The pivotal red card shown to Marcus Rashford in the Champions League match proved to be a game-changer for Manchester United, as coach Erik ten Hag lamented. In a stunning turn of events, Manchester United squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 4-3 against FC Copenhagen, and the controversial red card for Rashford, described by ten Hag as altering the course of the game, has left the club in a precarious position in Group A.
In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday night, Manchester United faced a bitter defeat against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, losing 4-3 after surrendering a 2-0 lead.
The pivotal moment came in the first half when Marcus Rashford was controversially shown a red card for a foul on Elias Jelert, a decision that stirred strong criticism from Manchester United’s coach, Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag expressed his disapproval of the red card, asserting that it “changed everything” for his team. Despite a promising start with two early goals from Rasmus Hojlund, United’s fortunes took a downturn following Rashford’s expulsion, leaving them in a challenging position.
With this defeat, Manchester United now finds themselves at the bottom of Champions League Group A, having suffered three losses in four games.
To maintain hopes of advancing to the round of 16, they must secure victories against Galatasaray in Istanbul and Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in their final game.
The incident involving Rashford’s red card has sparked debates and discussions in the footballing world, as fans and experts weigh in on the VAR-assisted decision.
Manchester United’s path in the Champions League remains uncertain, and they face a challenging road ahead to secure their spot in the knockout stage.
“The red card changed everything,” Ten Hag said. “We then conceded two goals before half-time that should never have counted — the first was offside, their player was stood in front of André Onana, and the penalty [for the second] was very debatable.
“The red card was harsh. [Rashford] went for the ball, but the referee had such a long time to make it a red card. When you freeze it, it always looks worse. They took so long to make a red card of it.
“I’m very disappointed with the decisions, the game was never meant to be like this. Decisions have to be made, wrong decisions can be made, but three such tough decisions [went against us].”
United have now lost 9 of 17 games in all competitions this season. The result also marked the first time in European competition that the Red Devils lost a game when leading by multiple goals, having won 78 times and drawn twice in previous instances. However, Ten Hag said that his players will soon get the break he believes their performances deserve.
“It’s clear. We are very disappointed because we play very good, started the game so well, our best minutes of the season,” he said. “But the squad is resilient. The whole season, so many decisions are against us, but every time, there is spirit and fight. We will keep going and it will turn in our favour.
“Football is a game of mistakes. We didn’t do everything right, even with 10 men, we dictated the game. We didn’t do everything, but we did many things right.”
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