Manchester United needed extra-time to edge past brave FC Copenhagen 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League
 After 90 minutes in Cologne, where the two teams could not be separated in hot and humid conditions, Anthony Martial won United's 21st penalty across all competitions this season and Bruno Fernandes fired it home
It broke a brave resistance from the Danish champions, who had defended brilliantly but did ride their luck slightly as Mason Greenwood and Fernandes both had struck the post in normal time and Greenwood had a goal ruled out by VAR in the first half for offside
 Copenhagen also had their goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson to thank as he made 13 saves, the joint-most by a goalkeeper in a single Europa League game since the competition's rebranding in 2009-10
United will face the winners of Tuesday's Europa League quarter-final between Wolves and Sevilla for a place in the Europa League final on August 21
As the temperature hit 32 degrees ahead of kick-off, saving energy was a key component and United were rather slow out of the blocks as a consequence
Copenhagen played a brave game in the early stages, pressing United where possible and Fred got caught in possession but was let off the hook as Mohamed Daramy and Jens Stage saw shots blocked following his sloppy play
United looked to have a chance to take the lead against the run of play when Martial went down under pressure from Victor Nelsson, moments before Fernandes hit the crossbar, but after a delay the VAR ruled out the penalty for offside
VAR was to cause further frustration for United when Marcus Rashford sent through Greenwood in behind and he thumped a classy finish into the far corner
 However, the replays showed the assistant referee had missed a clear offside and VAR overturned the on-field call
The game settled into a more predictable pattern after the break with United making the Copenhagen defence work hard to preserve their clean sheet
 Rashford had the ball in the net on 57 minutes after Greenwood's strike had rocketed back off the post, but, the striker was correctly flagged offside
Fernandes became the latest to hit the goal frame when trying his luck from 25 yards, with the Danish side remaining a threat as long as the match was scoreless
Former Everton full-back Bryan Oviedo was thwarted by a brilliant block from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who made up for his wasteful performance in the final third with a quality piece of defending
Johnsson started to come to the party as the game wore on, making a superb one-handed save which stopped Martial bending home from 25 yards
Extra-time was needed and the extra quality in the United ranks came to the fore
Martial wriggled through to get away another shot saved by Johnsson and had just got back to his feet when Andreas Bjelland bundled into the back of him when collecting a Juan Mata pass
Fernandes did the rest from the penalty spot, deciding against using his delayed spot-kick technique in preference of just simply firing one into the top corner
It was one-way traffic now as United hunted a second goal but Johnsson was impressing in the Copenhagen goal and he superbly denied Fernandes, before halting the impressive Mata with his feet and seeing Victor Lindelof hit a post
 Eventually a second goal was not required as Copenhagen succumbed to their exertions in the draining heat and rarely laid a glove on United in the closing stages
You would be forgiven for thinking the Frenchman was only introduced to the game at the start of the extra-time as for the majority of the 90 minutes he was on the edge of the game
 However, as legs all around him ran out steam, he stepped on the gas with a spell of scintillating direct dribbling that tore apart those tasked with marking him
 It was his run that opened up the Copenhagen defence seconds before he won the penalty that allowed Fernandes to score from the penalty spot
Special mention also has to go to Johnsson, who showed his credentials on the biggest stage with an unbelievable performance between the sticks
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "We had close to 30 shots, almost half of them on target
 The goalkeeper had the game of his life, he was really good
 I could say we need to be more clinical in knockout games but I'm delighted we're through
 It's another semi-final for this team and the next challenge is to go one step further and win the last one
"Wolves or Sevilla vs Man Utd (August 16, RheinEnergieStadion)Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel (August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)
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