“That gave us more of an incentive”

Harry Maguire has explained how Olympique Lyon’s players fuelled Manchester United’s comeback in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. He said that the French side’s celebrations gave the hosts extra motivation to turn things around.

The Red Devils hosted Lyon at Old Trafford in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals. The tie was balanced at 2-2 after the first leg last week at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Manuel Ugarte gave United the lead in the 10th minute before Diogo Dalot (45+1′) made it 2-0.

However, Lyon bounced back with goals from Corentin Tolisso (71′) and Nicolas Tagliafico (77′). Tolisso was then sent off in the 89th minute after receiving a second yellow card. The French side, however, continued their persistence with 10 men.

Rayan Cherki (104′) and Alexandre Lacazette (109′, p) made it 4-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. Lyon’s players celebrated wildly, hoping that a two-goal lead would be enough. Harry Maguire has now said that these celebrations helped Manchester United spark a comeback, saying (via Chris Wheeler):

“They thought they’d won it, the way they were celebrating. That gave us more of an incentive to turn the game around. I think the lads showed great spirit and fight.”

Manchester United scored through Bruno Fernandes (114′, p) and Kobbie Mainoo (120′) to restore parity. Maguire then scored the winner in the first minute of stoppage time.

Manchester United are 3 matches away from salvaging silverware this season

The Red Devils have had a poor 2024-25 campaign. They sacked Erik ten Hag in October last year after a poor start and appointed Ruben Amorim. However, Manchester United’s form has failed to improve as they sit 14th in the Premier League standings. Moreover, they were eliminated in the EFL Cup quarter-finals by Tottenham Hotspur and FA Cup Fourth Round by Fulham on penalties.

Hence, the UEFA Europa League remains their only opportunity for silverware this season. They have reached the semi-finals, where they will face Athletic Club. The Spanish side beat Rangers 2-0 on aggregate and are hoping to reach the final, which will take place on their home ground – San Mames.

On the other side of the bracket, Tottenham Hotspur beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on aggregate to reach the semi-finals. They are just a point behind Manchester United in 15th place in the Premier League standings. They will face Bodo/Glimt, who beat Lazio 3-2 on penalties in the quarter-finals.

About the author

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alt=”Aditya Singh” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya’s journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur’s front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect’s with the club’s underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda ‘Long-form Editor of the Month’ award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric’s elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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