Copenhagen: Chants of “Roony, Roony” swept round Parken Stadium after Manchester United’s newest loss within the Champions League, and the irony can not have been misplaced on the beleaguered English membership. A participant whose identify is analogous to one in every of United’s biggest gamers — Wayne Rooney — plunged the staff into severe bother in Europe’s high competitors on Wednesday.
Roony Bardghji — a Kuwait-born, 17-year-old winger — capped a wild recreation that had nearly every part by scoring an 87th-minute winner for FC Copenhagen in a 4-3 victory over 10-man United.
An end-to-end match started with Rasmus Hojlund, a former Copenhagen participant, scoring twice inside 28 minutes to present United a 2-0 lead, then noticed Marcus Rashford proven a Forty second-minute purple card for a stamp, earlier than it ended with the guests collapsing for his or her third loss in 4 video games in Group A. Lukas Lerager equalized for Copenhagen within the 83rd and Bardghji turned the youngest Champions League scorer in opposition to United by driving a bouncing ball inside Andre Onana’s close to put up, securing the Danish membership one of the crucial well-known victories in its historical past.
COPENHAGEN MAKE IT 4-3 AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED!
YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP!!! _ pic.twitter.com/uJjnv67v9F
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 8, 2023
“It was an amazing night,” said Mohamed Elyounoussi, one of Copenhagen’s scorers. “I think everybody who was here could see the spirit that we have.”
United slumped to final place on three factors, one fewer than Copenhagen and Galatasaray with two video games left. United heads to Galatasaray subsequent understanding a defeat will imply elimination from the Champions League with one recreation to spare. “We have a mountain to climb, so we must climb,” United captain Bruno Fernandes stated. “We have two games, and we have to win those two games.”
The match was performed to the backdrop of a rare environment, with Copenhagen followers unveiling a pre-match tifo with the phrases ‘Your Theatre of Nightmares’ — a reference to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ nickname of United’s Old Trafford stadium — together with an image of a Red Devil asleep in a mattress.
It’s unlikely to get any cozier in Turkey. On a earlier United go to there to play Galatasaray, the gamers have been greeted with ‘Welcome to Hell’ banners on the airport. United really began properly in opposition to Copenhagen, taking the lead within the third minute when Hojlund, taking part in in opposition to the staff the place he began his skilled profession, transformed a cross from Scott McTominay.
After the sport was delayed twice, the 20-year-old Denmark striker doubled the lead by tapping into an empty internet after Alejandro Garnacho’s shot was saved, nevertheless it solely received harder from there for United.
Rashford’s sending-off proved to be a turning level and got here as he tried to protect the ball beneath strain from Copenhagen left again Elias Jelert. He received it incorrect and planted his studs on the left ankle of his opponent, with a video overview displaying the foul that was missed by the on-field referee.
Rashford threw his arms up in disgust when he was proven the purple card and his departure initially rocked United, which conceded within the forty fourth by means of Elyounoussi after which within the ninth of 13 minutes of first-half stoppage time when Diogo Gonçalves transformed a penalty after a handball by Harry Maguire.
Back got here United and after a penalty was awarded for a handball in opposition to Denis Vavro off Maguire’s header again into the world, Bruno Fernandes hammered the kick into the roof of the web for 3-2, which might have been sufficient for United to go second in its group.
The guests couldn’t maintain on, although, and the strain is firmly again on United supervisor Erik ten Hag after a ninth loss in 17 video games in all competitions. “We started very well, we controlled the game until the red card,” Hojlund stated, “and that changed the game, of course.”
