Right from the beginning, Manchester United had the makings of a team who could compete in Europe. It made it to the last four the first two years it participated. It first competed in 1956-57. After brushing past Anderlecht 12-0, it edged by Borussia Dortmund 3-2. In the quarter-finals it faced Athletic Bilbao. A 5-3 loss away looked like United were heading out of the competition but a 3-0 win at home saw United have its first of many numerous magical nights in Europe.
It had to go to Spain again with a trip to Real Madrid for a spot in the final. A 3-1 loss at the Bernabeu could not be overcome when United could only draw 2-2 in reply.
The following year, United began its campaign against Shamrock Rovers and then defeated Dukla Prague in the next round. United were to face Red Star Belgrade in the last eight. A 2-1 win at home was followed by a 3-3 draw in Prague. Coming back, the team’s plane crashed killing 21 of the 44 people onboard. Eight of the team’s first side passed away in the tragedy - players such as Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor and Roger Byrne. A side was put on the field for the semi-final against AC Milan and won 2-1 but the return leg was too much and it loss 4-0.
It returned to the European Cup eight years later and again did well. It got by HJK Heksinki and Vorwarts Berlin before dismantling Benfica. A 3-2 home win was followed by a very impressive 5-1 thrashing in Lisbon. Unfortunately United couldn’t get past Partizan Belgrade. It lost 2-0 in Belgrade and then could only win 1-0 at home.
After a year’s absence, United were back. It defeated the Maltese Hibernians and then exorcised its Yugoslave hoodoo. A 2-1 win against FK Sarajevo put United through to the last eight. Victory over Gornik Zabrze saw United through to a semi-final against Real Madrid. A 1-0 win at home was followed by a 3-3 draw in Madrid and United were in its first ever European Cup final. The final was against old foe, Benfica.
United was built about Bobby Charlton, George Best and Nobby Stiles while Benfica had Eusebio calling the shots. Benfica had the experience of being previous two time winners of the competition, but United had the advantage of playing in front of a parochial 92,225 Wembley crowd.
Charlton scored in the 53rd minute only for Jaime Grace to equalize 20 minutes later. The match headed to extra time and in a damaging five minute burst United scored three times to become the first English side to win the tournament.
United’s defence started well but it again became unstuck in the semi-finals – this time against Milan. A 2-0 loss at the San Siro could not be overcome and this would be United’s last game in the European Cup. Next time it would be called the Champions League.
It was 1993-94 and United’s introduction to the Champions’ League wasn’t as auspicious as it had been with the European Cup. After getting by Kispest Honved, United were knocked out by Galatasaray after the Turks’ 3-3 draw at Old Trafford was followed by a scoreless draw in Turkey. The following year, United didn’t have to qualify and was in a group with Gothenburg, Barcelona and Galatasaray. The top two in the group advanced and United missed out on goal difference.
Back after a year’s break, United made it as far as the semi-finals. There it ran into Borussia Dortmund who followed a 1-0 win in Germany with another one at Old Trafford. It would be more anguish for United the year after when Monaco knocked it out on away goals – this time in the quarter finals.
The following year Manchester United found itself in a group containing Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Brondby. Both games against Bayern Munich were close clashes with United being denied a win in Munich courtesy of a 90th minute Teddy Sheringham own goal. In the quarter finals, United eased past Inter 3-1 before facing another Italian opponent in Juventus.
Juventus looked to be leaving Old Trafford with a 1-0 in the first leg of the semi final only for Ryan Giggs to score a late winner. Then in the return leg, Juventus was up 2-0 after just 11 minutes. United fought back and it was 2-2 at the half. It was up on away goals and sealed the win with another in the 84th minute.
The final was played in Barcelona and was a tense affair. Already were without the suspended pair of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. Bayern was made up of 10 German players and Samuel Kuffour. Mario Basler scored in the 6th minute and it stayed like that for 84 minutes. In injury time, Sheringham scored and it looked like it would go to extra time. Ole Gunnar Solskjær had different ideas when he scored two minutes later. No one at the ground could believe it. Not even UEFA President Lennart Johansson who said, "The winners are crying and the losers are dancing".
The defence went well until United met Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. A scoreless draw in Madrid was followed by a 3-2 home loss. Down 3-0, United did well to fightback to 3-2 but even still needed two more goals to win.
In 2001, Bayern Munich has its revenge in the quarter finals. It won away 1-0 before sealing the tie with a 2-1 home win on its way to the title.
German sides were proving United’s Achilles heel and the following year Bayer Leverkusen knocked it out of the tournament. This was a semi-final loss on away goals which denied United a glamour final against Real Madrid.
The next year, United was knocked out by Real in the quarter-finals. A 3-1 loss away came back to bite it when it could only win 4-3 at home.
The next few years United struggled and were eliminated by the hands of Porto and Milan. In 2006, it even faced the ultimate ignominy of finishing last its group of Villarreal, Lille and Benfica.
The next year United was looking good until it was stopped in its tracks by Milan in the semi-finals. It had fought back in the first leg from 2-1 down to win 3-2 but the second match in Milan would be a different story. Milan won three nil and went on to win the trophy.
An all-English final occurred in 2008 when United took on Chelsea in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 26th minute but Frank Lampard evened it up in the 45th minute. It stayed like that until penalties. Ronaldo missed his which meant if John Terry scored the title would be Chelsea's. He slipped and missed to hand United a lifeline and when Nicolas Anelka missed it was all over. United had won its third title.
Its title defence was a very smooth one until the final which was against Barcelona in Rome. Barcelona simply outthought and outplayed United to win 2-0. United had done well in being the first defending champion in 11 years to make it back to the final but it was too much to try and successfully defend the title.