MANCHESTER UNITED’s Champions League hopes are hanging in the balance after they surrendered a two-goal lead twice to draw 3-3 with Galatasaray.United could even have been knocked out tonight if Copenhagen beat Bayern Munich but their match ended 0-0.
United now head into the final matchround knowing they have to beat Bayern themselves at Old Trafford and rely on Copenhagen and Galatasary to draw.
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Who is through?
12 teams have booked their places in the last 16:
Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid
Real Sociedad
Barcelona
Manchester City
Arsenal
PSV
Inter Milan
Lazio
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich
Rule breakers
Galatasaray have been accused of breaking a little-known rule to score their first goal against Manchester United, with some claiming it should have been disallowed.
Hakim Ziyech sparked the hosts’ comeback as he whipped a free-kick past Andre Onana after United had raced into a 2-0 lead.
However the goal could have been chalked off as Mauro Icardi appeared to commit an infringement as the shot was taken.
That’s because he was only 61 centimetres away from Rasmus Hojlund, who was standing in the wall, according to beIN SPORTS.
That’s less space than the should be allowed to have.
FT: Bayern 0-0 Copenhagen
That’s that. It ends goalless.
Man Utd are not out yet but their Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread.
The Red Devils need to beat Bayern in two weeks and hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw.
Credit: AP
Copenhagen remain level
Still no goals at the Allianz Arena.
Copenhagen have managed just one shot on target in the match.
Eyes are on Harry Kane to get a goal that could really help Man Utd.
0-0 in Germany
Bayern Munich vs Copenhagen is currently goalless.
As it stands the group looks like this:
Bayern Munich 13pts
Copenhagen 5pts
Galatasaray 5pts
Man Utd 4pts
It means things will go down to the final matchday on December 12 and United will need to beat Bayern and hope Copenhagen vs Galatasaray ends in a draw.
Hargreaves reacts
Owen Hargreaves reckons United are making too many mistakes, given the incredible amount of goals they’ve scored.
He told TNT Sports: “United scored three in Munich and lost, three in Copenhagen and lost and three again here and didn’t win. If you had said before [those games] that you would score that amount of goals, no one would ever have believed you.
“They are scoring enough goals but making mistakes which are costly in the Champions League.”
Another record…
Without wanting to harp on about the goals conceded….It is the reason United are in this mess.
It’s the most goals an English side has conceded at this stage of the competition – by quite some way too…
14 – Most goals conceded by an English team five games into a Champions League campaign:14 – Manchester United (2023-24)11 – Manchester United (1994-95)11 – Tottenham (2019-20)10 – Manchester United (1998-99)10 – Manchester City (2012-13)10 – Arsenal (2015-16)Circus.— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 29, 2023
Elsewhere….
There’s still no goals in the late game between Bayern Munich and Copenhagen approaching half time.
Remember, a shock win for the Danes would knock Man Utd out tonight….
MOTM
Hakim Ziyech was awarded the man of the match tonight.
UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel said: “He was very effective coming in from the wide-right position, making excellent passes and creating several goalscoring opportunities.
“He scored two free-kicks and claimed an assist with an excellent pass for Galatasaray’s third.”
He’s got someone else to thank for that….
Shipping them
Andre Onana has conceded 14 goals in Man Utd’s five Champions League games.
Only Antwerp have conceded more this season.
Celtic – who have been pretty abysmal in the competition – are the other side to have conceded as many as United.
Making improvements
Finally, he concludes by insisting his side are on the right tracks and he’s pleased the project is moving in the right direction.
He finished: “It’s me to blame, it always is. But we are a project and we’re making improvements which is very hopeful.
“We’re going in the right direction and I know the steps we have to take.
“I’m sure we will be successful in the long term.
“Short term, if we want to stay in the Champions League we have to win the next game.”
Ten Hag continues
On the three goals conceded tonight, he doesn’t put the blame on his goalkeeper who he signed.
He insisted instead that they were avoidable before reaching that stage.
