Liverpool may have been the dominant force in English football in the spring of 1984, but United under Ron Atkinson were one of the top teams in the country and could always produce a big result on a one-off occasion.
Barcelona had a host of fabulous players in that 1984 team, including one of the finest in the history of the game, Diego Maradona.
Few gave the Reds a chance when Barcelona claimed a 2-0 win in the first leg of their 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final at the Nou Camp, courtesy of a Graeme Hogg own goal and brilliant late Juan Carlos Rojo strike.
On an electrifying March night at Old Trafford, however, United stormed to a memorable victory.
The star of that Manchester night was one of United’s great heroes of that time, captain Bryan Robson.
The midfield star was quite simply at his swashbuckling best as United took the game to the Catalan giants from the start...
...and he headed United in front with a diving header from a Ray Wilkins corner.
With Barcelona rattled, United stepped up a gear after the break...
...and to the ecstasy of the home crowd, Robson scored again, slamming home from close range after Javier Urruticoechea fumbled a Wilkins shot.
A minute later, with the atmosphere now incredible, a rampant United swept forward again and Norman Whiteside headed an Arthur Albiston cross straight into the path of Frank Stapleton, who fired home United’s third.
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Jubilant supporters invaded the pitch, and carried Robson shoulder-high. The United captain eventually found his way to the tunnel, and straight into a television interview, where he praised the team for their character. A clearly delighted Atkinson said ‘that was one of the great Old Trafford nights, that’s what European football is really about.’
It was a famous night for United in Europe, their finest since winning the European Cup so memorably at Wembley 16 years earlier.
United had produced something magical to go through to the semi-finals and a meeting with Italian giants Juventus.
