My first European night at Old Trafford

Over the course of 67 years, there have been 200 continental clashes at the Theatre of Dreams, and countless opportunities to fall in love and be mesmerised by football's biggest and most glamorous names - the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have been regular visitors, as have Italy’s successful triumvirate of AC Milan, Internazionale and Juventus.

At the other end of the spectrum, M16 has played host to clubs from relative outposts, teams who may have had a season or two in the spotlight before disappearing from the conversation.

As you'll see, the initial taste of Euro action can be fairly varied in terms of stardust and stature, but there's one thing our writers' selections demonstrate more than anything else: once you've had your introduction to those floodlit nights at Old Trafford, you're never going back...

UNITED 2 PECSI MUNKAS 0

"Pecsi Munkas wasn’t exactly the European glory night I’d been dreaming of when United were admitted back into European competition after UEFA’s five-year ban on English clubs. But there was still enough Eastern European mystery about the unusually named Hungarians to prick my interest, especially as I’d genuinely never heard of them before we were paired in the 1990/91 European Cup Winners’ Cup first round.

"I’ve undoubtedly been pronouncing their name wrongly ever since – “Peck-zy Mun-kash” – but they’ve retained a special place in my memory ever since, due to being my first taste of European nights at Old Trafford. I was stood in the Stretford End for this second-leg game – United 1-0 up from the first game thanks to a Brian McClair header – and any worries about an upset, and the pesky away goals rule, were dismissed inside 15 minutes. Clayton Blackmore swerved one in from 20 yards, Neil Webb made it 2-0 with a touch-and-turn finish, and our charge to eventually win the competition in Rotterdam was off and running."

Paul Davies

UNITED 1 ATLETICO MADRID 1

"At risk of showing my age, my first experience of Old Trafford on a European night came back in 1991, when we hosted Atletico Madrid in the second leg of our Cup Winners’ Cup second-round tie.

"Confidence should have been high as reigning cup holders, but the small matter of a late collapse in Madrid meant we were three goals down going into the return. As a 10-year-old, I didn't truly grasp the bleakness of the situation; certainly everything seemed in-hand when Mark Hughes headed in after six minutes and sent the place wild, and the almighty din never seemed to die down. That is, until Bernd Schuster ploughed in a second-half free-kick, which understandably punctured the mood somewhat.

"Nevertheless, even in aggregate defeat, it was clear from the crackling November air that such nights at Old Trafford were occasions to be savoured."

Steve Bartram

UNITED 2 BARCELONA 2

"Going to Old Trafford for the first time is not my earliest memory, but it’s, without doubt, the greatest of my early memories. My dad kept our tickets to United v FC Barcelona in October 1994 as a surprise, and revealed it just hours before kick-off, just as I got home from school and started to take my coat off.

"The excitement of the trip to the ground, and the senses elicited along the way, live within me to this day. As does what happened inside the stadium. The intensity of the whole experience was elevated by the fact it was a European match. By the floodlights, the mysterious Catalan names on the Barcelona team sheet, plus the superstars [Romario, Stoichkov] that had illuminated the World Cup in the USA just months earlier.

"It was utterly intoxicating, and probably permanently sealed my fate as a lifelong United obsessive. The game was a thrilling 2-2 draw, primarily remembered for Lee Sharpe’s fantastic backheeled equaliser. But I remember it for the noise, the blazing green of the grass and my first real taste of the overpowering magnitude of Manchester United."

Joe Ganley

UNITED 0 BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1

"I think the first home European game I attended was in 1997 and it was a painful one. Borussia Dortmund were looking to preserve a one-goal lead from the Champions League semi-final first leg and I was part of an expectant Stretford End thirstily anticipating a turnaround amid a raucous atmosphere.

"A potential final in Munich appeared to be our destiny and even the setback of conceding an early Lars Ricken goal failed to dampen the expectation. However, a barrage of chances were passed up, including two sitters by the usually peerless Eric Cantona and Gary Pallister.

