UK Edition
Manchester United implode after Marcus Rashford's red card in Copenhagen
“Your Theatre Of Nightmares,” read the giant banner from FC Copenhagen fans just before kick-off, and this proved to be the case for Manchester United. They spectacularly collapsed twice after a Marcus Rashford red card and ended up with their Champions League hopes in tatters after a bizarre, eventful evening.
This was another crazy game – up there with Chelsea’s win at Tottenham earlier in the week. For the checklist of events, there was a Rashford red card, United throwing away a two-goal lead through Rasmus Hojlund, delays for medical emergencies in the stands and a pro-Palestine pitch invader. You can throw in some Video Assistant Referee controversy and United players getting pelted with missiles.
In the final moments, United were sunk by a wonderkid called Roony, not Wayne, but Roony Bardghji, the Kuwait-born 17-year-old, who scored the winning goal to cap the non-stop action at Parken Stadium.
Erik ten Hag is now staring at Champions League elimination. 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.
Ten Hag may take heart from the performance, which showed spirit but turned on Rashford’s red, in his first start since the Dutch manager criticised him for his nightclub birthday celebrations hours after the Manchester derby defeat. It led to Mohamed Elyounoussi and Diogo Goncalves pulling Copenhagen level before the drama of the second half.
The players left on the pitch showed a willingness to fight for their manager, so downing tools cannot be levelled at them. But their ability to fold under pressure is alarming and this was a match in which they looked in control.
“Football is a game of mistakes, I don’t say we did everything right but I take a lot of positives, even with 10 men we are dictating the game,” said Ten Hag. “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.”
United had been warned on their arrival to Denmark that the atmosphere at the national stadium would rattle Ten Hag’s players, described as 100 times more intense than Old Trafford. And ultimately they did freeze in those key moments at the end of either half when Copenhagen scored their goals.
Live And Let Die rang out on the loudspeaker before the game, just to emphasise the jeopardy. United have been slow starters in matches this season but came flying out of the blocks and were ahead within three minutes, by some distance their quickest goal of the campaign.
Ten Hag had defended Hojlund when asked about his £72 million signing that he pushed for in the summer. The Denmark striker, playing at the club where he started his career, has yet to find the net in the Premier League but has saved his most productive performances for Europe and tied Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata for the most goals in the Champions League this season with five that will only help his confidence.
For his first, Bruno’s pass invited United to move through the gears. He switched play to Rashford and then Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s reverse pass had Scott McTominay through on goal. The right decision was made, which was passing across goal where Hojlund was waiting unmarked.
United’s rhythm was broken by a pitch invader, who was displaying a Palestine flag, while doctors also attended to two stricken fans in the stands in separate incidents. Jonny Evans, making his first Champions League match in a decade, also limped off.
But United fans were throwing their Danish beer in celebration again soon after the delay when Hojlund added his second. Bruno again got United up the pitch with a ball that sent through Alejandro Garnacho, and while his shot was saved, Hojlund was there to pass into an empty net.
Rashford’s red came just before the interval, with no hint of what was to come until play was called back for a Var review. With referee Donatas Rumšas sent over to the monitor, he saw a replay of Rashford going over the ball and connecting with the left ankle of Elias Jelert. With the red card issued, Copenhagen felt they were still in the match.
They pulled a goal back through Elyounoussi, finishing from close range after Goncalves had pulled back Peter Ankersen’s cross in the former Southampton forward’s direction. In the 13 minutes of first-half stoppage time, Harry Maguire was pulled up for a handball in the area as he tried to block a shot. He was furious but the decision stood. Goncalves held his nerve to level.
United showed ambition despite being a man down. Diogo Dalot had a decent effort on goal after the break, but they would inevitably have to soak up pressure from the hosts. Bruno put them within sight of a famous win when he scored from the spot, after Var had spotted Lerager’s handball.
But the last word was with Copenhagen, whose fans pelted Bruno with missiles and beer after his goal and again at a corner. Lerager tapped in at the far post when Andre Onana could have done better, before Bardghji slammed in the winner from close range.
