Marcus Rashford's splendid free-kick secured Manchester United a hard-fought win at Celta Vigo to edge Jose Mourinho's men closer to the Europa League final.
The Premier League’s last European representatives have travelled far and wide in their bid to win the only major continental trophy to have eluded them in their history.
Europa League glory also offers a route back to the Champions League and Mourinho's men are in the driving seat of this semi-final after Rashford's fine 67th minute free-kick secured a 1-0 semi-final first-leg win at Celta.
With a top four finish and entry into Europe’s premier club competition via the league no longer in their hands, the Europa League is an increasingly important option.
The away goal could prove crucial ahead of next week's return fixture at Old Trafford, where the Spanish side face an uphill battle to progress from their first major European semi-final.
Daniel Wass had given United an early scare but the visitors edged the first half, with Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez staying strong to thwart Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard.
Sergio Romero did well to deny Pione Sisto as Celta threatened to punish United's all too familiar lack of killer instinct, only for Rashford to step up to the plate yet again.
Having sent United through to semi-final with his extra-time strike against Anderlecht, the 19-year-old settled the first leg with a second-half free-kick that sent the away support - and Mourinho - wild.
The teenager limped off shortly before the end and United fans will be hoping that the injury isn’t serious given the lengthy list of absentees the club is already dealing with.
"He's a 19-year-old kid in love with football," said Mourinho. "A kid that finishes a training session, who stays half an hour more to take free-kicks. He waits for the opportunity so it's his mentality. He works, he works, he works."
United's first shot did not arrive until the 20th minute but when it did the hosts' goalkeeper had to be at his best, producing a save just as superb as Rashford's 20-yard effort to keep it scoreless.
Lingard just failed to get a telling touch on a Mkhitaryan cross as the visitors looked to take the advantage in an entertaining first half.
The latter has been so key in this run and could - and perhaps should - have struck on a fifth successive European trip, only for a poor finish from Paul Pogba's defence-splitting pass to be denied smartly by Alvarez.
Pogba struck over early in the second half and Iago Aspas directed wide, with the superb reactions of United goalkeeper Romero preventing Sisto's deflected effort finding the net.
Tensions were growing as the wait for a breakthrough continued, with the relief clear from Mourinho's celebrations in the 67th minute.
Rashford and Daley Blind stood over a free-kick just over 20 yards from goal. The latter ran over it and Rashford punished wrong-footed Alvarez by fizzing home a right-footed strike home.
Mourinho headed towards the away fans punching the air at a goal that former Liverpool forward Aspas tried to cancel out, before Lingard lashed wide at the other end.
Tempers frayed as Rashford took his time leaving the field after being substituted and Marouane Fellaini avoided a second booking, with issues continuing on the touchline as the match entered the final minutes.
Celta pushed for a late leveller but, try as they might, it did not arrive.
