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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a last-gasp winner to give Manchester United a 2-1 victory over Villarreal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The Red Devils fell to a shock 2-1 defeat away to Young Boys on Matchday 1. This meant they had to win this week's game to avoid falling off the pace for qualification in Group F.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was without the services of three first-choice defenders. While Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were injured, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was suspended.
In the absence of Maguire, Bruno Fernandes inherited the armband for Manchester United. However, it was Villarreal who started the game brighter.
The visitors created several chances in the opening 20 minutes, with Arnaut Danjuma and Paco Alcacer both going close. However, they were denied on each occasion by an inspired David de Gea, who brought his A-game to keep his side in the game.
Yeremi Pino almost broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime, but Manchester United once again had their goalkeeper to thank for going into the break level.
Villarreal got a deserved opener in the 53rd minute. The lively Danjuma easily skipped past Diogo Dalot and squared the ball into the area. Alcacer then converted from close range.
Manchester United drew level on the hour mark. Bruno Fernandes showed great awareness and ingenuity to find Alex Telles on the edge of the area with a disguised chip from a freekick.
The former Porto man scored his first goal for the club with an exquisite Van Persie-esque one-time volley that left Geronimo Rulli with no chance.
Both sides pushed for the winner in the dying stages, but it was Manchester United who drew the last blood with virtually the last kick of the game.
A cross into the area was not properly dealt with by Villarreal's defense. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard (who had an impressive cameo off the bench) combined well before the Portugal international converted from an acute angle.
The goal sparked wild scenes at Old Trafford and put Manchester United back in the race to qualify for the knockout round.
Here are five talking points from the thrilling game.
#5 Manchester United grab their pound of flesh for Europa League final defeat
When the draws for the UEFA Champions League group stage were made, Villareal's official Twitter handle sent a cheeky 'Hi again' tweet to Manchester United.
The backstory to the tweet was the final of the Europa League in May when both sides played a thrilling game in Gdansk. The game was decided on penalties.
Villarreal ultimately triumphed in the rollercoaster shootout to win their first major trophy in their 98-year history.
It was the fifth time both sides had met in continental competition. Incredibly, each of the five matches ended in a stalemate, with the previous four ending goalless.
It looked like the two sides would play out another draw at the sixth time of asking, but Manchester United had other ideas with their last-gasp winner.
It might be scant consolation for losing a European final, but victory helps the Red Devils enact a measure of revenge for their defeat in May.
#4 Diogo Dalot makes a poor case for Manchester United future
Diogo Dalot joined Manchester United from Porto in 2018 but has failed to cement his place in the team.
The 22-year-old spent the first few years of his United career on the fringes, but a season-long loan spell with AC Milan last term helped him rediscover his form.
Dalot was expected to build on that to resurrect his Manchester United career, but that has not proved to be the case.
With Wan-Bissaka suspended for three matches in the UEFA Champions League, there is a window of opportunity for the Portugal international to stake a claim for his place.
However, on the evidence of his first start in the tournament, that might not be the case. Wan-Bissaka is famed for his tenacity and no-holds-barred defending, but Dalot proved to be the opposite.
Villarreal's players seem to have had specific instructions to channel all their attacks down Manchester United's right flank, and they met little opposition from Dalot.
Arnaut Danjuma and Manu Trigueros had a field day on the left and skipped past the United right-back with little challenge.
Dalot lacked pace on several occasions, and almost all of Villarreal's best chances came through his loss in concentration.
#3 Jadon Sancho fails to step to the plate yet again
Jadon Sancho's love story with Manchester United was well documented, with the saga representing one of the most drawn-out transfer episodes in recent memory.
The Red Devils finally landed their man in the summer, but it has been far from the explosive start that many expected.
Jadon Sancho lit up the Bundesliga with his directness and change of pace. His skillset represents what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prioritizes from his attackers at Manchester United.
The 22-year-old was handed his home debut in the UEFA Champions League by Manchester United, but it was not one he will look back on fondly.
Sancho lacked the confidence that made him a delight to watch with Borussia Dortmund. This, in turn, affected his general output against Villarreal.
The England international missed a gilt-edged chance midway through the second half. It did not come as a surprise when he was hauled off for Nemanja Matic with 15 minutes to go.
Sancho's quality is not in doubt, but the intense competition for places in attack means that he has to turn a positive corner soon.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gets a stay of execution
Manchester United came into this game on the back of consecutive 1-0 home defeats to West Ham and Aston Villa.
The former saw the Red Devils eliminated from arguably the easiest chance they had to end their trophy drought. Meanwhile, Villa's victory saw them miss out on the top spot in the league.
These losses, coupled with the defeat to Young Boys a fortnight ago, have mounted pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United fans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure, with 'Ole Out' becoming a viral trend on Twitter yet again.
Despite claiming the opposite in his pre-match press address, this was a must-win game for the Manchester United manager ahead of their double-header with Atalanta.
The Italians are one of the dark horses in the competition, and the last thing anybody associated with United wanted was to face La Dea having to win both games.
The victory over Villarreal helped ease some of the pressure at Manchester United, giving their manager a stay of execution in his current role.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has mastered the art of springing out morale-boosting victories when things seem low at Manchester United. That proved to be the case yet again.
Anything other than a victory over the Yellow Submarines would have increased calls for his sack, but Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp winner eased the pressure.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo makes the difference yet again for Manchester United
Many opined that Manchester United signing Cristiano Ronaldo was nothing more than a PR gimmick with little sporting merit considered.
However, the 36-year-old has taken less than a month to banish such foolery, and his output in his second coming has shown that he means business.
The Portugal international had a poor - bordering on atrocious - game against Villarreal and was largely on the periphery for most of the match.
There were misplaced passes, overhit crosses and a general loss of concentration from Cristiano Ronaldo, but all of that was erased with one moment of brilliance.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was signed for his difference-making ability, and this trait came to the fore at a jam-packed Old Trafford.
Ronaldo won the initial ball in the area and teed up Lingard, who in turn laid the ball on for the Manchester United number seven.
The acute angle the pass was played into, coupled with the attention of the Villarreal defense and goalkeeper, meant that the chance had practically gone by the time the ball reached Ronaldo.
However, the former Real Madrid man is no mere mortal, and he still managed to find a way to blast the ball into the back of the net. This sent the crowd of 73,000 (including an elated Sir Alex Ferguson) into a rapturous celebration.
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled away in jubilation and took off his shirt to soak up the adulation of a rain-drenched Old Trafford.
A day after Lionel Messi broke his PSG duck with a stunning goal, Ronaldo's winner reminded everyone that the two greatest footballers of modern history still have it in them.
