This match meant everything to Manchester United’s season, the one that could save it from oblivion. Amid the Sir Jim Ratcliffe penny-pinching, there was budget for pyrotechnics to complement the tifos and raucous chanting from both sets of fans to create a glorious backdrop for what could be one of the final great European nights at Old Trafford.
With plans in place to knock down the Theatre of Dreams and replace it with a 100,000-capacity stadium in as soon as five years and the current United squad going through a transition under Ruben Amorim, the prospect of reaching the final four in major competitions before the final brick is laid is not guaranteed.
