Manchester United European Memories: Some Lesser-Known Classics

This season seems unlikely to be remembered as a classic European campaign for Manchester United. The UEFA Europa League opener against Feyenoord did not portend great things in terms of the team's motivation for the tournament.

Unless Jose Mourinho's men somehow turn it around and win the competition in swashbuckling fashion, for the most part Europe's second-string tournament will likely be a distraction from the attempt to rebuild United as title challengers.

But not all great European memories were earned at the cutting edge of competition. For every "That Night In Barcelona," there are plenty of less-remembered evenings under the lights at Old Trafford.

With Zorya Luhansk set to visit on Thursday, we asked for some memories of lesser-known United performances in European competition.

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

Ron Atkinson's United took on Hungarian side Videoton in the UEFA Cup quarter-final in 1985.

The home leg saw the Red Devils win 1-0 thanks to a Frank Stapleton goal. The away game, though, saw the wheels come off Atkinson's usually effective cup machine.

Tomasz Mortimer of HungarianFootball.com told Bleacher Report:

"The second leg of Vidi-United was just one of those games you watch and just know an upset is going to happen.

"On an almost impossibly muddy pitch, Vidi had taken an early lead in the game—to go level in the tie—thanks to a deflected free-kick and just hung on by any means possible.

"The pitch didn't help United's cause, but after chance upon chance failed to cough up a winner, you knew there was only going to be one outcome in the [penalty] shootout.

"The heavily bearded Peter Disztl in goal for Vidi ultimately proved to be the hero with a stunning penalty save in sudden death."

Atkinson would soon be replaced by a manager who had had some success in Europe with Aberdeen.

"

@UtdRantcast 1991 CWC - legia Warsaw at home - lee sharpe scored and did the sharpe shuffle right in front of me (an impressionable 16 yo)

— Al (@Allang1974) September 26, 2016"

The European Cup Winners' Cup was a competition which featured the winners of domestic cup competitions from all around Europe.

Given that United were perceived as cup specialists in the 1980s, it was only fitting that a much younger, not-yet-knighted Alex Ferguson should guide them to this title in 1991. It was the end of an era, and the foreshadowing of a more successful one to come.

It was a run which brought United into contact with teams they rarely played—as well as the above mentioned Pecsi Munkas of Hungary and Legia Warsaw of Poland, United beat Welsh Cup winners Wrexham and Montpellier of France en route to their victory over Barcelona in the final.

United beat Pecsi Munkas in front of just 28,411 people at Old Trafford, per Website of Dreams, but Clayton Blackmore's goal was indeed ample reward for those who made the trip. 

Lee Sharpe left his mark on impressionable young fans with his only goal of the tournament in the second leg of the semi-final against Legia. Having won 3-1 in Poland, United were already confident of progression.

When they eventually made it to the final, it was Mark Hughes' brilliance which helped overcome favourites Barcelona. That was Sir Alex's first European silverware at United and set the tone for what was to come.

By the 1996/97 season, United were finding domestic competition all too easy. They had overcome a serious title challenge in 1995/96, when Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United had made sure things went down to the wire.

In 1996/97, though, barring a wobble in October which featured an infamous 6-3 loss to Southampton—for which Ferguson famously blamed the kits, per the Mirror—United were pretty much untroubled. 

However, while an earlier incarnation of his team had won the Cup Winners' Cup, this improved version of the team had not yet properly made their mark on European competition.

They were desperate to do so. They scraped through their Champions League group, wherein they won three and lost three—including a 1-0 home defeat by Fenerbahce that threatened to make things really tricky. But make it through they did, and their reward was a quarter-final clash with Portuguese champions FC Porto.

The official club website describes it as an event which "ranks amongst the greatest European games ever staged at Old Trafford." The starting lineup is full of all-time United greats and cult heroes. 

Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Gary Pallister, David May, Denis Irwin, David Beckham, Ronny Johnsen, Ryan Giggs Eric Cantona, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer were a fearsome prospect for any opposition.

The unlikely opening scorer was May. As the above tweet shows, his description of the goal was poetic. More familiar scorers followed—Cantona, Giggs and Cole. It led to tremendous optimism and the narrow semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund was tough to take.

Two years later, United won the treble; this was the first time many fans believed such a thing was possible.

There are plenty of legendary games during United's treble-winning season. The semi-final against Juventus and, of course, the final against Bayern Munich frequently come up, but a less remembered encounter from the following season is worthy of mention.

Phil Neville, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Jaap Stam replaced Pallister, May, Johnsen and Cantona, but the rest of the lineup is as above.

As the Guardian's minute-by minute report said after the 11th minute: "United should be boosted by the news that Roy Keane has signed a four-year contract, and they have started brightly. Their constant pressing upfield does expose some gaps in defence, and the visitors are looking to catch them on the break."

When Keane scored in the 38th minute, the article added:

"

That's why you pay him so much. Gary Neville plays a speculative ball in from the right. A Valencia defender rises with Solskjaer to challenge, and his knockdown is met by a ferocious drive by Keane five yards outside the box. Palop's dive is in vain as the Irishman's strike is already nestling in his right-hand corner.

"

United went on to win 3-0, and Keane's new contract proved money well spent in the subsequent years.

An under-the-radar selection here, but the reasoning is sound. European success had felt a long way off in the mid-2000s, but here was evidence that Sir Alex's last great side was being built.

Sam Lyon of BBC Sport wrote at the time:

"

A conservative 4-5-1 formation at kick-off suggested United lacked urgency, and Nelson's fierce strike confirmed the supporters' worst fears. In fairness, United's response was immediate, Cristiano Ronaldo seeing his drilled free-kick punched away before Saha's header from the resultant corner was cleared off the line.

From then until the end of the half, with Wayne Rooney pushed back up front in a 4-4-2 formation, United laid siege to the Benfica goal.

"

At the time, the debate about 4-5-1 and 4-4-2 was a hot-button issue among supporters, who would chant in favour of the latter. Of course, Ferguson, while he would make plenty of mistakes, pretty much knew what he was doing. This game was part of the process of proving that all over again.

The demolition of a European giant, the return of a departed hero and an atmosphere crackling with protest and righteous indignation.

United's 4-0 win over AC Milan in March 2010 saw them through to the Champions League quarter-finals. They had been to the final two seasons prior and would do so again the following year.

Here, though, in the midst of the anti-Glazer family green-and-gold campaign, United managed an impressive performance and fans managed to give Beckham a hero's welcome. He repaid their love by picking up a protest scarf that had been thrown to him after the game and wrapping it around his neck.

Jon Super/Associated Press

It felt like a night where anything was possible, on and off the pitch.

Well, they can't all be winners. Here's hoping that the visit of Zorya offers more memorable fare than the 0-0 draw against PSV Eindhoven, one of the most frustrating nights upon which the Old Trafford floodlights have had the misfortune to shine.

Quotations obtained firsthand where not otherwise stated.