Man Utd crash out of Europe after 1-0 defeat to Bayern

Manchester United crashed out of Europe as a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday rounded off a miserable Champions League campaign for the Red Devils.

Kingsley Coman scored the only goal for the Bundesliga champions, who had long since secured their place in the last 16, to leave United without even the consolation of dropping into the Europa League.

An embarrassing early exit from Europe’s elite competition increases the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag with United also languishing in sixth in the Premier League.

The damage to United’s Champions League hopes was done long before the arrival of Bayern when they failed to win three of their four games against Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

Copenhagen beat Galatasaray 1-0 on Tuesday to join Bayern in the last 16, with the Turkish giants finishing third.

It is just the fourth time that an English side has finished bottom of their Champions League group.

A troubled season for Ten Hag reached a new low on Saturday when Bournemouth won for the first time at Old Trafford and with ease in a 3-0 victory.

The former Ajax boss responded by recalling Raphael Varane to the starting line-up for the first time in nearly two months.

The Frenchman has been surprisingly frozen out by Ten Hag, but is likely to have a big part to play in the coming weeks as Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw had to be replaced during Tuesday’s action, adding to an already lengthy injury list.

Bayern were already assured of progressing as Group A winners but Thomas Tuchel’s men had a point to prove themselves after suffering a 5-1 hammering at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Harry Kane started on his return to England and played a decisive role in the winning goal as he teed up Coman to blast past Andre Onana.

Lack of urgency 

Bayern remain unbeaten in the Champions League group stages since 2017, and extended a competition record of nine consecutive away wins at this stage of the competition.

Yet the German giants rarely had to get out of second gear as they look forward to the knockout stages in 2024.

There was no such excuse for United’s lack of urgency as they bowed out with a whimper.

The decision to pursue the potential of Rasmus Hojlund instead of launching a bid for Kane in the summer transfer window looks ever more questionable.

Hojlund is yet to score in the Premier League and has only netted in one of his last 13 United appearances.

Injuries to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial meant the young Dane was Ten Hag’s only available striker.

Shaw’s long-range effort that Manuel Neuer comfortably batted behind was United’s only shot on target.

But the loss of Shaw at half-time and Maguire during the first half, to an apparent groin injury, only added to Ten Hag’s woes ahead of a daunting trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

United did have one big chance to go in front early in the second half, but Bruno Fernandes’ wild effort that flew well over the bar summed up his side’s lack of quality and composure in the final third.

Bayern were also far from their free-flowing best.

However, they needed just one slick move to win the game as Kane flicked Thomas Mueller’s pass into the path of Coman to fire home his fifth goal of the season 19 minutes from time.

Copenhagen advance to Champions League knockouts with Galatasaray win

FC Copenhagen qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League for the second time in their history on Tuesday thanks to a Lukas Lerager winner against Galatasaray in Copenhagen.

The Danish champions overcame the odds in a group featuring Manchester United and Galatasaray to book their place in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010-11.

Copenhagen finished the night where they started it, in second place, though they ensured qualification in style with a second win of this campaign.

Elsewhere in Group A, Galatasaray dropped into the Europa League playoffs while Manchester United fell out of European competition completely.

Lerager’s second-half tap-in ensured Copenhagen kept their fate in their own hands with a win that gave them a three-point lead over the Turkish side in third place.

In the opening 45 minutes both sides showed intent but lacked a cutting edge on a nervy night where all was to play for.

The best chance fell inside the first 10 minutes to the side who were going through as things stood.

Slick Copenhagen passing resulted in Mohamed Elyounoussi supplying Peter Ankersen inside the box, but his right-footed strike flashed just beyond the far post.

The breakthrough then came for the hosts 13 minutes after half-time when midfielder Lerager converted from inside the six-yard box after being set up by Elias Achouri.

With their participation in the Champions League disappearing before their eyes, Galatasaray drove forward towards the white wall of noise that the home fans generated behind Kamil Grabara’s goal.

Kerem Akturkoglu seemed set to give the Turkish side a lifeline back into the match on 74 minutes when he raced onto a backheel from Mauro Icardi yards out from goal, but his wild effort flew over the bar.

Goalscorer Lerager picked up a second yellow on the stroke of full-time for a foul on Akturkoglu, however his side held out for the three minutes of additional time in front of a delirious home crowd.

Ceballos’ late strike sends perfect Real Madrid past Union Berlin

Dani Ceballos scored with a minute remaining to keep Real Madrid’s perfect Champions League record intact this season, winning 3-2 at Union Berlin on Tuesday.

Real came into the match guaranteed of first place in their group but fell behind just before half-time, Union striker Kevin Volland scoring on the counter.

Already eliminated from the Champions League, Union needed to win to keep their Europa League hopes alive but conceded two Joselu goals in ten minutes, silencing the Berlin Olympic Stadium crowd.

Alex Kral gave the home side hope late, scoring Union’s second just after coming on, but Real regained the lead moments later, Dani Ceballos’ deflected shot dribbling into the net with one minute remaining.

Home coach Nenad Bjelica, in the Union dugout for just the fourth time, praised Jude Bellingham before the match, but said countryman Luka Modric was “still the best in the world.”

Bellingham, who at 20 is almost half the age of the 38-year-old Croatian veteran, shone early, forcing a save from Frederik Ronnow and shooting just wide of the post moments later.

