United win puts Midtjylland in dreamland

It had been described as the biggest game in the club's history since their 1999 formation. The stadium was packed, with everybody excited to see what the local heroes from Midtjylland could do against the mighty Manchester United.

In the event it turned out better than they could have dreamed, a 2-1 UEFA Europa League round of 32 first-leg win making it an unforgettable night for the Wolves in Herning, and giving them a real chance of ousting United next week at Old Trafford.

"It is a dream come true. It was like time stopped still when the ball went in. I just have to thank God," said a shocked and delighted match winner Paul Onuachu after the final whistle. "You cannot imagine it. [The atmosphere in the dressing room] is amazing. Now we just have to enjoy this moment before we think of Old Trafford," continued the 21-year-old Nigerian striker.

• Who are Midtjylland?

The Danish title holders' sporting director Claus Steinlein was equally overjoyed in the aftermath. "It is fantastic! Winning against Manchester United, can you believe it? Now we can dream of going through to the next round," he said. "I think we were actually unlucky that we didn't win by a bigger margin. It could have been three or 4-1. Only thanks to their goalkeeper did they keep it at 2-1."

Sergio Romero was in the visitors' goal after David de Gea got injured in the warm-up, and the replacement made some outstanding saves to keep the Red Devils' hopes alive. "You cannot cope with such an injury list," rued United manager Louis van Gaal. "Five minutes before the start of the game, David de Gea couldn't play. That is in the heads of the players. So we had a bad start. I have to say that Midtjylland were better than us in the second half. They won all the second balls."

Romero gave credit to the hosts, however: "They played very well. They defended well and had some very dangerous counterattacks and we didn't handle those well enough."

• Pione Sisto: UEFA.com wonderkid

One of the protagonists of those counterattacks was Pione Sisto, who has rapidly made a name for himself in Denmark and announced himself to Europe with an excellent run and finish for his side's first goal. "They must have underestimated us," said the 21-year-old Danish international forward. "We took advantage. We stood together as a team and that helped us. It is a pleasure to see that when you work together, you can achieve big things."