Thirty-one years ago this month, Manchester United began their European campaign by beating Honved with the help of two Roy Keane goals and one from Eric Cantona.
Lee Sharpe set up Keane – like the winger, now a pundit – for his second goal in that game, then helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s team beat the Hungarian side again two weeks later, whipping in a free-kick for Steve Bruce to head in at the far post as part of a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
The next step for United in Europe that season remains infamous. After salvaging a 3-3 draw in their second-round home leg against Galatasaray, their players arrived at the airport in Istanbul for the return game to be greeted by fans brandishing threatening banners in a first taste of the severely hostile atmosphere awaiting them.
Home supporters filled the Ali Sami Yen Stadium at 9am, where rockets were fired from the stands and riot police were part of a pitch invasion after the Turkish side drew 0-0 to go through via the now-defunct away goals rule.
Galatasaray vs Man United
“We turned up to 1,000 fans with signs saying ‘welcome to hell, you’re all going to die’,” remembers Sharpe, understandably describing the destination as one that “stands out” among his 15 appearances in Europe for the club between 1990 and 1994.
“And then there was the bus getting bricked, armed police shielding us from bricks getting thrown after the game. A couple of them were giving digs to the players as they came off – I think Mark Hughes took an uppercut to the solar plexus off one of the policemen with a riot shield.
“Eric Cantona took one of them. It nearly kicked off in the tunnel with the riot police and the players. The coach was battered and smashed to pieces.
“It’s scary – you just want to get out of there. You just want to play the game, get out of there, get to the airport and get home.
“It’s really intimidating but you have to look after each other and back each other on the pitch, be united,…
Source link : https://www.101greatgoals.com/football/europa-league/manchester-united-vs-twente-ten-hag-cantona-sharpe-sir-alex/
Author : Ben Miller
Publish date : 2024-09-25 13:35:01
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