Sheffield United: When The Blades were likened to Barcelona

The former Liverpool, Sampdoria and Scotland midfielder turned SKY analyst insisted they could have troubled Barcelona after producing a performance oozing with ingenuity and industry. He was talking, before going on to admit he quite fancied a season ticket, about Sheffield United.

Barring a seven minute spell towards the end of the second-half, Wilder's players were superior in every single department as they raced into a 2-0 lead. But in a sense, the most impressive aspect of United's display came after goals from Brandon Williams, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford had turned the contest on its head. Only special teams, only ones with remarkable courage and real togetherness, can haul themselves off the canvas following such a crushing blow. However, when Oli McBurnie pounced in the final moments, that is exactly what Wilder's men did.

"I'm a little bit disappointed they got the first goal to get back to into the game," he said. "We're not in League One - if you lose a little energy, they'll turn the ball over. We weren't bad (in the first 70 minutes), we were comfortable and in control. But we won it, lost it and then it felt like we'd won it again. A couple of hours on and couple of beers we'll look back on it. We might get undone a couple of times but we came roaring back and that tells you something."

While Souness was busy eulogising about the talent and the tenacity at Wilder's disposal, the United manager's slightly more downbeat demeanor spoke volumes about how far his side have come. Their namesakes from Manchester might be a pale shadow of the teams which used to dominate the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson. But three years ago, United had just beaten Bury in the third tier of English football. Thirty-six months on, after deservedly racing in front through John Fleck and Lys Mousset, here they were teaching the three-time European champions a footballing lesson. Despite missing two key names, including defender John Egan.

United had already seized control of the contest when Fleck, after David de Gea had saved from John Lundstram, turned home on the rebound. Lys Mousset, who had squared the ball for the Liverpudlian to shoot, then added another soon after the interval; starting and finishing a move embellished by his fellow goalscorer’s superb pass.

Encouraged by Mousset's departure soon after through injury, the visitors reduced the deficit when Williams converted. Cue two more efforts before United, their brains seemingly scrambled, were able to draw breath with first Greenwood and then Rashford beating Simon Moore who, desputising for the ineligible Dean Henderson, was powerless to prevent either. But Wilder's team, who had earlier gone close through Lundstram and David McGoldrick, somehow found it within themselves to go again. Substitute McBurnie ensured they took something from a fixture they had dominated - that brief period apart - from start to finish.

"I'd have been majorly disappointed if we hadn't got at least that," Wilder said. "I think we've shown what our attitude, no matter what the situation, is like."

Sheffield United: Moore, Baldock, Stevens, Basham (Robinson 83), Jagielka, O'Connell, Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram, McGoldrick (Sharp 78), Mousset (McBurnie 68). Not used: Verrips, L Freeman, Osborn, Besic.

Manchester United: De Gea, Lindelof, Jones (Lingard 46), Maguire, Pereira (Greenwood 73), Fred, James, Wan-Bissaka, Williams, Martial (Tuanzebe 85), Rashford. Not used: Grant, Mata, Young, Garner.

Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands).