Manchester United end 380 dark days

Manchester United finally celebrated a Europa League victory after more than a year of accumulating only draws and defeats, doing so under the leadership of Ruud van Nistelrooy in what will be his final match in charge of the team in Europe during this interim period.

When did Man Utd last win in Europe?

It took 380 days for the Red Devils to celebrate a victory in Europe, and they did so at home, under the support of the Old Trafford crowd, with Amad Diallo as the standout player of the night in the fourth matchday of the second most prestigious club tournament on the continent. Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki were the beaten opponents.

United’s last European win before this came on October 24, 2023, against FC Copenhagen during the third matchday of the Champions League group stage. That victory was by the narrowest of margins and also capitalized on their home advantage at the Theatre of Dreams. Harry Maguire scored the only goal of that encounter.

United’s Amorim era awaits

The Red Devils have chosen to embark on a new era with Ruben Amorim at the helm, replacing Erik ten Hag, whose tenure sparked significant controversy due to the team’s inconsistent performances.

Although the team’s Europa League schedule appears more than manageable in the coming weeks with fixtures against FCSB, Viktoria Plzeň, Bodø/Glimt, and Rangers, three of these teams currently sit above them in the standings.

United are in 15th place on the table, with a record of one win and three draws so far in the tournament, accumulating six points after the first four rounds of the group stage.