So, a European campaign that began for Manchester United in the Champions League group stage in Paris last October will end in the Europa League final in Gdansk on May 26.
It shouldn’t have been in any doubt from the moment United seized a four-goal advantage at Old Trafford last week to take to the Stadio Olimpico.
But having gone even further ahead through Edinson Cavani, they threatened to fall apart in a wild second half that produced four more goals and needed some wonderful goalkeeping from David De Gea to stave off an unlikely comeback.
Cavani’s second goal of the night – and his seventh in six games – courtesy of the mercurial Bruno Fernandes could not prevent a defeat but it at least saw United finally win a semi-final under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the fifth attempt.