Even when down several goals at half-time, slipping in the table, or facing seemingly superior European competition, there’s always still a small expectation that Man U will find a way to win.
But on a few occasions even the most diehard supporters have conceded losses a little too early, adding to the lore of these five unforgettable and unexpected Man United wins.
7 November 1993: Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United
After being eliminated from the European Cup by Galatasaray just days earlier, Man U appeared to be having a week to end of all weeks when they fell behind 2-0 to rival City in late 1993.
However his eventual double-winning squad rallied their spirits at halftime (or at least Eric Cantona did). The King scored twice to pull the match level, allowing Roy Keane to knock in an 89th minute cross to the shock of the City supporters at Maine Road.
21 April 1999: Juventus 2-3 Manchester United
If Man U’s chances of advancing past Juventus to the 1999 UCL Final looked slim after conceding an away goal in a 1-1 first leg draw, they were absolutely dire after going down 2-0 in the first 11 minutes during the second leg.
Even after receiving a yellow that would cause him to miss the final, Roy Keane managed to rally the troops in Turin. The captain pulled one back in the 24th, inspiring Dwight Yorke and eventually Andy Cole to also score. Man U through to the final, where they would stage an equally as miraculous comeback to win the treble.
29 September 2001: Spurs 3-5 Manchester United
Ahead of this Gameweek 8 match, expectations were on Man U to easily dispatch fledging Spurs at White Hart Lane. Those expectations swapped clubs at halftime, with the home side somehow leading 3-0 against second-place United.
Whatever Sir Alex said at halftime worked as it took Andy Cole just a minute into the half to get a goal back and give Man U momentum. Blanc, Van Nistelrooy, Verón, and Beckham all added goals of their own to punch a victory that was as surprising for United as it was demoralizing for Spurs.
19 March 2014: Manchester United 3-0 Olympiacos
During the disastrous David Moyes experiment, any kind of disappointment suddenly seemed imaginable to Red Devils supporters. After going down 2-0 to Olympiakos in the first leg of the round of 16, United looked destined to not advance past the round of 16 for the third straight season.
Ahead of the match, the manager of the Greek champions said his players didn’t fear Man U. We can’t say for certain, but we’d guess their feelings may have changed once Robin van Persie erased their lead by scoring twice in the first half. Shortly after halftime, RVP completed the hat trick and the inspired comeback.
22 November 2014: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United
It might still be weird for some to see Man U as an underdog in Premier League matches, but that’s where we are in 2017. Sports bettors at UK’s fine selection of online sportsbooks love jumping on these generous Man U odds compared to the stingier ones of decades past.
In 2014-15, United had no European play to distract them, making them an extra enticing pick in Premiership matches. Against Arsenal in Gameweek 12, Man U were +276 dogs to win against the Gunners at the Emirates. Despite dominating the run of play for much of the match, a disastrous five minutes for Arsenal saw them give up an own goal and lose both Wilshere and Szczesny to injury in a surprising 2-1 Man U win.