David Hytner was at Old Trafford. Here’s his verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Erik ten Hag speaks to TNT. “It’s incredible … a great night … especially in the dying seconds … a brilliant save from Andre … slowly we have found our form in the season … it is a step up … a few weeks ago we got out of rhythm with setbacks but now we stayed calm … the win was justified … Copenhagen is well organised so you have to break them and find the right moments … Christian Eriksen is composed and makes the right passes … I am sure when we get a consistent back four, it will give us a foundation to play off.”
Group A suddenly looks a lot healthier for Manchester United. Could that slightly absurd match – Erik ten Hag’s side didn’t play well, and got away with a big one at the end there – prove a turning point in United’s campaign? They’ll need to play better to build on it, but a win’s a win’s a win, and what a boost to both Harry Maguire and Andre Onana, the latter making a quite sensational penalty save right at the end. Despite the performance, it’s been a good evening for United … if obviously an extremely bittersweet one.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | FC Copenhagen | 3 | -2 | 1 |
Harry Maguire and Andre Onana speak to TNT. “Incredible,” begins Maguire. “The first half was really poor … the second was a lot better …an important win and this man stepped up and made a massive save.”
“I was doing my job, you know?” says Onana. “I’m happy with the victory … we did a good game … we have to continue like that.”
Magiure adds: “It was one of those nights, it was just meant to be. A win dedicated to Sir Bobby. It’s been a tough, tough week. We’re going to miss him, and we’re really proud to get the win for him.”
The atmosphere at Old Trafford threatened to curdle tonight. A light smattering of boos as the players departed for the half-time break. But the team were much improved in the second half, and secured their win in the most dramatic way possible, as the much-maligned Andre Onana saved Jordan Larsson’s late, late penalty. Now the atmosphere is electric! And no wonder, because United have resurrected their Champions League campaign in the most dramatic of fashions … while grabbing the win they so desperately wanted for Sir Bobby Charlton. Football, eh? You know the pay-off.
FULL TIME: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
The whistle goes immediately! United win! Someone special looking down on them tonight, perhaps?
90 min +7: Larsson whips towards the bottom right … but Onana extends to turn the ball around the post! Old Trafford erupts! Again! Redemption for Onana, who has made his mistakes in this competition but is the hero tonight!
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90 min +6: There’s a lengthy VAR check, but the decision stands. Jordan Larsson, son of former United player Henrik, will take!
Penalty to Copenhagen!
90 min +5: The corner’s hit long from the left. Óskarsson hooks it back across the face of goal. Elyounoussi prepares to bundle home only to be high-kicked by McTominay … and the referee points to the penalty spot!
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90 min +4: Falk dribbles dangerously down the left and reaches the byline, but his cutback-cum-cross is bundled out by Eriksen. And from the resulting corner …
90 min +3: Turns out the goalscorer Maguire was played onside by Vavro’s shoulder. The small margins, huh.
90 min +2: This match is petering out, which suits Manchester United just fine.
90 min +1: Oscar Højlund comes on for Elias Achouri. In the dugout, his older brother Rasmus smiles proudly.
90 min: “There’s only one Bobby Charlton,” sing the home faithful. An additional four minutes are announced.
88 min: Copenhagen stroke it around to little effect. United have been so much better in this second half, even if the bar was set low.
86 min: United send on Anthony Martial in place of Marcus Rashf… no, Erik ten Hag changes his mind as a disappointed Rashford begins traipsing off. Rasmus Højlund makes way instead.
85 min: … and the corner is a non-event.
85 min: Before the corner, Jordan Larsson comes on for the effervescent Diogo Gonçalves.
84 min: Falk rolls a pass down the inside-left channel for Goncalves, who looks for Óskarsson in the middle. Varane slides in to make a crucial intervention, hooking the ball over his own bar with the young Icelander preparing to slam home.
82 min: Rashford shimmies down the right and rolls a pass into the path of Fernandes, whose first-time shot from the corner of the six-yard box is blocked out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.
80 min: Fernandes is booked for a fairly agricultural lunge into Elyounoussi. He can’t have any complaints … but make them he surely does, and in theatrical fashion to boot. You have to admire his chutzpah.
79 min: Garnacho whistles a cross through the six-yard box but there’s nobody there to poke home for United, who, having looked so impotent for so long, are seriously threatening a second goal now.
