A sporting handshake from Erik Ten Hag at the final whistle was the only action he could muster after Manchester United imploded right in front of his very eyes once again, leaving them on the brink of elimination.
The game had a bit of everything. Goals? Enough for even neutrals to enjoy, seven to the exact. Drama? Absolutely. And yes, VAR struck again, raising more questions about refereeing decisions. Manchester United started promisingly in the first half. Scott McTomminay teed up Rasmus Hojlund for his first goal on the night and the Dane was on hand to slot the ball into the back of the net for his second after Alejandro Garnacho’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper into his path. Ten Hag’s plan was working, right until Marcus Rashford received his marching orders following a dangerous challenge on Elias Jelert late in the first half.
Shortly after, Copenhagen pulled a goal back through Elyounoussi with a finish from close range. Deep in added time, a penalty was awarded against Harry Maguire who was adjudged to have handled the ball in the 18-yard box. Goncalves stepped up to level matters.
Despite largely facing criticism as captain of the team this season, Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot to put his side within touching distance of a victory, after Var had spotted Lerager’s handball deep in the second half.
The Red Devils battled well for most parts of the last 45 minutes. However, they switched off in the final moments. Lerager tapped the ball in at the far post, and finally, the dagger to the heart of United fans came as Roony, not Wanye, struck home a volley to make it 4-3 on the night.
Ten Hag can walk away with a few positives from this game. Hojlund was arguably his team’s brightest spark. The Dane is yet to find his feet in the Premier League but has been in red-hot form for Manchester United in Europe. The young striker is tied with Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata for the most goals in the Champions League this season with five.
“Football is a game of mistakes, I won’t say we did everything right, but I take a lot of positives, even with 10 men we are dictating the game.” “We played very well. We are very disappointed in the end we take nothing from this because it should have been different. “Again, the attitude was great from the lads, they fought as a team, together. All on one page, we fought for every yard on the pitch shoulder for shoulder, so I can’t make any criticism on the team for that.” said Ten Hag.
The trip to Galatasaray was always a daunting one and they do so with the odds of qualification against them now. Lose and they are out. They need a miracle in Istanbul and could easily finish bottom and not have Europa League football either.
The road has become a narrower one for Erik Ten Hag and his charges.
By Emmanuel Andam | 3Sports | Ghana