He continued: “I think every goal we conceded has its own story. They come from transition moments that we spoke about and we don’t block the middle.
“The second we gave away a needless free kick but we have to defend the free kick better.
“And the third we were organised but got run off. It can never happen, you get punished for mistakes in the Champions League.
“We’ll fix that [losing a lot of goals]. I’m very pleased, you can see the style of this team; proactive, dynamic and brave. We created so many chances.”
Ten Hag reacts
On the disappointment of dropping two points, he told TNT Sports: “We should have taken all three points, clearly.
“But we should have done that in other games, too. Away to Copenhagen, home to Galatasaray, we play so good.
“For that I have to compliment the team but at the same time I have to criticise them as defending we aren’t good enough.
“Winning 3-1, we can’t afford to make these mistakes as it makes the difference.”
Here comes the manager
Erik ten Hag has emerged from the away dressing room.
We’ll have his comments in just a mo…..
On those two free kicks…
The United captain stopped short of blaming the keeper, pausing after saying the two goals conceded were soft.
He added: “I have nothing to explain – there’s nothing we can do now.
“We lost two goals because of mistakes by…ourselves.”
And here he is…
The Man Utd captain was scathing in his pre-match words.
He says his team must always look for a better and final pass instead of taking chances themselves – putting the team first and foremost.
He told TNT Sports: “It’s obviously really bad. We lost really bad goals and had to have control of that situation.
“We were on top twice and had far too many chances to close out the game but we weren’t clinical enough.
“Sometimes we need to get our head up and find that extra pass before trying to take chances ourselves. It is about the team and not ourselves.
“We have to be cleverer and manage the game better.”
Everywhere
Much has been made of Bruno Fernandes in recent weeks but he was solid tonight.
He scored an absolute belter to send United on their way at 2-0 and almost clinched the winner when striking the post from 25 yards late on.
His tireless work often goes unnoticed but he was imperative at both ends tonight.
Scholes blast
Paul Scholes says Andre Onana was to blame for all three goals tonight.
And he says the keeper makes the whole team nervous with his displays.
He told TNT Sports: “What can you say, more terrible mistakes again. The second goal was weak.
“He just makes people nervous. He makes his defence nervous – he makes the team nervous!
“He makes simple saves look really, really difficult.
“He shouldn’t be beaten at his near post, his positioning is poor. Again, all three goals are down to him.”
Goals no problem
Scoring away from home in this competition doesn’t appear to be a problem.
They scored three in Munich, three in Copenhagen then three tonight.
But they’ve taken just ONE point in doing so.
A two-goal lead at Copenhagen went on to be a defeat and then that draw tonight.
Match by numbers
A mad 33 shots on goal occurred in that game – probably most in those last 10 minutes!
Just four of United’s 17 efforts were on target though.
Though they were clinical in scoring three of those!
How it leaves things
It means United are still bottom of Group A.
They’ll be OUT of the Champions League if Copenhagen beat Bayern Munich later.
Regardless, they know they’ll need to beat Bayern Munich at home on match day six to progress.
Crazy draw
They were 2-0 and 3-1 up in the game, but again Man Utd’s mental fragility seems them throw away points.
Andre Onana isn’t their solution in the Champions League and has badly let his teammates down again.
Garnacho, Fernandes and McTominay all scored good goals, but the keeper’s inability to keep out two average Ziyech free kicks and a late strike sees them drop points on the road again.
FULL TIME!
What an absolutely bonkers 90 minutes.
Somehow, Manchester United leave with just one point from it.
That leaves them in a tough position in the group.
Galatasaray 3-3 Man Utd
Galatasaray 3-3 Man Utd
90+2. Dalot wins a corner.
Fernandes’ first ball is mince, doesn’t beat the first man.
It comes back to him and the ball is sent in from the left and McTominay heads well, well wide.
Galatasaray 3-3 Man Utd
90+1. McTominay almost gets to a ball through the middle but Muslera rushes out his box to volley clear.
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