78 min: How have United not doubled their lead here? They counter three on two. McTominay sends Garnacho free down the left. Garnacho opens his body only for his power shot to be blocked by Grabara. The ball breaks to McTominay, who aims for the top right but the ball curls away at the last.
77 min: Copenhagen respond to finally falling behind by making a double change. Christian Sørensen and Orri Óskarsson come on for Elias Jelert and captain Viktor Claesson.
76 min: Eriksen is making a huge difference. His low cross is half cleared. Rashford shins over the bar from 12 yards.
75 min: The United tails are suddenly up. Rashford busies himself down the right and earns another corner. A second goal would make all the difference … but Fernandes can’t beat the first man Claesson. Copenhagen clear.
73 min: The goal survives a VAR check for offside. Vavro was playing Maguire on. Just. The small margins that mean so much for United’s Champions League campaign!
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen (Maguire 72)
Garnacho’s shot from the inside-left channel is deflected over the bar for a corner. The ball’s played back up the wing and sent in from the right by Eriksen. Maguire rises highest and plants a header past Grabara from six yards! Old Trafford erupts!
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70 min: … but Copenhagen continue to look troublesome too, and Goncalves tears into acres down the left. He’s not far from finding Elyounoussi on the edge of the six-yard box, but United manage to bundle the ball away from danger.
69 min: Garnacho had been sent clear by a lovely pass from deep by Fernandes. At least United are making chances now.
67 min: In fact, the shot took a flick off Varane. From the resulting corner, United counter and Garnacho is sent clear down the middle! He dribbles hard into the Copenhagen box … only to take a heavy touch that allows Grabara to claim the ball at his feet. A huge chance spurned!
66 min: Goncalves belts the free kick straight into the United wall. The ball nearly breaks to Lerager, and Dalot does well to stay alert and hack clear. From the resulting throw on the left, Jelert dribbles infield and lashes a shot into the side netting.
65 min: Achouri holds the ball up on the edge of the United D. He doesn’t have options, but stays strong and is eventually hauled off the ball by an impatient Maguire. A free kick in a central position, the best part of 30 yards out.
64 min: Vavro shoots from a distance best described as optimistic. Onana is grateful for the easy snaffle.
63 min: Antony drops a shoulder down the right and curls a shot over the bar. It’s his last act of the evening, as he’s replaced by Alejandro Garnacho. Sergio Reguilón meanwhile makes way for Victor Lindelöf.
62 min: Maguire’s long speculative pass nearly finds Dalot down the right, but forces Diks into the concession of a corner, which … the hosts deal with easily enough. On the United bench, Erik ten Hag prepares to make a couple of changes.
60 min: Achouri makes good down the left and cuts back for Goncalves, who shapes a shot towards the top right. There’s not enough whip behind it, and Onana claims easily enough. That was a smooth move upfield by Copenhagen, who are capable of knocking it around confidently and with style.
58 min: Eriksen sends Rashford tearing clear down the inside-left channel. A goal looks on the cards … until Rashford takes a clankingly heavy touch that sends the ball bouncing hysterically out for a goal kick. At least United are beginning to show some threat.
57 min: That’s so much better from Manchester United, though, and for the first time since the pre-match paeans to Bobby Charlton, the home fans make some proper noise. They’ve not had much to sing about in between times.
55 min: Rashford is sent clear down the middle by McTominay. Grabara comes sliding out and brings his man down on the edge of the box. Penalty? No penalty, because Rashford had mistimed his run and was a smidgen offside. Lucky Grabara.
54 min: Rashford turns on the jets and reaches the byline to the left of goal. He pulls back for Hojlund, who cushions a pass into the path of Eriksen. A low drive towards the bottom left looks like heading in, but Grabara somehow keeps it out, and the loose ball is deflected off Hojlund and out for a goal kick. Much better from United!
52 min: Fernandes cushions a header down the inside-left channel. Hojlund chests down and pokes past Grabara under pressure from Falk behind. The ball’s always bobbling wide right and is blootered clear by Diks. United call for a penalty, claiming Falk had shoved Hojlund from behind, but neither referee nor VAR show interest. It would have been soft and generous.
51 min: … Achouri sends a screaming volley over from 12 yards. United breathe again.
50 min: Onana does even better as Copenhagen counter at speed, Lerager sending what looks like an unstoppable diagonal shot towards the top left. The keeper somehow claws it out and away for a corner. From which …
49 min: Gonçalves crosses from a deep position on the left. Onana does well to come out and claim under serious threat from Elyounoussi.
48 min: A pocket of space for Reguilon, 25 yards out. He shapes, he shoots, but his effort is deflected off Vavro and loops into the arms of Grabara.
47 min: Reguilon rolls a pass down the left. Hojlund spins elegantly into space before whistling a cross through the Copenhagen box towards nobody in particular. The away defence calmly watch it fly out for a throw.
46 min: McTominay has dropped into the defensive midfield position vacated by Amrabat.
United get the second half underway. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End now. Sofyan Amrabat, who had a very underwhelming first half, has been hooked for Christian Eriksen.
Half-time entertainment emotional wringer. Just in case you missed another Squires masterpiece.
HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
The referee blows for the break on 44 minutes and 43 seconds. Sure, that half wasn’t particularly entertaining, but what a statement to be making. A smattering of light boos as the teams make their way down the tunnel. United have been poor.
44 min: A loose ball bobbles around 20 yards from the United goal. Ankersen has a crack at goal. McTominay spread-eagles himself in the road and blocks for a corner. United nearly break upfield from Copenhagen’s set piece, but Reguilon can’t find the pass with Rashford free, all alone, on the centre spot. A simple hoof down the middle and Rashford was free.
42 min: Ankersen sends a deep cross in from the right. Achouri brings it down with an exquisite touch on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but his attempt to nip around the nearby Varane sees the ball sail out for a goal kick. Just for a split second, it looked like Achouri was busy crafting something special.
40 min: Maguire turns on the halfway line under no pressure and plays a backpass. The first serious groan of the evening. Then an even louder one as Onana flays a dreadful aimless ball into the stand. The hosts still struggling.
38 min: Achouri jinks past a couple of half-hearted challenges from Antony and McTominay out on the left, cuts infield and sends a low shot wide left of goal. Onana had it covered, but that was way too easy for Achouri.
37 min: Amrabat allows himself to be easily outbattled and outfought by Jelert out on the United right. He’s not having a good game so far.
35 min: “What, no goal from McMaradona yet?” splutters John Ramsay. Well, he’s already had one effort fly over the bar, and this time he heads over from Reguilon’s left-wing cross. Say what you like about his unreconstructed style, he’s always a threat for United and Scotland.
33 min: A poor centre-circle header by Amrabat goes backwards instead of forwards, as intended, and nearly allows Goncalves to tear clear on the break. It’s fortunate for United that nobody else in Copenhagen blue-and-black is committed to the counter, which fizzles out.
31 min: Copenhagen stroke it around the back in a very serene fashion. They’re clearly perfectly content with the way this is going … and where it’s currently going is nowhere.
29 min: A repeat of 27 min, only without an anecdote from Malcolm Shuttleworth.
27 min: United dominate possession for a couple of minutes, but only in the sterile fashion. “My first encounter with Bobby Charlton was when we invaded the pitch to congratulate him when was doing his lap of honour after his testimonial in 1972,” recalls Malcolm Shuttleworth. “He was telling everyone in no uncertain terms to ‘get off the [word redacted by Eff-Word Editor] pitch!’ I suppose he did have a point.”
25 min: After an undistinguished start, United are beginning to grow into this game. There’s an aura of exciting danger whenever the ball nears the orbit of Hojlund, the sort of player around whom things always seem to happen.
23 min: Amrabat, Antony and Hojlund combine down the right wing, the latter’s cute backflick finding McTominay rushing into the box. McTominay leans back and hoicks over the bar. That was a fine move, though had it led to a goal there might have been some controversy, because it looked like Amrabat had illegally halted a Copenhagen player at the very start of the move. Still, all academic now.
21 min: A period of patient United possession ends when Rashford moves through the gears, steams in from the left, and sends a low shot towards the bottom-left corner. It’s a bit weak by his own standards, and Grabara flops over the ball like a blanket.
19 min: Another Dalot cross forces United’s first corner of the evening. Fernandes to take from the right. Maguire can’t connect with a header and the visitors clear their lines.
18 min: Antony turns on the jets and makes off at warp speed down the right. Jelert does well to keep up and poke out for a throw. From that, Dalot crosses dangerously but his low ball doesn’t quite get through to Hojlund. Better from United.