“We switched off a little bit,” said Hojlund. “We didn’t think we would play with one man down. It gave them belief, I know how the crowd can help the team out. It gave them a big boost. We did quite well in the beginning of the second half, we were composed on the ball. It is unfortunate we are here with zero points.”
Copenhagen 4 Manchester United 3: As it happened
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund speaking to TNT Sports
“Of course we started very well, we controlled the game until the red card and that changed the game of course.
“If you don’t look at result and focus on the first 20 minutes, we did quite well.
“We switched off a little bit. We didn’t think we would play with one man down. It gave them belief, I know how the crowd can help the team out. It gave them a big boost.
“We did quite good in the beginning of second half, we were composed on the ball. It is unfortunate we are here with zero points.”
Your views
- AM Cash: “We did not implode. Just too much for ten men. Keep 11 on the pitch. Saw spurs the other night and same outcome. Utd looked excellent with 11 men. Rashford shouldn’t have been sent off. VAR is now a nonsense. Spurs v Chelsea showed that. Easy to say Glazers this or ETH that. Hey let’s blame Moyes or Ole .... that’s not what happened tonight. UTD do not have enough experience at this level as a Utd team and it showed. Poor game management at the end .... but ETH is ahead of Fergie in games won at the start of his time at Utd.
- Dee Tee: “Please remember Spurs were playing Chelsea, who have spent £1bn on players. You were playing Copenhagen - yes Copenhagen!”
- John James: “Played well for the first 30 minutes, then it all went to pot after Rashford was sent off. The persistent VAR interventions are ruining the game, a dubious red card, two dubious penalties and a very questionable card for Maguire. This seriously needs sorting out.”
- Saviour Attard: “A clumsy challenge from a player who cannot defend when the opponents have the ball and rarely use his brains started todays’ downfall, To cap it all Ten Hag is proving to be a prejudiced and stubborn manager. While he persisted in playing Anthony until he could not bear him any longer he sidelined for a long time Wan Bissaka, and intended to sell him, Today Bissaka was one of the best players. He managed to get rid of De Gea because he cannot play from the back to replace him with shaky Onana instead of buying a strong utility defender to cover the other injury prone defenders. Mount who was not good enough for Chelsea was acceptable for Ten Hag.”
More of your thoughts
- Paul Brand: “Only one consolation is that on these performances the share price will ultimately suffer and so will the Glazers. Be lucky to get 4bn buy the end of the season hopefully.”
- David Bicknell: “Utd played really well at times, Rashford a bit unlucky as he was clearly protecting the ball and not looking at the player. Neither of the penalty’s should have been given and Copenhagen should have also had a man sent off. Good effort by ten men. PS he brought on Mount for his energy for those of you that can’t work that out.”
Keep your comments coming
Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog. Is Ten Hag running out of time? Can Manchester United still qualify for the knockout stages with a trip to Galatasaray and a home game against Bayern Munich to come? Bayern have guaranteed progression into the knockout stages after Harry Kane scored two goals in a 2-1 win against Galatasaray tonight.
Your comments
- Another Try: “Utd simply don’t have the players capable of ‘playing out’. That has cost them again. And taking off a 2 goal scorer to put Mount on? ETH has lost the plot.”
- AM Cash: “When down to 10 men .... very tough. Keep 11 on the pitch and an easy win. Not sure you can blame ETH on this one. Savage suggested Martial could have helped ..... sadly we know better. I cannot see Utd winning away in Turkey.”
- JHB Red: “Bringing Mount on was a strange decision.”
81 minutes: Copenhagen 2 Manchester United 3
Farcical scenes as Fernandes prepares to take a corner. The Copenhagen fans are throwing items in Fernandes’ direction and then boo him when he does not take a corner. Appalling behaviour from the home fans. Maguire then concedes a foul on the goalkeeper from the corner.
77 minutes: Copenhagen 2 Manchester United 3
Bayern Munich are now 2-0 up against Galatasaray and it is Harry Kane again. Manchester United travel to Galatasaray in matchday five. Copenhagen have a corner as they make a double change. Boilesen comes on for Vavro and Larsson, who missed a penalty at Old Trafford, replaces Achouri. The corner is headed away by Manchester United.
