2023-12-13 00:29:29
By CC
Published yesterday at 10:56 p.m., Updated yesterday at 11:29 p.m.
The joy of Kingsley Coman PETER POWELL / AFP
The Red Devils are eliminated from the European scene after their defeat against the Munich residents (0-1). The Danish club will be the surprise guest of the 8th.
Manchester United have drank the chalice to the dregs in the Champions League this season. Even to the point of finishing last in a group which had nothing incredibly challenging. But like their domestic season, the Red Devils showed too many shortcomings to hope to qualify.
Manchester United lost to Bayern Munich (1-0) on Tuesday and left the Champions League with a fourth defeat in six matches, the end of a disastrous group stage. The English put in the impact and determination needed to delight their supporters and make their German opponent doubt, at least until the break, but the magic never really worked in their “theater of dreams” ‘Old Trafford, whose nickname is starting to gather dust.
Their hope of survival in the big European Cup hung by a thread on the final day: a victory against Bayern, undefeated for six years in the group stage, and a draw, at the same time, between Copenhagen and Galatasaray. They had neither one nor the other, and finished just behind the Turks (3rd, 5 points), as the red lantern (4th, 4 points) of a group enlightened by the omnipotence of the Bavarians ( 1st, 16 pts), qualified with Copenhagen (2nd, 8 pts) for the round of 16 of C1.
So here they are thrown out of any European competition, a real fiasco for the Glazer family and their club with three Champions League titles, engaged in a sales process which continues to drag on. Tuesday, the players displayed a conquering face, despite the stakes of the evening and the twists of fate that accompanied it: central defender Harry Maguire had to come off injured at the end of the first period, and his French partner Raphaël Varane imitated him at the end of the second, probably also because of a physical problem.
Coman, killer of hope
The state of mind was not enough, however, to counter Bayern’s strike force. The defense muzzled Harry Kane rather well, returning to England for the first time with his new club. But she gave in far too easily on a decisive pass from No.9 to Kingsley Coman (71st, 1-0), showing in one action the excitement too often displayed on the European scene. Erik Ten Hag’s team ends its adventure with four defeats and fifteen goals conceded in six matches, or 2.5 per match on average, the worst total of a group that was fairly open at the start, however.
Copenhagen, back to the future
FC Copenhagen, winner of Galatasaray (1-0) at home, qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Lukas Lerager, on a caviar from Elias Achouri, scored the only goal of the match shortly before the hour mark (57th). FC Copenhagen, reduced to 10 at the end of the match after the exclusion of the scorer, returned to the exhilaration of the round of 16 of the premier club competition after the 2010-2011 season, when they were knocked out by Chelsea (2- 0 0-0).
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