Manchester United are out of the Champions League after a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal.
Erik ten Hag’s side had to win the game and hope that Copenhagen and Galatasaray drew but the Danish side won their game.
Here are five things we learned from Manchester United’s defeat to the Bavarian side.
United out of Champions League
The Red Devils had to win but it was a Kingsley Coman finish, after a brilliant flick from Harry Kane, that sealed United’s fate in the competition.
FC Copenhagen beat Galatasaray anyway, so had United won the game against Thomas Tuchel’s side, they wouldn’t have made it to the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.
Defensively, United looked very comfortable apart from Coman’s goal but the attacking play was almost non-existent, they struggled to create any chance of real note.
Maguire next to suffer injury
It perhaps sums up United’s current plight that one of the club’s players of the season Harry Maguire was the next to limp off the pitch during the first half of the clash against Bayern Munich.
The English defender had performed superbly well for the Red Devils in the months since Lisandro Martinez suffered a recurrence of the injury he had suffered a few months prior.
Maguire seemed to have an issue with his groin and had to be replaced by Jonny Evans with the 35-year-old doing well in the Englishman’s absence.
Shaw injured too
Maguire wasn’t the only injury for the Red Devils as Luke Shaw, just back from his serious hamstring injury, seemed to have a recurrence of the muscular problem he suffered back then.
The former Southampton left-back looked over to the bench with Shaw holding his hamstring as it seemed to be causing him discomfort.
The United fans will surely be growing frustrated at the sight of the defender once again pulling up with an injury, you have to begin to wonder if the obvious qualities Shaw has are worth it if he is injured for the majority of the season.
Varane back in the plans
There was some surprise when Raphael Varane was selected by Erik ten Hag for the vital game but the Frenchman started alongside Maguire.
The former Real Madrid defender looked very comfortable against Harry Kane and the hope will be that Varane can now start regularly for the Red Devils.
With Magure’s injury, Varane will surely have to start at Anfield against Liverpool for the Red Devils to stand a chance in Merseyside.
United’s weakened lineup
The Red Devils will go into that game against Jurgen Klopp’s side with the prospect of potentially being without Maguire, Shaw, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial.
Anfield was already set to be a difficult task but it will be made all the more tough without four of their key men.
That’s not adding in the other absentees either and the Red Devils may have to rely on 35-year-old Evans to be at the heart of the back four.
It certainly won’t be an easy task for the Red Devils.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/ABjEXOt