Man United plumb new depths with UCL meltdown in Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Only Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United could win a match twice and still lose. When the full story of their wild 2023-24 season is told, there will be no chapter more inexplicable than the one that describes the Champions League collapse in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

A pre-match tifo deployed by home fans warned United that the Parken Stadium was “your theater of nightmares”, and it couldn’t have been more prescient.

Leading 2-0 after 30 minutes, then making it 3-2 to regain the lead in the 69th minute, despite being reduced to 10 players following Marcus Rashford’s first-half sending off, United wasted the victory against FC Copenhagen with a chaotic defense. in the closing stages, which saw the home side score twice in the final seven minutes to win 4-3 and send United to the bottom of Group A with two games remaining.

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And just to add to the sense of farce surrounding United’s misery, the Parken Stadium resounded with chants of “Roony, Roony” at the end. Not in memory of former United great Wayne Rooney, but in tribute to 17-year-old striker Roony Bardghji, who scored Copenhagen’s winning goal in the 88th minute.

“This is our weakest performance in the group so far,” said Copenhagen coach Jacob Neestrup. “But we deserved this victory for our performances in the other three games.”

To be fair to United, their ninth defeat in 17 games in all competitions was not entirely down to the failings of Ten Hag and his players, with a VAR intervention resulting in a red card for Rashford before Harry Maguire conceded a penalty with a severe handball. decision that sent United off course after Rasmus Hojlund scored twice against his hometown team.

But for Rashford’s 42nd-minute sending off for catching Elias Jelert above the shin with the sole of his shoe – a foul missed by referee Donatas Rumsas before being flagged by the VAR – United looked on course for an easy victory after their best performance of the season.

Yet the fragility of Ten Hag’s side, evident throughout the season in the face of adversity, resurfaced as soon as Rashford marched down the tunnel, with United’s lead erased at half-time when Copenhagen scored thanks to Mohamed Elyounoussi then Diogo. Penalty from Gonçalves.

So the second half was clearly a test of United’s resolve. Could they finally get rid of their inconsistencies and show combativeness to achieve a draw, or even a victory?

Initially, the answer was yes. Ten Hag replaced Christian Eriksen with Sofyan Amrabat at half-time in a bid to add a more defensive element to their midfield, and United ended the game and frustrated the home side, despite a 1-1 advantage. just one man.

And when United were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute following a Lukas Lerager handball – this time the VAR found in United’s favor – a remarkable, backs-to-the-wall victory suddenly presented itself.

Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot to put United 3-2 ahead and give the visitors just over 20 minutes to hold on and see the game out for a crucial win, but also one that would be a much-needed turning point. for what is quickly becoming a disastrous season.

But this is Manchester United we’re talking about. Not the great multi-winning Champions League team of the past, but the modern version that has come to symbolize weakness, chaos and how not to play at the highest level, or at any level.

United have shown the ability to chase down lost causes this season, scoring winners against Brentford, Sheffield United and Fulham, but when it comes to maintaining a winning position, they are clueless.

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Burley dissects Man United’s ‘disconcerting’ defeat to Copenhagen

Craig Burley explains all the flaws in Manchester United’s dismal UEFA Champions League defeat to Copenhagen.

Even with 10 players, most top teams can find a way to defuse a game and slow down the clock when the pressure is on, but this United team is just falling apart. With less than 10 minutes to play, United invited Copenhagen forward and allowed the Danish champions to camp outside the penalty area. After scoring twice at Old Trafford, Copenhagen already knew that United had many defensive deficiencies and they came back to the fore.

Diogo Dalot was responsible for Copenhagen’s third goal when he failed to spot the danger and then stop it, when Lerager beat him at the far post to score from close range. Seven days ago, Dalot was equally reckless in allowing Miguel Almirón to score for Newcastle United in United’s 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat.

And the Portugal international was also guilty of Bardghji’s winner – a superb left-footed strike – when he turned his back on the teenager’s shot rather than lunging at it. United’s inability to clear the ball initially was the spark for the goal, but Dalot should have done much better.

“The team is resilient,” Ten Hag said after the match. “Throughout the season so many decisions are against us, but every time there is spirit and fight. We will continue and it will turn out in our favor.

Football is a game of mistakes. We didn’t do everything right, even with ten men we dictated the game. We didn’t do everything, but we did a lot of things well.”

United are still alive in Group A, but just barely, and they will need to show incredible spirit and confidence to beat Galatasaray in what will be a hostile atmosphere in Istanbul.

Despite Ten Hag’s comments about “spirit”, the reality is that his players are lacking when it really counts, and there is no hiding in the Champions League.