1. Ronaldo's strike against Sporting Lisbon

Not only did the Portugal winger’s first goal of the season against his former club get United’s Group F campaign off to a winning start, it opened the floodgates for a truly remarkable season. Watch it again here

2. Rooney's intervention against AS Roma

United’s 1-0 victory over the Italians, secured courtesy of Wayne Rooney’s first goal of the season, was their sixth by that scoreline in the past eight matches. The decisive intervention of Rooney and Ronaldo in the club’s first two Champions League games of the season would augur well. Watch it again here

3. Paul Scholes's injury

Scholes injured a knee in training the night before United’s 4-2 win over Dynamo Kiev in October and was subsequently ruled out for three months, but while it seemed like a devastating blow at the time, in hindsight, it may well have been a blessing in disguise. Not only did Scholes look fresher in the second half of the season than he might have done had he played through the winter months, the midfield player’s absence opened the door for Anderson, the young Brazilian, who came of age in the ginger pimpernel’s absence.

4. Sporting sucker punch

Not only was Ronaldo’s breathtaking injury time free-kick enough to earn United a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon, it ensured that they would finish top of Group F after five successive wins and rendered what would have been a tricky trip to Roma in the final group match as a dead-rubber, leaving Sir Alex Ferguson free to give the kids a run out while he concentrated on the Barclays Premier League. Watch it again here

5. Tevez leaves it late

Three minutes remained when, with United trailing 1-0 to Lyons in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in France, Carlos Tevez, a substitute, popped up to score an equaliser and crucial away goal and put a completely different complexion on the tie. Watch it again here

6. Ronaldo and Rooney run riot in Rome

Pitted against Roma, their Group F opponents, in the quarter-finals for the second successive season, Ronaldo and Rooney put the Italians to shame, the former scoring a stunning header before the latter claimed a second away goal that all but put the tie beyond the Italians. Watch it again here

7. Ronaldo's penalty miss

The stage seemed set for Ronaldo to underline his claim to being the best player on the planet when he was awarded a penalty after just three minutes of United’s semi-final, first leg tie against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. The Portuguese missed, but United regained their composure to earn a credible draw as Barcelona paid the price for their profligacy. Watch it again here

8. Ferdinand doesn't flinch

With Nemanja Vidic absent with a stomach complaint, Rio Ferdinand had to be at his very best in the first leg against Barcelona and the England defender did not disappoint, producing an exemplary display to keep the Spaniards at bay.

9. Scholes's stunner

Gianluca Zambrotta conceded possession to Scholes and paid the price, United’s greatest redhead firing an unstoppable 30-yard drive into the top corner. Given that Scholes missed the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich through suspension, it somehow seemed fitting that the midfield player should ensure the club’s passage to Moscow. Watch it again here

10. Van der Sar's save

The United goalkeeper faced six penalties without making a save, but he produced the goods in sudden death when he palmed away Nicolas Anelka's spot kick to win the European Cup.