Ahead of this Thursday’s Europa League tie between the two European giants, Overtime looks back at an historic night in 1991, as Manchester United claimed the Uefa Cup Winners Cup.
In the first season when English clubs were allowed back into European competition following a five-year ban, Manchester United upset the odds in the 1990/91 Cup Winners’ Cup final.
The brilliant 2-1 victory against favourites Barcelona in Rotterdam on 15 May 1991 secured the club’s first continental silverware since Sir Matt Busby’s legendary side famously won the European Cup in 1968.
Embed from Getty ImagesFive-and-a-half years into Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure, it was a significant feat for the Scot, who had ended a worryingly barren start to life as the United boss by lifting the FA Cup in the previous May.
“It was a major step forward, there’s no doubt about that,” Sir Alex Ferguson told www.manutd.com.
“Sharpey [Lee Sharpe] was coming through, so was Giggsy [Ryan Giggs]. We had Sparky [Mark Hughes] and Choccy [Brian McClair], [Paul] Ince and [Bryan] Robson and, soon after, we bought Paul Parker, Andrei Kanchelskis and Peter Schmeichel.
“They were key signings that gave us a really strong group.”
Sergio Busquets will return to the matchday squad for Barcelona, who will be without Pedri (injured) and Gavi (suspended) for the Old Trafford encounter, which kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Thursday
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