- Rashford red card rocks Ten Hag’s side
- Late Roony winner sends Red Devils bottom of Group A
- Last 16 possible but Man United face an uphill task
Manchester United’s difficult start to the season took another hit as a red card for Marcus Rashford played a role in a dramatic Champions League defeat against FC Copenhagen, jeopardising their qualification hopes.
Check out the best UEFA Champions League betting sites in the UK with Betting.com.
10 man United hit by late winner
In a thrilling encounter for the neutral in the Danish capital, the Red Devils twice seemed on the verge of a crucial victory before being pegged back and then conceding a late winner with 17-year-old substitute Roony Bardghji on target.
The visitors took an early lead in the first half, courtesy of Rasmus Hojlund’s brace against his hometown club – both goals showcasing the striker’s precise positioning.
However, the game took a turn in the 42nd minute when referee Donatas Rumsas reviewed a late challenge by Rashford on Elias Jelert after consulting the pitchside monitor. Rashford received a straight red card as a result.
With 13 minutes of added time, partly due to an injury to United’s Jonny Evans and a medical emergency in the crowd, FC Copenhagen capitalised. Mohamed Elyounoussi found the net, and Diogo Goncalves converted a penalty awarded for a handball by Harry Maguire.
Despite being a player down, Manchester United held off the home side’s attacks and managed to regain the lead with Bruno Fernandes’ penalty, awarded after a VAR review for a handball by Lukas Lerager.
However, FC Copenhagen remained resolute. Lerager made amends, levelling the score with a back-post strike, and Bardghji capitalised on United’s failure to clear the ball, sealing the victory.
Betting Implications
While Manchester United is facing a challenging period, they’re not out of contention just yet. They currently occupy the bottom spot in Group A and have an important fixture ahead against Galatasaray, a venue where they’ve never managed to secure a victory. Their final group stage match against the already-qualified Bayern Munich also promises to be a stern test.
At the time of writing, Betfred have Erik ten Hag’s side priced at 13/8 to qualify, with Galatasaray 11/8 and Copenhagen 9/4.
Bettors need to analyse whether they feel that Man United can come out of this bad spell. They have managed to win six matches in the Premier League, but have rarely looked convincing and have lost the other five. They have lost nine matches in all competitions so far this season.
Check out the best football betting sites at Betting.com.
