Tears and yells of joy, elation and relief as Manchester United win the Champions League |
Perhaps the less famous of United’s recent European triumphs, our last Champions League success secured a League and Cup double. It was the club’s third European Cup win and fifth continental trophy overall, alongside success in the Super Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup at the start of the 1990s.
In this article, we will re-live the Red Devils’ European campaign, from the group stages through to the nail-biting success over Premier League rivals Chelsea in the Final. It’s a success that remains a vivid memory for any United fan who followed the club during this period.
2008 Champions League Final.
Manchester United vs. Chelsea.The shootout.
The slip.
The agony.
The ecstacy. pic.twitter.com/rdIoAuwHZC— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 21, 2020
Group stages
United automatically qualified for the group stages of the Champions League, where they were drawn against tricky opposition in the shape of Roma and Sporting Lisbon, alongside underdogs Dynamo Kyiv.
Knock-out stages
The round of 16 saw United drawn to face Lyon, with the away leg in France first up. Carlos Tevez’s away goal just three minutes from time secured a crucial draw to take back to Old Trafford, where a nerveless display – and yet another goal from Ronaldo – earned a 2-1 aggregate win.
The Final
The Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital provided the perfect setting for the clash between two of England’s biggest clubs. United had beaten the Blues in the Community Shield at the start of the season, with the two sides trading victories during the league campaign.
ON THIS DAY: In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in three Champions League finals.✓2008
✓ 2014
✓ 2017Big game player. pic.twitter.com/InmV3oJRl3
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 3, 2020
Ironically, United’s only miss in the shoot-out came from Ronaldo, the man whose goals had played a huge role in the team’s success in the competition, but CR7’s blushes were spared as John Terry lost his footing while taking his penalty and to make matters more tense, hit the woodwork as Captain Fantastic kept United in the shootout to sudden death.