16 min: Rashford finds Hojlund in a pocket of space to the left of the Copenhagen D. Hojlund sends a screamer inches over the bar. United have been second best so far, yet they were very close to taking the lead there.
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15 min: Claesson slips away from Amrabat with embarrassing ease and though the break comes to nothing, sets Copenhagen up for a period of possession in the United final third. Eventually Ankersen’s right-wing cross is deflected out for a corner. United hold their shape and soon enough Copenhagen are playing the ball back towards their keeper Grabara.
13 min: Vavro sprays a fine diagonal pass down the left for Achouri, who momentarily looks like breaking clear. But Dalot comes across to take charge of the channel and usher the ball out for a goal kick. Fine defending.
12 min: On the touchline, Erik ten Hag looks rather on edge. A lot of gesticulating and barking of orders. No wonder, his side haven’t started well at all.
10 min: Rashford launches United’s first serious attack of the evening, dribbling purposefully down the left. But there are too many dark blue shirts in his way and he’s forced to turn tail. “All these reminiscences about Bobby Charlton remind me of my grandfather, a difficult man to please who I always recall watching lots of football but, in true grumpy old man tradition, never having a good word to say about any of it,” writes Tom Atkins. “The exception to this was of course Sir Bobby, who to him was a wonderful player and a gentleman. Thanks Sir Bobby, for giving the miserable old git a reason to be positive about something.”
8 min: Claesson crosses low from the right but the ball doesn’t get through to either Elyounoussi or Goncalves. This is all Copenhagen. United are struggling to get any sort of meaningful possession.
6 min: The resulting corner leads to another corner, and that one leads to nowt. United are looking a little shaky.
5 min: Amrabat and Maguire combine to allow Elyounoussi to romp down the right. He crosses for Goncalves, who opens his body and steers a shot across Onana and off the base of the right-hand post! Gonçalves can’t connect with the rebound, and United get away with a big one.
4 min: This will have shaken the visitors, though: Grabara takes his sweet time in playing out from the back and his clearance is nearly charged down by Hojlund. Any block would have sent the ball pinging into the net. Hojland was about an inch away from making one.
3 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but that start will give Copenhagen confidence.
2 min: Perhaps understandably, after all that outpouring of emotion, United start slowly. Achouri shoots from distance, forcing Onana into tipping around the post.
Copenhagen get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half. The fans segue into a chorus of The Red Flag, the tune played so atmospherically by the lone piper.
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The teams are out. Manchester United in red, Copenhagen dark blue. An atmosphere that would send a shiver of expectation down Sir Bobby Charlton’s spine. The warmest ovation as his feats are remembered over the PA. Then the crowd fall silent as a lone piper leads out Erik ten Hag, Alex Stepney and the youth-team captain Daniel Gore. A wreath is laid in the centre circle. More applause. Then a minute of silence. Perfectly observed. “There’s only one Bobby Charlton,” the crowd sing after the whistle breaks the silence. Stepney holding in the tears as he walks off the pitch.
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Copenhagen coach Jacob Neestrup talks to TNT. “I feel perfect … it is a huge, massive game for Copenhagen … we have fought for the whole of 2023 to be in a situation like this … a lot of points behind in the championship, managed to qualify for the Champions League … so we have said to the players it is 95 minutes you will not get back in your life and we are obligated to do the best we can … we need to accept the ball possession is a little bit different from domestic, but the games in Istanbul and against Bayern showed we can change that approach … when we have the ball we need to be true to ourselves … if we have to defend for 95 minutes the game is lost before we get started … with a little bit more quality we could have had four points from two games.”
Erik ten Hag speaks to TNT Sports. “It is very emotional … let’s find inspiration … we want to fulfil [Sir Bobby’s] legacy … what he achieved, his life, surviving Munich then the comeback to win all the trophies, playing so many games and scoring so many goals, you can’t do it when you don’t live to the highest standards … at United you have to win every game … if you see the group, yes definitely we have to win tonight.”
FULL TIME: Galatasaray 1-3 Bayern Munich. It’s finished in Turkey, and Bayern take control of Group A. Galatasaray gave as good as they got for the first 70 minutes, but rather fell apart during the closing stages. Bayern could easily have had a couple more, for a seriously flattering scoreline, but some poor decisions on the break let them down.