"Hence, it ultimately transpired that this would be one of those nights but I remember being magnanimous about it and congratulating a table of Dortmund fans in town afterwards. Unfortunately, they initially misunderstood and thought I was trying to cause trouble but the fact it was at the Barca bar in Castlefield was perhaps a sign that the long wait for success in the competition would only last another couple of years. In 1999, I was able to be at the Nou Camp and that certainly made up for any previous disappointments."

Adam Marshall

UNITED 5 ZALAEGERSZEG 0

"Though my first tantalising taste of Old Trafford came in 1998, I had to wait an agonising four years before I got permission from the boss (mum, not Sir Alex) to attend a fabled European night match with my dad.

"Thankfully, the wait was more than worth it as Hungarian side Zalaegerszeg came to town for the second leg of a Champions League qualifier in August 2002. The match had everything a 10-year-old Red could want: the debut of a new-signing (Rio Ferdinand), a David Beckham free-kick, a brace from his hero [Ruud van Nistelrooy[, with additional strikes from Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rounding off a memorable 5-0 win, overturning a shock 1-0 first-leg reverse and ensuring a safe passage to the group stage.

"Away from the on-pitch action, the experience itself was intoxicating: the Champions League anthem, the red/white/white European kit almost glowing under the floodlights. The blue touchpaper was well and truly lit for me, kickstarting two decades of following those red-shirted heroes home and away in European competition. I was hooked."

Nathan Thomas

UNITED 0 VILLARREAL 0

"In hindsight, the 2005/06 season was not a good one for enjoying a first taste of continental football in M16. For the only time under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, we finished bottom of our Champions League group, scoring just three goals in what was a pretty miserly Group D.

"Each of those came in the games against Benfica, but, unfortunately, it was the Villarreal encounter that I attended. I remember little about the action itself – probably a testament to its tedium – although I do recall that the atmosphere got quite tense as the negative implications for our European involvement became clear.

"I must have feared I was a little cursed though – it was my second straight 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, at a time when those were exceedingly rare."

Sam Carney

UNITED 2 SPORTING 1

"My first European experience at Old Trafford was against Sporting Club during our Champions League-winning campaign of 2007/08. There’s nothing quite like an evening clash under the lights at the Theatre of Dreams, especially when you hear the famous Champions League anthem in person.

"The game was heading towards a largely forgettable 1-1 draw until Cristiano Ronaldo delivered an unstoppable free-kick in injury time against his former side to send United through to the knockout stages as group winners. I’ll always remember the nonchalant celebration from our former no.7 after delivering a piece of magic with time running out, just one of his many crucial contributions as we ended up being crowned European champions in Moscow later that season."

Sam Ludbrook

UNITED 2 AALBORG 2

"My first-ever European game came in the Champions League group stages, against Aalborg. It was my dad’s birthday – 10 December 2008 – and there was little on the game because United, the holders, had already qualified for the knockout rounds.

"We ended up drawing 2-2 against the Danes, with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney the scorers on the night.

"We were sat in the front row of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and the undoubted highlight was being so close to a suited-up Cristiano Ronaldo, as he was presented with his first Ballon d’Or award, ahead of kick-off."

Matt Burgess

UNITED 2 MARSEILLE 1

I always felt lucky growing up that my parents would let me stay up late on school nights to watch United’s European games at home. I’ve got vivid memories of enjoying the Old Trafford demolition of Roma in 2007, celebrating Tevez’s late equaliser at Lyon a year later and being in awe of Ronaldo’s masterfulness in wins away to Porto and Arsenal during the following season – not to mention that night in Moscow, of course.

European nights quickly became about more than a delayed bedtime to me, so when I was deemed old enough to attend my first – a last-16 win over Marseille in 2011 – I just recall being absolutely starstruck by it all. I’d be lying if I said I remember much about the game, but I do recollect Javier Hernandez’s two goals calming the nerves that occasionally repelled my excitement, and the incredibly special buzz inside the Theatre of Dreams, under the lights, that still gives me goosebumps now.

Mikey Partington

Can you remember your first European night at Old Trafford?

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