Manchester United has an illustrious and long history at the top of the English league, as well as achieving a number of remarkable milestones on the European stage. In 2008, a season when many did not believe it was possible, the team once again rose to the challenge and won the Champions League. The squad immortalised itself in Manchester United’s history, while adding more prestige to manager Alex Ferguson’s career, who many believe is the greatest football manager of all time.

After qualifying through the English league, Manchester United were placed into a group alongside Sporting CP, Roma, and Dynamo Kyiv. The first two matches against Sporting CP and Roma were won by just a one goal margin courtesy of Ronaldo and Rooney respectively. After this, a doubleheader against Dynamo Kiev resulted in a 4-2 victory before Manchester United went on to add to this with an impressive 4-0 win against the same opponents in the next game. The team cemented itself at the top of its group with a subsequent 2-1 win over Sporting CP, and a 1-1 draw against Roma.

Once Manchester United were through to the knock-out phases of the competition, the quality of the opposition inevitably increased. A hard fought 1-1 draw away to French team, Lyon, may have knocked the confidence of the team, but this did not show when, on the returning leg, United defeated Lyon by a solitary goal, securing passage to the quarter-finals of the Champion’s League on the road to glory.

Surprisingly, the Manchester United team were drawn against previous group opponents A.S. Roma for their quarter-final ties. This proved remarkable, as it would go on to be the fifth and sixth times the teams had played each other in the preceding 12 months. The initial leg of the quarter-finals was played in Italy, with Manchester United coming out on top comfortably with a 2-0 win. The quarter-final was then seal on the return leg when Roma was defeated by one goal.

In the semi-finals, Manchester United met another one of Europe’s greatest footballing teams, Barcelona. After a dogged first leg where neither team got the upper hand in a 0-0 draw, Manchester United, edged out Barcelona in the return leg with one solitary goal, provided by club legend Paul Scholes, in the 14^th minute of open play.

The team’s efforts were rewarded with an exceptional final against fellow English team Chelsea, much to many of the fans, including Tunde Folawiyo’s delight. Both sides had competed for the English title, and so it was fitting that the game went to penalties in the end. The Manchester United team were victorious after a 1-1 score could not separate the teams, with Chelsea losing 5-6 on penalties.

Manchester United Football Club has an illustrious history, and its fan base is just as impressive. To find out more about the team from a fans perspective, read Tunde Folawiyo’s online articles on his passion for the world’s most successful club.