FC Copenhagen 4-3 Manchester United: Rashford sees red card in wild encounter at the Danish capital, Ten Hag’s side reaches bottom of the table
FC Copenhagen decided to inflict more misery on Erik Ten Hag’s side after they decided to launch a scathing attack against Manchester United at the Danish capital, therefore pushing the legendary Red Devils to the bottom of the table. To add to their woes, Rashford has been shown a red card, therefore, on risk of missing their next two must-win games.
FC Copenhagen defeats Manchester United
In a game which involved three points and reputation at stake, Erik Ten Hag’s side seems to have been under the scanner once again after their must-win fixture against FC Copenhagen ended in defeat. They are going through a rough patch, with their fans on emotional wringer since the beginning of the season. They have suffered consecutive defeats of 0-3 in the hands of crosstown rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford, and against Newcastle United in EFL Cup, getting ousted by the Magpies in a rematch of last season’s finale. They are without the services of several top stars, with Jadon Sancho being ‘outcast’ by the club authorities.
Against a relatively weaker team FC Copenhagen, with a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 qualification in mind, Ten Hag’s brigade started really well, with local boy Rasmus Hojlund giving them a 2-0 lead within the first half-hour. Little did they know a menacing outing was on store for them at Parken stadium. Marcus Rashford, one of the homegrown boys of United decided to step up his ante, but when his clumsy foot landed illegally on Jelert’s ankle, match officials were left with a decision to make. The forward was shown a red card, forcing him off on the sidelines, sparking an implosion within the stadium, adding to United’s detrimental season.
With the suspension, Parken roared back to its original form, helping their club to a famous leveler, thus Goncalves restoring parity for the Danish giants, poising the game for a climactic 2-2 half-time score, with lot more to rest in the next half.
Positive start for United in the second half
With a man down and a lot more focused with the team, Erik Ten Hag’s side decided to go for the kill in the next half. They played brilliantly in the first 26 minutes after half-time, showcasing the class of real United player. Their exuberance across the wings and counter-attacking shots made the home team cautious. They earned a well-deserved penalty on the 69th minute, which was converted by the seasoned Bruno Fernandes, who decided to take up the spot-kick on his own hands. With the score in United’s favor 3-2, many would have thought that it might be the night of Red Devils, looking for their second successive win on trot, which have eluded them the entire season.
United did not allow their numerical disadvantage to act as a spoilsport for them in the final minutes, but it seems that Erik Ten Hag was destined to lose the game yesterday. With few minutes of regulation time remaining, FC Copenhagen decided to pounce upon United, making use of their numerical lacunae, which was never a question for them. Lerager made some amends to their attacking strike force with seven minutes remaining, making the score line 3-3. But, it United was destined to stare at defeat by someone who goes by the name of Roony- one of their stalwarts in yesteryears. 17-year old prodigy Roony Bardghji, the namesake of Wayne Rooney, decided to put a final nail in their coffin, sending United to the last spot of Group A, with the remaining two fixtures involve a trip to Galatasaray and hosting UEFA Champions League honchos Bayern Munich, who have already sealed a qualification spot.
The Danes are now standing second in the group, well poised for a qualification in the next round, with United at last, with everything to play for in their remaining do-or-die fixtures.
