Man Utd drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 four years ago, but they lost the reverse leg.
Anthony Elanga equalised at the Metropolitano Stadium.(Image: AFP or licensors)
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“Everybody could hear that song," said Ralf Rangnick with a smile following Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in February 2022.
The PA system at the Metropolitano Stadium did not malfunction in the final 10 minutes of the game - the racket came from the away end after Anthony Elanga scored a superb equaliser.
To the tune of Eurodance classic Rhythm Is A Dancer, a chorus echoed around the ground: "Rhythm is a dancer, Anthony Elanga, you won’t stop him if you dare. He came from Scandinavia, to be United’s saviour, scoring goals from everywhere. Wooah, it’s Elanga. Wooah, you should see him in the air!"
United were fortunate to nick a draw in Madrid that night, but it was a coming-of-age moment for Elanga, who demonstrated his mettle by bouncing back from a penalty miss earlier that month.
As United trailed 1-0 after an early goal from Joao Felix, Rangnick replaced Marcus Rashford with Elanga in the 75th minute, and it took him just five minutes to pop up with an equalising goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, usually restrained whenever anyone else scores, was clearly delighted that Elanga had made the difference.
"I have dreamt of moments like this, scoring in the Champions League against top European teams like Atletico Madrid, [it is] a dream come true," said Elanga after the final whistle.
"I think it was my first touch as well. He [Rangnick] said to me to make the defenders scared and run in behind. When I get the opportunity to take it. I wanted a good result for the fans because they came a long way."
It felt like a new United star from the academy was born, just a few weeks after Elanga had been prepared to temporarily leave the club in the January transfer window.
Elanga scored with a first-time finish.(Image: 2020 Soccrates Images B.V.)
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"I asked my staff members about him and found out he had almost already decided to leave the club on loan," said Rangnick. "I said, listen, I want you stay and see how you are doing in the training games until the end of the closure of the transfer window.
"I think right now he has just shown what is possible in football with the right mentality, the right approach, this is exactly what he did and what he always does in every training session.
"In all the games he has played so far, he just shows that he's playing with all the passion and all the fun, he's just enjoying himself on the pitch. He's fully aware of his strengths, of his assets and his weapons. He is always trying to play and show those weapons. This is what he did today."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed Elanga his debut and promoted him permanently, but it was under Rangnick that he started to shine, keeping Rashford and Jadon Sancho out of the team.
However, the wheels started to fall off for both Elanga and Rangnick just three days after the draw with Atletico when United drew 0-0 with Watford at home, a setback after a decent run of results.
The Reds created plenty of chances that afternoon but failed to find the back of the net, with Elanga missing one of the biggest opportunities of the game when he fired wide from six yards out.
Elanga should have scored against Watford.(Image: AFP or licensors)
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If Elanga had buried that chance, United would have gone into the derby against Manchester City in their next game full of confidence, but their momentum was dashed, which set up a 4-1 hammering at the Etihad.
Elanga was dropped for their next league game against Tottenham, and although he started the last seven matches of the campaign, he managed only two assists.
He still ended the season as one of Rangnick's most trusted players, having featured in 26 of his 29 games in charge, but Erik ten Hag held a different opinion, believing Elanga lacked the required quality to make an impact.
Elanga would last just one season under Ten Hag before being shipped to Nottingham Forest for £15million in the summer of 2023.
Despite a decent spell at Forest, the Sweden international has struggled to prove United were wrong to let him go. He was one of the most dangerous wingers in the league at the City Ground, but he has failed to deliver at a higher level since signing for Newcastle for £55m.
Although Rangnick predicted Elanga could be United's next big thing after his goal against Atletico, it was another false dawn.