#6 Valencia – 1982/83 UEFA Cup First Round
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Unlike the other teams on this list, United would not have underestimated their opponents in the first round of the 1982/83 UEFA Cup – Spanish giants Valencia. Los Che had won the Cup Winners Cup three years ago, beating Arsenal in the final and were spearheaded by Argentine goal scoring machine Mario Kempes. However, they were struggling in the league and would barely avoid relegation at the end of the year.
The first leg at Old Trafford ended goal-less and Ron Atkinson’s United knew that they would be in a tough spot in the return leg at the Estadio Luis Casanova – the former name of Valencia’s current stadium, the Mestalla.
But it was the Red Devils who took the lead just before the break, courtesy of Bryan Robson, which meant that Valencia had to score twice to proceed – and they did just that: in the space of three second-half minutes. First, Daniel Solsona converted a 71st-minute penalty, and two minutes later, Roberto had the ball in the United goal again.
It finished 2-1 to Valencia and Atkinson’s side were once again dumped out of the UEFA Cup. Valencia would make it all the way to the quarter-finals, before being beaten in both legs by eventual winners Anderlecht.
