It was an amazing feeling."

Old Trafford hasn’t been very kind to United this season in the Premier League, with many losses at home. But in Europe, they continue to perform well, and Lyon had no idea what was coming during this dramatic game.

The match started well for United, with Ugarte finishing off Alejandro Garnacho’s cross in the 10th minute. Dalot then added a second goal, but Lyon quickly turned things around in the second half, scoring two goals in just six minutes to bring the tie back to 2-2.

After Tolisso’s red card, United looked like they had the upper hand, but Lyon still fought hard. Cherki’s goal in extra time put Lyon ahead, but Fernandes scored a penalty to keep United’s hopes alive. Mainoo then scored a brilliant goal to make it 4-4, sending the game into more extra time.

Finally, Maguire’s header in the 121st minute sealed the win and sent United to the semi-finals. The win also means United will now face Athletic Bilbao in the next round of the Europa League.

Lyon’s coach, Paulo Fonseca, said, "We celebrated too much when we scored our fourth goal. We should have waited until the game was over. It’s a tough lesson, but I’m proud of my team."

United will be hoping for more excitement as they move on to the semi-finals, where they will look to continue their journey to winning the Europa League.