Five of the best
Barcelona 2 Manchester United 3 (aggregate score)
European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final, March 1984
In the first leg at Camp Nou Barca were clearly superior on the night but did not overwhelm United, winning 2-0 courtesy of Graeme Hogg's own goal and Rojo's brilliant strike from distance. In the return, Bryan Robson's first-half diving header gave the English side the breakthrough they needed desperately. Robson got the all-important second early in the second half and with the momentum clearly with them, United completed a stunning turnaround as Frank Stapleton blasted home the winner.
Manchester United 2 Barcelona 1
European Cup Winners' Cup final, May 1991
After the ban on English clubs competing in Europe, the 1991 final in Rotterdam was United's opportunity to end a 23-year European trophy drought. Johan Cruyff's great Barca side - who were to win their first European Cup at Wembley a year later - were without goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta and key midfielder Guillermo Amor through suspension and star striker Hristo Stoitchkov through injury. United seized their chance as Barca-reject Mark Hughes struck twice in the second half before Ronald Koeman's goal prompted a tense finish at De Kuip.
Barcelona 4 Manchester United 0
Champions League, Group Stage, November 1994
United ran into Cruyff's "Dream Team" at the wrong time. Battered 4-0 by AC Milan in the previous season's final, Barca had a lot to prove. The first group game at Old Trafford ended 2-2 - Hughes and Lee Sharpe scoring for United, Romario and Jose Mari Bakero for Barca. In the return the following month, the forward pairing of Stoitchkov and Romario ripped apart a United side robbed of goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel due to the limit on foreign players. Stoitchkov (2), Romario and Albert Ferrer found a way past Gary Walsh and his bewildered backline.
Manchester United 3 Barcelona 3
Champions league, Group Stage, September 1998
Another group stage encounter produced one of the most memorable matches between the sides, purely for entertainment value. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs scored within three minutes of each other early in the match before Brazilians Sonny Anderson and Giovanni (penalty) brought Barca level before the hour mark.
David Beckham restored United's lead but Luis Enrique's 71st-minute penalty secured a point.
Barcelona 3 Manchester United 3
Champions League, Group Stage, November 1998
Miraculously the sides did it again two months later. Barca led first, through Anderson, but Dwight Yorke (2) and Andy Cole put United ahead twice, with Rivaldo levelling both times, before hitting the bar with a late effort to win it. Alex Ferguson's side finished second in Group D ahead of Barca and went on to win the tournament on that same Camp Nou turf, while Barca, finishing third, crashed out of the competition.
