The audience peaked at 7.6m midway through the game, which finished 2-2, leaving United needing to win in Portugal in the second leg to go through to the semi-finals. The whole 7.30-10pm package took a 25.4% share of viewing.
BBC One mopped up most of the football-averse audience. At 8-9pm 'Holby City' managed 5.5m viewers, a 23.6% share, and at 9-10pm the second part of church choir group drama 'All The Small Things' mustered 4.2m and a 17.6% share. This was down from its debut ratings last week of 4.6m and 19.9%.
Five's 'CSI' came in third in the 9-10pm slot with 2.8m viewers and an 11.4% share.
Channel 4 introduced 'The Hospital', a heavy-hitting three-part documentary which earned 2m viewers and an 8.4% share.
The first programme looked at the behaviour that two Accident & Emergency units have to cope with from patients and featured candid interviews with nurses and consultants. It was watched by 371,000 viewers on Channel 4+1.
BBC Two was well behind with just 878,000 viewers tuning in for 'Horse People with Alexandra Tolstoy'. The first of three programmes exploring cultures that depend on horses, such as Siberian herders, registered a 3.6% share of viewing.
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