Nitish Rana posts passionate message as Manchester United win thriller in 2024-25 Europa League quarterfinals [In Pictures]

India and Rajasthan Royals (RR) cricketer Nitish Rana shared a heartfelt message as Manchester United emerged victorious over Olympique Lyonnais in a thrilling second-leg clash of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League. The match was played on Thursday, April 17, at Old Trafford in England.

The first leg at Parc Olympique Lyonnais ended in a 2-2 draw last week. United started strong in the second leg, with goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot in the first half, giving them a 4-2 advantage on aggregate. However, Lyon responded well in the second half, with Corentin Tolisso (71′) and Nicolás Tagliafico (78′) scoring to level the tie and push the game into extra time.

In extra time, Rayan Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette scored in the 104th and 109th minutes, respectively, putting Lyon in control. However, Manchester United mounted a remarkable comeback. Skipper Bruno Fernandes reduced the deficit to one by converting a penalty in the 114th minute.

In the dying moments, Kobbie Mainoo (120′) and Harry Maguire (120+1′) scored two late goals, sealing a 5-4 victory on the night and a 7-6 aggregate win, sending United through to the semifinals of the Europa League.

Following the thrilling victory, Nitish Rana shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram story, writing:

“Never giving up on you, @manchesterunited. Pure emotions.”

Meanwhile, the cricketer will return to action when the Royals take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2025 match on Saturday, April 19, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Nitish Rana has registered two fifties so far in IPL 2025

Nitish Rana was bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 4.20 crore during the 2025 mega auction. In the ongoing 2025 season, the left-handed batter has played seven matches, scoring 168 runs at an average of 28, including two fifties, with his highest score being 81.

Overall, the 31-year-old has played 114 matches, amassing 2,804 runs at an average of 28.61 and a strike rate of 137.18, including 20 fifties.

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Dev is a cricket writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of experience. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has previously worked at Times Now as a sports writer. He played cricket in the Delhi Little Cricket League in 2016, and was among the Top 50 batters in the U-16 category.

His degree has empowered him with a good understanding of ethics in journalism and effective interviewing techniques, which he employs in his articles. He researches and verifies facts from multiple sources and remains impartial in his viewpoints. He has had the privilege of interviewing renowned sports journalist Vijay Lokapally.

Dev loves cricket because of its ability to keep spectators on the edge of their seats and its ability to foster a sense of community and shared passion. He is a staunch supporter of the Indian cricket team and his favorite cricketer is Yuvraj Singh, especially after he hit those iconic six sixes in an over in 2007. He also admires Rohit Sharma’s leadership as he led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles and Team India to the T20 World Cup.

When he’s not working, Dev enjoys watching football or catching up on his sleep.

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Edited by Parag Jain