Manchester City F.C. in European football four attempts. Further opposition from the Low Countries awaited in the second round, in the form of Standard Liège. A flurry of late goals gave Manchester City a 4–0 lead after the first leg. The large lead meant that despite a 2–0 defeat in Liège, in which Gary Owen received a red card, City progressed with ease. Owen's sending off resulted in a five match ban. In the third round City faced four-time European trophy winners A.C. Milan. The first leg, held at the San Siro, was initially postponed due to fog, and was instead played the following day. City
Manchester City F.C. in European football the number of places per country is based upon performances in European competition over the previous five years, England had a reduced allocation until 1995. By the 2002–03 season, Manchester City were back in the Premier League. An unusual route into European competition for the 2003–04 season was provided by the UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking, which provided extra UEFA Cup qualifying round places for the leagues with the best records for discipline and positive play. This marked Manchester City's first European participation for 24 years. In the qualifying round City played Welsh club Total Network Solutions. The first leg