The pain of Manchester United Champions League exit
Football
By
Associated Press
| Dec 13, 2023
The Champions League proved too tough for Manchester United. Now, even the consolation Europa League spot is out of reach.
United was eliminated from European competition Tuesday night after finishing bottom of their group.
Three-time Champions League winner United needed to beat Bayern Munich at home and hope for a favorable result in the other Group A game but lost 1-0 to the six-time winner.
Instead, unheralded Danish side Copenhagen qualified in second place after beating Turkish team Galatasaray 1-0 at home.
Galatasaray finished third to qualify for the Europa League knockout round playoff above last-place United - which sustained 4-3 losses at Bayern and Copenhagen and conceded 15 goals in six games.
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It is only the fourth time a Premier League team has finished bottom of its Champions League group.
Fans started leaving 10 minutes before the end at Old Trafford and others booed United's players at the final whistle to heap the pressure on manager Erik Ten Hag.
After winger Kingsley Coman neatly scored Bayern's goal in the 71st minute, the away fans goaded United's supporters with a rendition of "Football's Coming Home" - a popular English soccer chant coined at the 1996 European Championship, where England lost to Germany in the semifinals - followed by "Auf Wiedersehen!" (So Long!).
Ten Hag saw burly central defender Harry Maguire limping off near the end of the first half after appearing to injure his groin. United was punished when striker Harry Kane set up Coman as Bayern cut through a static defense with ease.
Other results
Over in Denmark, midfielder Lukas Lerager scored for Copenhagen in the 58th. Coach Jacob Neestrup sprinted onto the field to celebrate with his jubilant players at the end.
Italian champion Napoli advanced to the last 16 after beating Portuguese side Braga 2-0 at home to finish second in Group C, which had already been won by Real Madrid.
African player of the year Victor Osimhen, who last season helped Napoli to its first Italian league title in 33 years, got Napoli's second goal to continue his return to form.
There was a rare soccer sight when veteran Croatia midfielder Luka Modric - the 2018 men's Ballon d'Or winner - missed a penalty as Madrid fell behind but won 3-2 at Union Berlin. Forward Joselu scored twice as record 14-time champion Madrid finished with a perfect record. Braga finished third to reach the Europa League playoff.
Last year's Champions League runner-up Inter Milan and Spanish club Real Sociedad had already qualified from Group D and drew 0-0 in Italy, meaning Sociedad topped the group on goal difference.
Arthur Cabral's backheel goal in stoppage time gave Benfica a 3-1 win at Austrian side Salzburg in the other game to secure a place in the Europa League playoffs.
In the other early match, striker Eddie Nketiah scored his first Champions League goal as Group B winner Arsenal drew 1-1 at second-place PSV Eindhoven in a match between qualified teams.
Group winners are seeded in the last-16 draw on Dec. 18 and avoid each other. Teams also cannot be drawn against an opponent from their own country. The Europa League draw is held the same day.