Date: 15 May 1968, Bernabeu Stadium, European Cup.
Background: A decade after Munich, Matt Busby and United were desperately close to reaching the European Cup final for the first time but, approaching the closing stages of the semi-final second leg against the giants of Real Madrid, those hopes were hanging in the balance. The Spaniards, roared on by 125,000 baying fans in the Bernabeu, held a 3-2 aggregate lead at half-time, although David Sadler had levelled the aggregate score with 15 minutes to go.
Reaction: Bill Foulkes only scored nine goals in a 688-game, 17-year playing career with United, but none came close to this one – as team-mate Best said:
“He didn’t half stick it away!”Fellow goalscorer Sadler once remembered: “Nobby Stiles was screaming and shouting at Billy to get back. Normally he’d listen to Nobby but not that night. It was clearly fate. For Billy Foulkes to come striding through onto Bestie’s pullback and stroke the ball into the corner – a goal that Jimmy Greaves, Charlton or Alfredo di Stefano would have been proud of – was too unbelievable for words.”