Best Man Utd Games of All Time: 15 Greatest Manchester United Matches Ranked
Manchester United’s long-standing reputation for playing attacking football has resulted in the team being part of some memorable matches at home and abroad.
With that in mind, we have scoured the history books to identify some of the greatest Manchester United games of all-time, starting with a memorable European tie.
Manchester United 3-2 Benfica – European Cup – February 2, 1966
United’s return to the European Cup in 1965/66 was a poignant moment for the club following the heartbreak of the Munich air disaster in 1958.
After safely navigating their way to the quarter finals, the Red Devils were handed a glamour tie against Portuguese giants Benfica.
United went into the tie as underdogs, but goals by David Herd, Denis Law and Bill Foulkes secured a 3-2 first-leg advantage on an emotional night at Old Trafford.
Benfica fancied their chances of overcoming the deficit in Lisbon, but claimed a remarkable 5-1 victory to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Benfica 1-4 Manchester United – European Cup – May 29, 1968
The Red Devils ultimately failed to reach the final in 1966, but made amends by reaching the European showpiece at Wembley Stadium two years later.
Manager Matt Busby had admitted that he felt guilty about taking United into Europe after the 1958 tragedy, but was ‘cleansed’ by the success in 1968.
Busby needed to dig deep into his managerial skillset as United went into extra time with the scoreline at 1-1 and Benfica looking the better side.
However, the Red Devils scored three unanswered goals in the additional period to become the second British club to win the European Cup after Celtic.
Southampton 0-1 Manchester United – Second Division – April 5, 1975
For fans more accustomed to United being one of the big hitters in the football world, a Second Division game in 1975 may seem inconsequential.
However, having been relegated from the top flight just six years after their European Cup success, United needed to redeem themselves in 1974/75.
They bounced back at the first attempt under manager Tommy Docherty, playing with an attacking style that wowed fans across the country.
Lou Macari scored the promotion-winning goal at Southampton. Had United not bounced back at the first attempt, their subsequent history could have been different.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester United – FA Cup – January 7, 1990
In January 1990, a sizeable proportion of United fans wanted manager Alex Ferguson out of the club after an underwhelming run of results.
A defeat at Nottingham Forest would likely have ended Ferguson’s tenure, but striker Mark Robins saved his bacon by scoring the only goal of the game.
The Red Devils subsequently won the FA Cup by beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in a final replay. The result was the catalyst for an unprecedented era of dominance in English football.
Ferguson subsequently won numerous trophies, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. He was deservedly knighted in June 1999.
Crystal Palace 0-2 Manchester United – Premier League – April 21, 1993
The Ferguson bandwagon really started to roll in 1992/93 as United claimed their first league title since 1967 by winning the newly-branded Premier League.
A 2-0 victory at Palace ultimately proved enough to clinch top spot, with goals by Mark Hughes and Paul Ince securing the points at Selhurst Park.
The outcome of the title race was not confirmed until Aston Villa slipped to a shock 1-0 home defeat against relegation-battling Oldham Athletic.
United’s victory at Selhurst Park was another chapter in an ongoing story involving Palace that defined the first half of the 1990s.
Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool – Premier League – October 1, 1995
While football is undoubtedly a team game, the role Eric Cantona played in United’s resurgence at the start of the Premier League era cannot be underestimated.
Cantona spent five years with United and won four league titles. The one blemish on his record was the season he drop-kicked a Palace hooligan in January 1995.
After serving an eight-month ban, Cantona returned to action against Liverpool at Old Trafford. The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric.
United were trailing 2-1 when they were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute. Cantona converted the spot-kick to trigger bedlam in the stands. The team subsequently won the double.
Juventus 2-3 Manchester United – Champions League – April 21, 1999
But for Roy Keane’s stunning performance in the second leg of the semi-final against Juventus, the Red Devils would likely have failed to reach the 1998/99 Champions League final.
Booked for a late challenge on Zinedine Zidane, Keane knew he would miss the game in Barcelona due to suspension. The captain ran the show from that point.
Ferguson subsequently waxed lyrical about Keane in his autobiography, saying he played ‘as if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him’.
Keane has repeatedly played down the praise he received, but Ferguson was bang on the money. Their fallout a few years later was a sad way to end their time together.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich – Champions League – May 26, 1999
Manchester United defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 in the 1998/99 Champions League final to complete a memorable treble-winning season.
With the Premier League title and FA Cup already in the bag, the Red Devils travelled to Barcelona looking to be crowned kings of Europe for the first time since 1968.
After conceding inside six minutes, United struggled to find their rhythm. The introduction of substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned the game on its head.
The two forwards scored in stoppage time to spark wild celebrations in the stands. The final result epitomised United’s never-say-die attitude.
Manchester United 4-3 Real Madrid – Champions League – April 23, 2003
United’s penchant for completing memorable comebacks was tested when reigning European champions Real Madrid visited Old Trafford in April 2003.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, the Red Devils’ hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals looked remote. However, they nearly got the job done.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick against his former club sent Madrid through, but United could hold their heads high after securing a thrilling 4-3 victory on home soil.
Ferguson learned plenty of lessons during that game, which ultimately served United well when they won the Champions League again a few years later.
Manchester United 7-1 Roma – Champions League – April 10, 2007
Roma were no mugs during the early part of the 21st century – a factor which made United’s 7-1 demolition job in April 2007 all the more impressive.
Intriguingly, the Red Devils achieved the feat without playing a natural striker, which highlighted Ferguson’s seemingly more pragmatic approach in Europe.
Midfielder Michael Carrick demonstrated his worth to the team with a couple of goals, while Patrice Evra rounded off the scoring to complete a memorable night.
United were subsequently defeated by AC Milan in the semi-final, but set the record straight by winning the Champions League the following season.
Manchester United 1-0 Barcelona – Champions League – April 29, 2008
Ferguson took the lessons he had learned from previous seasons to deliver a defensive masterclass against Barcelona in the 2007/08 Champions League semi-final.
Despite being held to a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp, Barcelona were still the favourites to progress to the final in Moscow.
However, Paul Scholes bagged an early goal before United defended for their lives against a team packed with stellar attacking talents.
The 1-0 victory was justification for Ferguson’s more cautious approach in Europe and sent them into an all-Premier League final against Chelsea.
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 pens) – Champions League – May 21, 2008
Half a century on from the Munich air crash and forty years after their first European Cup triumph, United put their fans through the wringer in the 2007/08 Champions League final.
After Ronaldo and Frank Lampard exchanged goals before the break, neither side was able to edge ahead in the second half. Extra-time and penalties produced a ton of drama.
Didier Drogba’s petulant dismissal had United fans roaring with laughter, but the humour levels went up a notch when John Terry missed a chance to win the title.
Ryan Giggs ultimately sealed victory for United to add the European crown to the Premier League title. Terry’s botched penalty made the victory even sweeter.
Ajax 0-2 Manchester United – Europa League – May 24, 2017
Given that United fans have not much to cheer about since Ferguson retired, the club’s 2-0 victory over Ajax in the 2016/17 Europa League final is an appropriate place to finish.
A terror attack which killed 22 people at Manchester Arena earlier in the week cast a shadow over the final, but the team did what they could to bring some joy back to the city.
Goals by Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan confirmed they would add to the League Cup won against Southampton earlier in the season.
While manager Jose Mourinho was ultimately unable to deliver sustained success at United, he can look back on this campaign with pride.
