Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has described the 5-4 win over Lyon in the Europa League as the strangest game he has ever played in.
Maguire, who scored the winning goal of the encounter in the 120th minute to send Manchester United through to the last four of the Europa League.
The Red Devils advanced via a 7-6 aggregate win to book a clash with Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals.
The match was the first in European history in which five goals were scored in extra time, while United became the first club to score twice in the 120th minute of a European tie.
Maguire was in awe of how the game played out in the extra time.
He said: “It was an incredible feeling to score that winner in such an important game, in a game that was full of emotion and the strangest, maddest game I’ve ever played in or witnessed.
“I’ve been here six years now and I’ve had some great times and some bad times as well.
“I think that game pretty much summed up my time at this club, to be honest.
“I don’t know how I would have felt if I had come here and been speaking to you after a 4-2 defeat – it’s not even worth trying to think about that.”
Despite playing with 10 men, Lyon raced to a 4-2 lead in extra time before capitulating to go down 5-4. They celebrated Lacazette’s fourth goal 11 minutes from time by running towards the away end, at the other end of the pitch to where the penalty was taken.
“I think they [Lyon] thought they’d won it, the way they were celebrating,” said Maguire.
“That gave us more of an incentive to turn the game around.
“I think the worst feeling was that we felt we’d thrown it away, rather than lost the game at that moment, and how we managed to get ourselves into that situation, because even going into extra time at 2-2, the momentum was back with us with the sending off, we shouldn’t end up in that situation.
“We’ve got to do far better than that if we want to win this competition – we can’t be doing that and be leaving it to turn it around in that situation.”
Aftermath of the comeback victory, Manchester United coach, Ruben Amorim revealed that they will now prioritise the Europa League ahead of the Premier League.
He said: “We need to be really focused on the Europa League and take a risk with the kids in the league. Fans have to understand that we have to focus on the Europa League,”
Asked if there is belief United can win the Europa League, he said: “Yes, you can see it in the stadium. We need luck with injuries. It is going to be tough.
“It is a special moment. We know we are underperforming and deserve all the critics. But we still have time to make something special this season.”
Manchester United will take on Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the semi-final on May 1.
