Manchester United's Champions League Dreams Shattered in Thrilling Seven-Goal Encounter with Copenhagen
Manchester United's turbulent season takes another hit as they suffer a shocking defeat against Copenhagen in a pulsating Champions League encounter, filled with seven scintillating goals
Manchester United endured another nightmarish season on Wednesday when they were shocked by Copenhagen in a thrilling seven-goal match in the Champions League.
In the 87th minute, 17-year-old Roony Bardghjis sealed a dramatic win for the Danish team, defeating the three-time champions 4-3.
United initially took a two-goal lead in the first half with their own Danish player, Rasmus Højlund. However, just before halftime, the momentum shifted as Marcus Rashford received a red card for stepping on the ankle of a Copenhagen player.
Copenhagen managed to equalize by halftime, but a contentious penalty enabled United to regain their lead. In the end, two late goals tilted the match in favor of the hosts.
Group A's future hangs in the balance as Copenhagen and Galatasaray each have four points, while United sits at the bottom with three points. All three teams are trailing behind the undefeated leader Bayern Munich, who currently holds 12 points. However, this loss also adds to the mounting pressure on United boss Erik ten Hag. Wednesday's defeat marks the team's ninth loss in their last 17 games, including a humiliating defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League and unexpected slip-ups against Brighton and Crystal Palace in home matches. Additionally, the Red Devils were convincingly knocked out of the League Cup at home by Newcastle United.
The team has never lost so many fixtures across all competitions to start a season since 1973-74, when the club was relegated. Despite the poor run of form, ten Hag noted glimpses of positivity in the performance against Copenhagen.
"This squad has displayed remarkable resilience throughout the entire season, despite numerous decisions going against us and numerous setbacks and injuries," he expressed to reporters following the match. "However, we continuously show great spirit and determination, and I am confident that our fortunes will soon change. It only takes one pivotal moment in the season for the tides to turn in our favor."
Ten Hag further remarked, "I must commend the exceptional attitude of our players; they fought valiantly as a united team. They battled for every inch on the field, supporting one another shoulder to shoulder. Therefore, I have no criticisms to make against the team in that regard."
Ten Hag looks on during the Champions League game against Copenhagen.
James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
This has nothing to do with football
Wednesday seemed to mark the revival of Manchester United under the Dutch manager, following a series of challenging weeks. With Højlund's two early goals and the team's newfound composure in possession and defensive stability, United displayed a completely transformed performance compared to their recent form.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn in the 42nd minute when Rashford was sent off. The English player appeared to be protecting the ball and inadvertently stepped on the ankle of Copenhagen's Elias Jelert while attempting to maintain possession. Initially, Rashford received a yellow card, but upon further review based on the video assistant referee's (VAR) recommendation, it was upgraded to a red card.
Referee Donatas Rumšas received criticism for being shown still images and slow-motion replays of the incident instead of viewing it at full speed. Former United players and TNT Sports football pundits Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves believe that reviewing incidents in a slowed-down format can alter the perception of the actual play and influence the decision. Consequently, ten Hag described the red card as "harsh" and expressed his opinion that the referee took too long to make the decision despite the player's attempt to go for the ball.
Rashford is shown a red card by the referee against during the match against Copenhagen.
"I believe that when the gameplay is frozen, it appears significantly worse. Additionally, the time taken to make these decisions and the severity with which they are penalized disappoints me greatly. Such decisions do not align with the essence of football. While I understand that there can be incorrect decisions, this is too much. When you consider the number of intense decisions made at this level, it appears as though the game is being overly regulated, which goes against its nature."
The hosts were given renewed hope after the sending off and took full advantage of the extra player. Minutes later, Mohamed Elyounoussi scored a goal to reduce the deficit. Just before halftime, Diogo Gonçalves equalized from the penalty spot, extending the added time to the ninth minute.
In a matter of minutes, all of United's hard work appeared to be undone. Therefore, it came as a surprise to many when the English side regained the lead in the second half.
The turning of the tide sparked renewed controversy as United received a VAR penalty for a handball, even though it seemed that the ball had initially struck Harry Maguire's fingers.
There were no concerns for United captain Bruno Fernandes as he confidently converted the penalty, leading to the belief that ten Hag was on track to secure the crucial victory he needed to silence his critics and regain momentum.
In the last 20 minutes of the match, the home team increased their pressure on the squad with one player less, and their efforts paid off. Lukas Lerager scored from a close distance to equalize the score, and Bardghjis secured victory with a powerful finish in the final minutes, causing the home crowd at Parken Stadium to erupt in wild celebration.
Copenhagen players celebrate after beating Manchester United.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Bardghji became the youngest player to score a Champions League goal against Manchester United, aged 17 years and 358 days.
United's hopes of qualifying for the group stage are now at risk, with only two games left - an away game against Galatasaray and a home game against Bayern Munich, both of which have already beaten the English side. This loss marks the first time in the club's history that they have lost a Champions League match after leading by two or more goals. It is also their first defeat after taking a two-goal lead since losing 5-3 to Leicester in September 2014.
Fernandes was firm in stating that despite the loss on Wednesday, the team's objective remains unchanged: to win all their remaining matches.
"The belief to win the last three games of the group stage was already present before this match. Now that we have two left, we must secure victories if we want to continue in the Champions League and compete against the best," emphasized the Portuguese midfielder.
We have a challenging away match against Galatasaray, followed by a match against the group leaders. Although our aim is to win both games, our immediate focus is on Luton. It will be another tough game, and we must secure three points in the league. We need to bounce back from our recent defeat and maintain our winning streak in the Premier League.