The 14-time Champions League winners were a class above the debutants in the opening stanza, bossing possession and field position despite coach Carlo Ancelotti making five pre-match changes.

Union held on until a clumsy handball from Diego Leite brought Modric to the spot in the shadows of half-time.

Diving to his right, Ronnow got a boot to the low strike, his third penalty save from five attempts in all competitions this season.

The Denmark ‘keeper lofted the ball forward, Kevin Behrens finding his namesake Volland, who put Union in front after a mistake from David Alaba.

Madrid’s experience showed, the visitors remaining calm and continuing to dominate possession, Joselu heading in a perfect Rodrygo cross 15 minutes into the second-half.

The Madrid striker doubled up ten minutes later, again scoring with his head from an even tighter angle to snatch the lead.

The Germany-born Joselu, who made his debut for Spain in March at the age of 33, now has eight goals in 21 matches since moving to Madrid on loan from Espanyol in the summer.

Kral’s late strike gave Union hope of keeping their unbeaten record alive under Bjelica, but Bellingham found Ceballos to score on the break.

The loss means Union’s first Champions League campaign, in just their fourth season in the top division, comes to an end with two draws and four defeats.

Napoli see off Braga to reach Champions League knockouts

Napoli reached the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday after seeing off Braga 2-0 and ending a home hoodoo which had stretched back two months.

The Italian champions qualified second in Group C behind Real Madrid thanks to Serder Saatci’s clumsy own goal and Victor Osimhen’s first goal since early October, both which came in the first half.

Walter Mazzarri’s side would have got through even with a single-goal defeat but in the end comfortably qualified for the next round, snapping a six-match winless streak at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

A first win in Naples since beating Udinese in late September made sure that Napoli finished the group stage on 10 points, six ahead of Braga who drop down to the Europa League.

Braga knew that they had to win by at least two goals in order to leapfrog Napoli and Bruma wasted a great chance to put the away side into the lead with just two minutes on the clock, lashing wide from close range after confusion in the Napoli area.

However their task was made that much taller in the ninth minute, when the unfortunate Saatci tripped over Matteo Politano’s low cross and sent the ball spinning towards his own goal.

Braga goalkeeper Matheus did his best to keep the scores level but could only claw the ball out after it had already crossed the line.

Napoli pushed for a second but had a superb Alex Meret save to thank for Braga not pulling level with a Ricardo Horta rocket from distance.

However in the 33rd minute newly-crowned African player of the year Osimhen effectively sealed Napoli’s passage into the next round.

Moments before the Nigeria striker was left open-mouthed at Piotr Zielinski not squaring to him when he was completely unmarked just yards from goal, opting instead to smash a shot straight at Matheus.

But this time Natan played the right pass afer bursting down the left flank and allowed Osimhen to bundle in his seventh goal of what has been a difficult campaign to date in southern Italy.

Osimhen’s first goal in this season’s Champions League left Braga needing to score four goals without reply to get through and the wave of relief was tangible both in the stands and on the pitch.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa should have scored when Osimhen perfectly teed him up in the 65th minute, but the Cameroon midfielder could only shot straight at Matheus.

The only negative note of proceedings was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s continued struggle for form, the out-of-sorts Georgian yet to open his account in Europe’s top club competition this term.

However he will have another chance in the new year thanks to a win which broke a painful run of three straight losses and could bring some confidence back to troubled Napoli.

Sub-par Arsenal held at PSV Eindhoven

A much-changed and lacklustre Arsenal were held 1-1 at Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven Tuesday, a result that still sees the Gunners top Champions League Group B.

The pressure was off as both sides had already secured their ticket to the last 16 and Arsenal in particular appeared to lack a competitive bite at the Philips Stadion.

PSV have been the runaway team to catch in this season’s Eredivisie, winning all 15 of their matches and opening up a 10-point gap with nearest challenger Feyenoord.

And it was the Dutch side which started the brighter, a smart move down the right slicing open the Gunners’ defence only for striker Ricardo Pepi to somehow contrive to miss from close range.

Arsenal boss Mikael Arteta made eight changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Premier League at the weekend and the Gunners lacked organisation at the back and penetration up front.

PSV created several first-half chances with slick interplay and Belgian international striker Yorbe Vertessen hit the post with a fine header that had Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale beaten.

Arsenal’s first meaningful chance came with nearly half an hour gone, a speculative shot from Egyptian international defender Mohamed Elneny fizzing just past the post.

But the London club took the lead just minutes before the break, as striker Eddie Nketiah was given too much space in the box and fired a low shot into the corner.

One-nil to the Arsenal — against the run of play.

Scoring an impressive 52 goals in domestic competition, PSV have lost only once this season — to Arsenal, who smashed them 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the reverse fixture.

And they were back on level terms less than five minutes into the second half when another through-ball dissected the Arsenal midfield and Vertessen curled his shot expertly past Ramsdale.

The hosts continued to stroke the ball around with confidence and Ramsdale kept his side in the game with a fingertip save from Moroccan international Ismael Saibari.

The Gunners were deprived of what would have been an undeserved win as Jakub Kiwior’s powerful header on 82 minutes was ruled out for offside.

And PSV squandered a gilt-edged chance to snatch it at the death, Guus Til dragging his shot wide after being put through for a one-on-one with the keeper.

While both sides continued to press gamely, neither would have been too disappointed with a dead-rubber draw that sees them both into the hat for the last 16.

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