Carra thinks no red
Owen Hargreaves, speaking to TNT Sports on Marcus Rashford’s red card:
“No, not in a million years. Marcus is just trying to put his leg in front of the ball. He’s not even looking at the ball. When you see a still as a referee, it looks horrendous. It’s not malicious, it’s not serious foul play.”
Paul Scholes:
“I think that’s where the understanding of the referee has to come into it. It’s an accident. He’s trying to plant his foot and protect the ball.”
Your comments
- Mike Roker: “Another example of how VAR and TMO are ruining contact sport as entertainment. Here we have a VAR input for a competitive incident where a player is injured and the referee looks at the outcome only, which looks like a foul, yet the build up clearly shows it as an accident.”
- Mac Adamia: “United getting even more creative with ways to throw away a match. For half an hour they looked as if they knew what they were doing. Now they’ll be lucky to avoid a doing!”
- Neil Lancaster: “I can’t stand rashford but that’s not a sending off. He’s protecting the ball with no intent. Football turning into a computer game administered by people who haven’t played it.”
- Neil Stone: “Two marginal decisions against. Don’t anyone say Utd get all the breaks!”
42 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Manchester United 2
Rightly so Rashford is sent off! He went nowhere near the ball and could have caused a serious injury. That is a disgusting challenge. It is an embarrassing reaction from Rashford who was laughing in disbelief. If he cannot see why that was a red card then that is concerning.
39 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Manchester United 2
Hojlund nearly gets his hat-trick. Manchester United counter as Fernandes feeds it forward to Hojlund. He drives towards the penalty area and takes aim but he drags his shot just wide of the far post. There is VAR check for a potential red card for Rashford...
GOAL! Hojlund nets his second of the night
It is 2-0 and Hojlund is on the scoresheet again. Manchester United counter attack as Fernandes sends it through to Garnacho, who charges into the box. He should square it for Hojlund but he goes for goal. It is saved by Grabara but he can only parry it into the path of Hojlund who has the easiest of finishes.
24 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Manchester United 1
Elyounoussi plays a really dangerous cross that makes its way to the far post. It looks like it is going to fall right into the path of Achouri, who was impressive for Copenhagen two weeks ago, but Onana comes out of his goal to reach it just before the Copenhagen forward.
We have just heard inside the stadium that the fan who was attended to is awake and well which is the news we all wanted to hear.
19 minutes: Copenhagen 0 Manchester United 1
This has now become a lengthier delay as a fan is being attended to by medical staff. We hope that all is ok with the fan in question. This is the same stadium where Christian Eriksen, starting tonight for Manchester United, collapsed in June 2021 during the Euros. We are now back underway.
“The match has been delayed by several minutes as medics attend to a fan in the stands. They have covered the area with a white sheet. Players are trying to keep warm with practice balls.”
GOAL! Hojlund scores against hometown club
Three minutes in and Manchester United lead through local boy Hojlund. On Manchester United’s first foray forward,Wan-Bissaka plays the ball into McTominay making a run into the penalty area on the right. He drills the ball across where Hojlund taps in for his fourth goal in the group stages.
1 minute: Copenhagen 0 Manchester United 0
Appeals inside 20 seconds from the Copenhagen players for a handball by Maguire after McTominay hit it straight at him. The arm is down by his side and it is the right decision not to give it as it was not deliberate, not nowadays you have no idea whether those will be given.
Kick-off moments away
Both sides have emerged from the tunnel and the Champions League anthem is ringing around Parken Stadium.
Reminder of the team news
Man United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Evans, Dalot; McTominay, Eriksen; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Heaton, Lindelof, Reguilon, Varane, Amrabat, Forson, Hannibal, Mount, Pellistri, Antony, Martial.
Copenhagen: Grabara; Ankersen, Vavro, Diks, Jelert; Lerager, Falk, Goncalves; Elyounoussi, Claesson, Achouri.
