Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford is proven a purple card within the Champions League group match in opposition to FC Copenhagen on November 8, 2023
| Picture Credit score: through Reuters
On a royally good night for standout Spanish groups, Manchester United fell in one other wild loss within the Champions League on Wednesday.
Actual Madrid and Actual Sociedad superior to the spherical of 16 with two video games to spare after spectacular residence wins over Portuguese opponents, respectively 3-Zero in opposition to Braga and 3-1 over Benfica.
Bayern Munich and Inter Milan additionally gained and will probably be within the knockout part after getting key late objectives from their talismanic strikers, Harry Kane and Lautaro Martínez.
Kane scored within the 80th and 86th minutes in a 2-1 win over Galatasaray and Inter’s 1-Zero win at Salzburg was sealed by Martínez’s penalty within the 85th.
Rashford’s purple card sparks chaos
Man United virtually by no means has simple video games within the English large’s drama-filled season on and off the sphere.
A 4-Three loss at Copenhagen — the identical end result as United’s opening sport at Bayern — after twice letting leads slip left coach Erik ten Hag’s group final in Group A.
The three-time European champion appeared in complete management with a two-goal lead after 28 minutes earned by $80 million ahead Rasmus Højlund, returning to face his former membership.
A purple card for United ahead Marcus Rashford within the 42th sparked the chaos to observe, which noticed Copenhagen stage the rating in 13 minutes of first-half stoppage time due to two pauses in play, together with a protester on the sphere.
United led once more when Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot within the 69th however couldn’t dangle on. Lukas Lerager leveled within the 83rd earlier than 17-year-old substitute Roony Bardghji gained it within the 87th.
The Kuwait-born, Sweden under-21 winger scored with a bouncing shot to carry the Danish champion into second place within the group standings, although with simply 4 factors. Galatasaray additionally has 4 factors earlier than internet hosting United, which has three, subsequent on November 29.
Arsenal beats Sevilla
Arsenal took a four-point lead in Group B by comfortably beating Sevilla 2-Zero whereas PSV Eindhoven rose from final place to second with its first win, 1-Zero at residence to Lens.
In Madrid’s group, Napoli has a grip on second place regardless of failing to increase Union Berlin’s dropping run in all competitions to 13 video games.
Napoli wasted a lead in a 1-1 draw that Union earned when David Datro Fofana, a ahead on mortgage from Chelsea, scored within the 52nd for his first aim in virtually a yr.
Actual Madrid spectacular
Actual Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti plans included resting breakout star Jude Bellingham in what was a vibrant sport with Braga for the document 14-time European champion.
Not within the plan was deciding on Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who acquired a late name when first alternative Kepa Arrizabalaga was unable to heat up due to a leg muscle harm.
Simply six minutes into his third sport of the season for Madrid, and first since August, Lunin saved a penalty from Braga’s Alvaro Djaló.
Brahim Díaz had a aim disallowed earlier than he gave Madrid a first-half lead and Brazil teammates Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo added objectives in a three-minute spell across the hour mark.
Actual Sociedad threatened to comb apart Benfica within the first half of a 3-1 win that noticed its three objectives all scored by the 21st and a penalty missed minutes later.
In its first Champions League marketing campaign for 10 years, Actual Sociedad and long-serving coach Imanol Aguacil are impressing with a largely homegrown group of gamers from the Basque area.
Benfica bust
A Champions League quarterfinalist in every of the previous two seasons, Benfica is a complete bust this season. The champion of Portugal sustained its fourth straight loss, leaving no probability of reaching the knockout stage.
One yr in the past, Benfica went unbeaten by means of its group and completed prime forward of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
Coach Roger Schmidt’s group then included Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez and Portugal ahead Gonçalo Ramos who would each later shine on the World Cup in Qatar. They’re now at Chelsea and PSG, respectively.
Schmidt acknowledged Wednesday his gamers “aren’t prepared for the calls for of a sport at this stage within the Champions League.”
Benfica has two video games left to avoid wasting face and safe entry into the Europa League knockout playoffs in February by ending third in Group D. A final sport at Salzburg on December 12 ought to be decisive.