Two goals in six minutes for Bayern Munich at Galatasaray. Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala the scorers. Should the Bavarians hold on for a 3-1 victory – in fact they look in the mood to add to their tally during the closing stages in Turkey - the Group A table will look like this, and Manchester United will effectively find themselves in a three-way battle for second spot.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | FC Copenhagen | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 2 | -2 | 0 |
United have faced Copenhagen on three previous occasions. Two of those games were in the 2006-07 Champions League groups: goals from Paul Scholes, John O’Shea and Kieran Richardson gave them a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford, but Marcus Allbäck’s goal was enough for the Danes in the reverse fixture. United also beat Copenhagen in the 2020 Europa League quarter-final, a Bruno Fernandes penalty the difference during extra time of a one-off tie.
Manchester United make two changes from the side that won 2-1 at Sheffield United on Saturday night. Sergio Reguilon is back after injury and illness, while Raphael Varane steps up from the bench. Heading the other way: Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof. Harry Maguire keeps his place. Is he winning Erik ten Hag over? Meanwhile Rasmus Hojlund faces the club that nurtured him as a youth player.
The teams
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Reguilon, Amrabat, McTominay, Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelof, Mount, Martial, Eriksen, Garnacho, Heaton, Pellistri, Evans, Mejbri.
Copenhagen: Grabara, Ankersen, Vavro, Diks, Jelert, Lerager, Jensen, Goncalves, Elyounoussi, Claesson, Achouri.
Subs: Khocholava, Sorensen, Tanlongo, Larsson, El Babacar, Oskarsson, Boilesen, Sander, Lund Jensen, Oscar Hojlund, Bardghji, Dithmer.
Referee: Marco Guida (Italy).
Loved, adored, never forgotten. Another touch of class on an evening of bittersweet emotions.
Manchester United have placed a wreath on the seat of Sir Bobby Charlton in the directors' box at Old Trafford ahead of their Champions League game this evening.
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) October 24, 2023
The accompanying note reads, "Loved, adored, never forgotten."#BBCFootball #MUFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/I9ysivSZPG
The other match in Group A is one of this evening’s early kick-offs. Bayern Munich took an early lead at Galatasaray’s Ali Sami Yen, Jamal Musiala’s driving run teeing up Kingsley Coman after just eight minutes. But Mauro Icardi equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot on the half hour, floating a Panenka down the middle after being upended by Joshua Kimmich, and at the break it’s 1-1. Here’s the table as it stands.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | FC Copenhagen | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 2 | -2 | 0 |
Fans have been queuing up at Old Trafford to sign a book of condolence. “I had a grandmother who lived a stone’s throw from Manchester United,” emails Jan Dawson. “She had photos of Bobby Charlton on the mantlepiece. None of us her grandchildren!”
Tributes have been laid by fans of other clubs. Bitter rivals Liverpool may be, but Sir Bobby unquestionably had their support’s respect …
… not least because he did this in front of them back in 1969.
Andy Burnham, the major of Greater Manchester and supporter of Everton, has laid a wreath for Sir Bobby by the United Trinity statue. It’s been a difficult day for Burnham, who gave an emotional interview to Sky Sports News about the United legend, as well as the passing of the Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
Sir Bobby Charlton: 1937 – 2023. Forever loved. The first thing fans see as Old Trafford sweeps into view this evening. Looking on, the United Trinity of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law in bronze; another statue stares back, Sir Matt Busby keeping an avuncular eye on his beloved players, just as he did throughout the glory days of the 1950s and 1960s.
Preamble
Bobby Charlton, Manchester United, the European Cup. All the stories, the legends, the triumphs and the tragedies are intertwined, so it’s fitting that the first match at Old Trafford after the great man’s passing is in the competition that he won for the club at Wembley in 1968, that defined him, that meant the most to him of all. The club opened the gates at 6pm this evening so supporters could arrive early and pay their respects. It’s going to be an emotional evening.
There’s a football match to be played as well. Erik ten Hag’s side are in a spot of bother in Group A, having lost their opening two fixtures at Bayern Munich and at home against Galatasaray. Another slip tonight would seriously jeopardise their hopes of reaching the knockout stage. United desperately need the three points on offer; they’d also like to do it for Sir Bobby. Kick off is at 8pm BST.