Subs: Sander, Dithmer, Sorensen, Tanlongo, Larsson, Babacar, Oskarsson, Boilesen, Lund, O. Hojlund, Bardghji, Froholdt.
FC Copenhagen manager Jacob Neestrup speaking to TNT Sports
“We need a good performance today - but that is not enough. We need points. It’s a big pressure and we will manage.
“Since we were at Old Trafford we won three games in a row, so we have confidence. We believe in ourselves but we have tremendous respect for the opponents. Top-class players all over the pitch.”
Live from Copenhagen
“Marcus Rashford has returned to the Manchester United starting line-up for the first time since Erik Ten Hag publicly criticised his nightclub birthday on the evening of the Manchester derby. But Raphael Varane is only on the bench for United. He has been out through illness and on a course of antibiotics.
“United were warned to expect a hostile atmosphere at Parken Stadium. With 50 minutes to go before kick-off, one stand is full of Copenhagen fans with a drummer leading their songs.”
Full team news
Marcus Rashford returns to the Manchester Utd starting XI, replacing Antony, in their only change from the 1-0 win at Fulham at the weekend.
Raphael Varane remains among the subs as Erik ten Hag opts for Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at centre-back.
Man United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Evans, Dalot; McTominay, Eriksen; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Heaton, Lindelof, Reguilon, Varane, Amrabat, Forson, Hannibal, Mount, Pellistri, Antony, Martial.
Copenhagen have made three changes following their win over Randers at the weekend.
Oscar Hojlund, younger brother of Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, drops to the bench, with Diogo Goncalves taking his place. The other two changes are made in attack, where Viktor Claesson and Mohamed Elyounoussi come in.
Copenhagen: Grabara; Ankersen, Vavro, Diks, Jelert; Lerager, Falk, Goncalves; Elyounoussi, Claesson, Achouri.
Subs: Sander, Dithmer, Sorensen, Tanlongo, Larsson, Babacar, Oskarsson, Boilesen, Lund, O. Hojlund, Bardghji, Froholdt.
Match preview
By Mike McGrath in Copenhagen
Erik Ten Hag’s heads into the hostility of the Parken Stadium tonight after being dealt a blow with Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez ruled out until Christmas in Manchester United’s bid to salvage their season.
United have been warned to expect an atmosphere 100 times the intensity of Old Trafford when they face FC Copenhagen with their Champions League hopes at stake. Ten Hag says consistency will come with a regular, stable line-up but he will be without two of his senior players for the rest of the group stages.
Casemiro’s hamstring injury suffered last week will sideline him for almost two months, while Lisandro has not played since mid-September with a foot problem. “Casemiro and Martinez are really strong injuries and I don’t expect them back before Christmas. It’s several weeks,” said Ten Hag.
Ten Hag at least has Marcus Rashford back after a knock ruled him out at the weekend, just after Ten Hag revealed he found the forward’s nightclub birthday party after the Manchester derby “unacceptable”.
Rashford has since called out his detractors, publicly replying to the popular United Stand broadcasters, saying there was a “malicious” campaign to put doubts over his future at United. “Marcus is very committed to Manchester United, to this team and he is investing his hard work and training to get back in his form,” said Ten Hag.
While the weekend win at Fulham eased the pressure off Ten Hag, the magnitude of the trip to Denmark should not be underestimated. Defeat would put United at threat of finishing bottom of Group A without the safety net of a Europa League place for later in the season. Victory could see them move into second place ahead of daunting clashes in Istanbul against Galatasaray and hosting Harry Kane’s rampant Bayern Munich.
Copenhagen manager Jacob Neestrup has warned United they will face a similarly tough game to their narrow home win two weeks ago, and a more intense atmosphere. “You can’t compare Old Trafford with Parken because the intensity is times 100 in terms of what we played in two weeks ago,” he said. “This is a standard, for me, that is way above Premier League, to be honest.
“I was a little bit surprised about some of the questions I got after the game from English journalists in terms of that we were quite tough to break down. The talk we had at half-time in our dressing room was that we thought it was tough to break the opponent down.”