In the Champions League on Tuesday night, Manchester United overcame a resolute Copenhagen team 1-0 thanks to a header from Harry Maguire in the second half and a last-minute penalty stop by Andre Onana.
Before the game, there were moving moments as memories of Sir Bobby Charlton, who died away last Saturday, were shared. Amidst the cheers and admiration of the Old Trafford fans for a club great who devoted his life to Manchester United, Erik ten Hag placed a wreath on the center circle.
On the field, Manchester’s first half was lackluster. The finest openings came from Kobenhavn, who within the first five minutes struck the post with a volley and tested Onana from a distance. The first forty-five minutes ended in a goalless draw, making it clear that Man Utd were jittery and had not been able to put the Danish defense to the test.
Man Utd showed improvement in the second half, winning the match thanks to a strong header from Harry Maguire following a cross from Christian Eriksen. But in an incredible climax, United required the much-maligned Onana to make a penalty save in the 97th minute to give the hosts a hard-fought victory.
How the match progressed
This season, Copenhagen has already shown that they are a formidable opponent in the Champions League, and they got off to a strong start at Old Trafford. After Andre Onana deflected Elias Achouri’s long-range effort for a corner, Diogo Goncalves’ cushioned volley struck the base of the Cameroonian’s post a few minutes later.
After a rocky first fifteen minutes, Man Utd look control of the game. Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, who was once of Kobenhavn, made some speculative attempts, but they weren’t good enough to trouble former Liverpool goalkeeper Kamil Grabara.
There were so few noteworthy incidents in the first half that Italian referee Marco Guida called halftime 15 seconds early.
After a brief United break, substitute Alejandro Garnacho raced through one-on-one with Grabara and was left kicking himself shortly after the hour mark. But just as Man United had another half-chance, the Kobenhavn goalkeeper recovered control with a strong touch.
But after just 72 minutes, Harry Maguire gave the home team the lead by heading home Eriksen’s exquisite cross, letting the young Argentine off the hook. Given the criticism the center defender has endured over the past year, few could begrudge him this opportunity, especially when he skillfully built on his player-of-the-match performance against Sheffield United the previous Saturday.
Five minutes later, McTominay should have put the game away with a goal from Garnacho, but Grabara made a fantastic close-range save. Subsequently, the midfielder from Scotland missed the rebound high.
Although it appeared that Man Utd would win easily, a corner kick in the 94th minute caused chaos in the Red Devils’ penalty area. When McTominay’s high boot struck a Kobenhavn player’s head after the ball had bounced about, the referee gave the visitors a spot kick.
Onana, though, made a brilliant save from the penalty spot to give United the win and the Red Devils a crucial three points in the Champions League. Jordan Larsson is the son of former United striker Henrik.
Player rankings for Man Utd vs. Copenhagen (4-2-3-1)
GK: 8/10 Andre Onana Again, there was some dubious distribution, but there were some excellent saves to keep Man Utd in the match and deny Kobenhavn, most notably the last-minute penalty.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 5/10 – Made some good runs down the right flank early on, but found it difficult to contain the lightning-fast Achouri, particularly in the first half. Kobenhavn’s chances came down mostly on his side.
Raphael Varane, CB: 6/10 Initially a little slow in possession, he didn’t relish facing off Viktor Claesson in the deeper center zones. Though obviously not quite match sharp yet, he did make a great intervention near the end.
Harry Maguire, CB: 7/10 Maguire was the best of the backline, but Man Utd were by no means a strong defensive team. He also scored a vital goal just when the Red Devils needed him to. For the most part, the defender’s past few days have gone well.
LB: Sergio Reguilon – 5/10 – The Spaniard made a welcome comeback to the starting lineup following United’s left-back difficulties, although it was evident that he lacked consistency after missing five games. squandering when in control and lacking enthusiasm when advancing along the left side.
CM: Sofyan Amrabat – 4/10 – Looked lost in the middle of the pitch and gave up possession multiple times in the first half. Halftime: Christian Eriksen had me hooked.
CM: 6/10 for Scott McTominay Good in offensive situations and one of the few to occasionally run past Hojlund, producing some excellent late runs into the box. gave up a penalty in the final seconds, but Onana spared him.
RM: Antony – 5/10 – Provided very little in the last third of the game, but looked clean in possession. Without a doubt, Man Utd needs their £85 million winger to do more on a crucial Champions League night.
AM: 7/10 for Bruno Fernandes He was quiet during the first half, but after Eriksen arrived, he became animated. looked more like his creative best as he concluded the game with a good showing.
Marcus Rashford, LM: 5/10 Really lacking in confidence. seized a few favorable opportunities and remained silent most of the time. The performance, though, wasn’t that spectacular.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund – 7/10 – One of the few players with any creativity in the last third and once again Manchester United’s brightest attacking spark. kept the ball up nicely and received little assistance.
Replacements: Christian Eriksen (46′ for Amrabat) – 8/10 – After entering the game for Amrabat at halftime, he significantly altered the outcome. contributed the assist for Maguire’s goal and, with his playmaking, kept the attacking line moving.
Alejandro Garnacho (63′ for Antony) is the SUB. Level 7
63′ for Reguilon, Victor Lindelof, SUB: 6/10
A substitute for Hojlund, Anthony Martial (86′) – Id
The following substitutes were not used: Facundo Pellestri, Jonny Evans, Hannibal, Mason Mount, Altay Bayindir, and Tom Heaton.
Erik ten Hag, manager – 7/10 a dull first half as his Manchester United team failed to muster any momentum in the last third. But at halftime, the Dutchman made a switch that totally altered the course of the match: Eriksen.
Player of the game: Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen
