Bigger Picture: United's Euro Win In Context

Manchester United continued the scintillating start to 2017/18 on Wednesday night, with a 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow in Russia, but was there more to the result than meets the eye?

Pundits and fans alike regarded the thrashing at the VEB Arena as another impressive attacking performance from Jose Mourinho’s side, as has been pretty much the norm this term. Which, of course, it was. After all, the rampant Reds have scored four times in half of our matches in 2017/18.

However, the fact it was only the seventh time in the club's history that United have scored four goals or more away from home in the Champions League or European Cup, illustrates how special a result it really was.

Also, to highlight the achievement - the Reds scored their first three goals against CSKA inside the opening 27 minutes - the shortest time ever taken for United to score three goals in an away Champions League tie. Admittedly, Sir Matt Busby’s Reds did once famously score three goals inside the first 16 minutes against Benfica in the quarter-finals of the 1955/56 European Cup.

Busby's boys also scored four times in the final itself in 1968, of course, at Wembley, again past our next European opponents Benfica but that is obviously not considered to be an away tie.

We take a look back on United’s highest-scoring shows in Champions League and European Cup away fixtures...

Shamrock Rovers 0-6 Manchester United, 25/09/57
(Whelan 36,51, Taylor 56,80, Berry 85, Pegg 86)
The Busby Babes got their 1957/58 European Cup campaign off to a flier with a 6-0 qualifying round thumping of Shamrock Rovers. Despite only leading 1-0 at the break, two goals shortly afterwards, and a devastating final 10 minutes saw the Reds thump the Irish club and claim the record European away win.

Benfica 1-5 Manchester United, 09/03/66
(Best 6,13, Connelly 16, Crerand 80, Charlton 89)
United held a 3-2 lead from the first leg going into this encounter, and George Best quickly set about extending the lead by scoring two superb goals in the opening 13 minutes. John Connelly added another shortly after, before Pat Crerand and Bobby Charlton both netted late on to ensure the Reds’ passage into the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by Partizan Belgrade.

Brondby 2-6 Manchester United, 21/10/98
(Giggs 2,21, Cole 28, Keane 55, Yorke 60, Solskjaer 62)
While en-route to claiming the 1998/99 Champions League crown, there were many memorable group-stage matches, and this battering in Denmark, was one of them. Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole, Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were all on the scoresheet at the Parkon Stadium, before Sir Alex Ferguson’s side followed it up with another 5-0 beating at Old Trafford two weeks later.

Dynamo Kiev 2-4 Manchester United, 23/10/07
(Ferdinand 10, Rooney 18, Ronaldo 41,68)
This big win also came on the Reds' road to glory, as, in the 2007/08 Champions League group stages, United beat Kiev 4-2 at the Olympic Stadium. Rio Ferdinand headed United into an early lead, before Wayne Rooney tapped in on 18 minutes, and Cristiano Ronaldo later nodded in the third, before converting from the spot to complete the rout.

Bayer Leverkusen 0-5 Manchester United, 27/11/13
(Valencia 22, Spahic o.g. 30, Evans 65, Smalling 77, Nani 88)
In one of the highlights of David Moyes’ reign, the Reds cruised to a 5-0 win over Sami Hyypia’s Leverkusen side. Antonio Valencia slid in at the back post to open the scoring, before headers from Emir Spahic, an own goal, and Jonny Evans, plus a tap in from Chris Smalling made it 4-0. Nani then added gloss to the scoreline by rounding Bernd Leno and chipping home in the dying moments.

Club Brugge 0-4 Manchester United, 26/08/15
(Rooney 20,49,57, Herrera 63)
This fine qualifying round win in Belgium secured United’s passage into the group stages of the 2014/15 Champions League, and it was a real bright spot. Rooney’s hat-trick was his first in Europe since his debut, and his first overall since 2011, while Ander Herrera bagged his first European goal for the club with an impressive strike on the hour-mark.