Manchester United's record in European finals
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
The Red Devils have had a chance to feature in a total of eight European finals in their history.
With a record 20 Premier League crowns and numerous Champions League and Europa League trophies, Manchester United are among the most accomplished clubs in Europe.
For most of the twenty-first century, the Red Devils dominated England. However, since the famous coach Sir Alex Ferguson left his position in 2013, United have not won a single Premier League title. They are once again chasing the rise to prominence.
What is the Red Devils’ record in Europe, considering they have been a formidable force in recent decades?
8. Manchester United 4-1 Benfica: Champions League (1967–68)
One of United’s most prosperous seasons was 1967–68, when the team, under the head coach Matt Busby, defeated Benfica 4–1 in the 1967–68 European Cup final. They became the first English team to win the competition.
However, despite the European Cup victory, United concluded as the second-placed side in the First Division, two points below local rival Manchester City. This happened following a defeat to Sunderland in the season finale.
7. Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich: Champions League (1998–99)
In 1999, they won their next Champions League title at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the thrilling final against Bayern Munich. With the aid of “super subs” Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United, which featured David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Gary Neville, pulled off a spectacular comeback in the game’s dying minutes.
Ferguson won his first Champions League trophy in the last seconds of the match, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from both players in stoppage time. The German team had already taken a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. However, the Red Devils didn’t manage to alter the tide of the match until the heroic substitutes’ late double cameo.
6. Manchester United 6-5 (pens) Chelsea: Champions League (2007–08)
In 2009, the Scot defeated Premier League rivals Chelsea in a penalty shootout to win his second Champions League trophy. Frank Lampard’s equaliser in the 45th minute cancelled Cristiano Ronaldo’s early goal, necessitating extra time and penalties as the match ended 1-1 in Moscow.
Ronaldo botched his spot kick, but Chelsea defender John Terry made the vital and ultimately decisive mistake, slipping during his attempt to give the trophy to the Old Trafford team for the third time.
5. Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United: Champions League (2008–09)
Man Utd defeated teams like Inter, Porto, and Arsenal in the knockout stages to earn a spot in the final against the LaLiga heavyweights, Barcelona, in 2009. This was a year after they raised the trophy in Moscow. But Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o’s goals helped the Catalan team win 2-0 in the Rome final.
4. Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United: Champions League (2010–11)
The two sides faced off again in the 2011 Champions League final at London’s Wembley Stadium two years later. Despite the fact that it was the Red Devils’ third Champions League final in four seasons, they were defeated by Barcelona 3-1.
After Pedro opened the scoring, a goal from Wayne Rooney brought things level in the first half. The Spanish team won thanks to goals from Messi and David Villa in the second half.
3. Ajax 0-2 Manchester United: Europa League (2016–17)
On May 24, 2017, the Dutch team Ajax and the English team United faced off in the 2016–17 Europa League at the Friends Arena in Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. Manchester United secured their first trophy in this competition with a 2-0 victory.
They became one of just three clubs to win all three major European trophies (European Champion Clubs’ Cup/UEFA Champions League and Europa League) with this victory, joining Juventus, fellow finalist Ajax, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.
2. Villarreal 11-10 (pens) Manchester United: Europa League (2020–21)
The Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Seville, Spain, was initially set to host the 2020–21 Europa League final. However, the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe caused the 2020 final to be postponed and moved to Cologne, which meant that the final hosts were moved back a year, with Gdańsk hosting the 2021 final instead.
Villarreal claimed their first title in the tournament after defeating Manchester United 11–10 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in extra time.
1. Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: Europa League 2024-25 (set to be played)
On May 21, United will play Tottenham in an all-English Europa League final.
Spurs defeated Norwegians Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate, while Ruben Amorim’s United defeated Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in their semi-final to advance.
Tottenham are attempting to end a 41-year drought for European glory, while United are aiming to win the Europa League for the second time in eight years.
Spurs have been involved in half of the major European competitions’ all-English finals, including this one.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.
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