Manchester United were rarely beaten at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, never mind completely outclassed.
Red Star Belgrade dominated United in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup final, however, the Serbian side still lost 1-0 in Manchester.
United's stars of Peter Schmeichel, Denis Irwin, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis among others were outshone on the night with Vladimir Jugovic, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Darko Pancev and Dejan Savicevic capturing imaginations on the pitch instead.
Red Star's Savicevic in particular delivered a world-class performance and some still discuss his brilliance decades later. Ferguson has since admitted that his side were 'annihilated' on the night and it's the 30th anniversary of that unlikely triumph on Friday.
So, the Manchester Evening News has revisited that game at Old Trafford in which United lifted a trophy that they didn't deserve.
Considering the match was for a European trophy, the attendance in Old Trafford for the 1991 UEFA Super Cup final was low.
The match was usually contested by the European champions and the Cup Winners’ Cup holders in a two-legged Super Cup final, but due to the outbreak of civil war in Yugoslavia, the fixture was reduced to a one-off match on a November's night at Old Trafford.
There were 22,000 supporters in attendance for the match - the game's importance played down by United fans compared to their Red Star Belgrade counterparts - but those in the ground were blissfully unaware that they were about to be under siege. Red Star Belgarde had a squad of stars and they were fearless. While others couldn't, they were ready to go toe-to-toe with United.
United starting XI: Schmeichel, Irwin, Martin. Bruce, Webb. Pallister, Kanchelskis. Ince, McClair, Hughes. Blackmore.
Red Star starting XI: Milojevic. Radinovic, Vastlnevic, Tama. Belodedic. Majdoskie. Stosic, Jugovic. Pancev. Savicevic, Mihajlovic.
Jugovic, who would score the winner for Juventus in the 1996 Champions League final, started in midfield while Mihajlovic, who won two Serie A titles with Inter and Lazio, and European Golden Boot winner Darko Pancev made Red Star's starting XI that night.
But it was Savicevic – who dismantled Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League final for AC Milan – that would steal the show.
The game didn't start as planned for the visitors when United won a penalty within just two minutes, but the opportunity to convert from the spot was squandered by centre-back Bruce, whose effort was expertly saved by goalkeeper Zvonko Milojevic.
United failed to respond after Bruce's penalty miss and Red Star began to stylishly stamp their authority on the game.
Savicevic effortlessly danced around United's players and seemingly every passage of play came through the playmaker. He helped Red Star orchestrate relentless waves of pressure, but yet every chance bearing down on Schmeichel's goal was wasted.
It was 0-0 at half-time and United were fortunate to be level. Red Star had outclassed United but had nothing to show for it. Savicevic was levels above everyone on the pitch and Ince was miserably failing in his duel against him - it was individual humiliation.
The second half started as the first half ended, with Red Star creating chance after chance. It was a miracle that they hadn't scored and, despite Ferguson's half-time talk at the break, the game's momentum certainly remained in the visitors' favour.
Ferguson's United side didn't get dominated in this manner at Old Trafford so what exactly was going on? Well, Red Star would be made to pay for their wastefulness when United won a free-kick down the left channel with almost 20 minutes to play.
United had weathered the storm and it was their time to hit back. Neil Webb picked the ball up on the edge of the box to regain possession after Red Star cleared the free-kick and then the midfielder drove the ball goalwards, but his effort hit the post.
The ball deflected out into the path of a grateful Brian McClair, who calmly slotted home to give United a surprise lead.
Pancev had scored 34 goals in the season before, which earned him the Golden Boot as Europe's top goalscorer and McClair's goal made him rue the two good chances he put wide, the two that Schmeichel had saved and his chance that was cleared off the line.
He wasn't the only culprit for Red Star, though, because Savicevic had also dazzled without finding the back of the net. Red Star's captain had a goal-bound effort blocked by Pallister while he also flashed two shots wide just after the re-start.
Those inside the stadium couldn't believe what they were watching, United were about to complete the greatest smash and grab.
Ryan Giggs, then 17-years-old, made an appearance from off the bench as the game reached the latter stages, but Red Star still couldn't break United's resolve despite their best efforts. The full-time whistle went, United won the game and lifted the trophy.
“We were absolutely annihilated that night,” Ferguson has since recalled to United’s website. “They could have been 5-0 up at half-time. The entire Red Star side was terrific. Savicevic, Darko Pancev, Robert Prosinecki, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Vladimir Jugovic.
"All brilliant players. We were lucky to get that result.”
Pancev and Savicevic would come joint second in the Ballon d'Or just weeks after Red Star lost in that 1991 UEFA Super Cup final, but the latter's performance versus United, in particular, is considered by those at Old Trafford that night as one of the best of all time.
"The greatest single footballing performance I have ever witnessed," one United supporter in attendance is on record as saying.
It's just a shame there wasn't more in Old Trafford to watch Savicevic or to watch United complete such an unlikely triumph.
