5 Memorable Manchester United Comebacks Under Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United’s exhilarating comeback victory at Aston Villa on Saturday displayed the steely, resolute attributes that have defined Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26-year tenure as manager at Old Trafford.

With great determination and an unrelenting desire to win, the Reds overturned a two-goal deficit to seal an eighth come-from-behind triumph of the 2012-13 season.

Such feats are, of course, commonplace under Ferguson, who has masterminded a host of dramatic and now infamous turnarounds down the years.

Here, I assess five of the most memorable.

April 10, 1993: Manchester United 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 | Premier League

With the inaugural Premier League title on the line, Steve Bruce struck in added-time to head his second goal of the match and secure a now iconic win at Old Trafford, prompting delirious scenes of celebration from manager Sir Alex Ferguson and assistant Brian Kidd.

12 months earlier, United’s bid for a first league title since 1967 was derailed by a poor run of results over the Easter period, and supporters inside the Theatre of Dreams had feared history might repeat itself when John Sheridan’s second half penalty threw the visitors ahead. 

Undeterred and aided by seven minutes of added time due to an Achilles injury suffered by referee Mike Peck, the Reds rallied to secure a behemoth victory and eventually win the title by 10 points, beginning a period of domestic domination that would last throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

November 7, 1993: Manchester City 2 Manchester United 3 | Premier League

By half-time, City led United by two goals from striker Niall Quinn and had looked good value to seal victory in the Manchester derby at Maine Road, before an inspired Reds XI returned for the second-half with renewed focus and energy.

Eric Cantona struck an early riposte shortly after the break before the legendary Frenchman, fast becoming a hero on the terraces, enhanced his burgeoning reputation with his second goal of the game and, more importantly, an all-important equalizer 13 minutes from time.

However, it would be new-recruit Roy Keane, signed from Nottingham Forest in the summer, who would steal the headlines and write his name in United folklore with a terrific, late finish to seal an unforgettable victory and help inspire what would become a double-winning campaign.

April 21, 1999: Juventus 2 Manchester United 3 | UEFA Champions League

Having been outplayed for large parts of the 1-1 first leg draw at Old Trafford, United travelled to Turin for this Champions League semi-final clash with an already unenviable task—one that was made all the more fearsome when Juventus raced to a two-goal lead inside 11 minutes.

Heroes were required and none were more evident than club captain Roy Keane, whose glancing header was the catalyst for an unlikely turnaround. The Irishman even shrugged off the yellow card that would earn his suspension from the final with a performance of great power and leadership.

Dwight Yorke restored parity and threw momentum in United’s favour with a well-executed diving header on 34 minutes, before strike partner Andy Cole hammered the final nail in the Old Lady’s coffin with an acute finish in the final moments, concluding an almost unimaginable win.

May 26, 1999: Bayern Munich 1 Manchester United 2 | UEFA Champions League

Two injury-time goals from substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped Sir Alex Ferguson seal his first Champions League triumph, beating a distraught Bayern Munich side that had held the lead in the Camp Nou for 86 minutes.

United overcame the odds, and the clock, to overturn Mario Basler’s early opener for the Germans on what would have been the 90th birthday of the late Sir Matt Busby, the only other Reds manager to lift the European Cup in 1968.

"This is the best moment of my life,” Ferguson declared after the match (via ESPN Star). “I'm really proud of my players, proud of my heritage and my family for what they have given me. Football is such a funny game. It's a fairytale really.”

September 29, 2001: Tottenham Hotspurs 3 Manchester United 5 | Premier League

Perhaps the most astounding comeback of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, United came from 3-0 down at White Hart Lane to clinch what had seemed an impossible victory with a second-half performance brimming with confidence, verve and attacking intent.

First half goals from Dean Richards, Les Ferdinand and Christian Ziege propelled Spurs to a shock lead by half-time, prompting a Reds backlash after the break as Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham all scored to break Tottenham hearts.

After the match, when asked what went wrong, losing manager Glenn Hoddle cited “half-time,” only half joking, yet brilliantly summarising the action in the most succinct fashion.