The Red Devils' Disappointing Return to European Football's Top Table: A 4-3 Loss
Key Highlights :
Wednesday night saw the Red Devils’ return to European football’s top table end in a 4-3 loss. After being beaten in three of their first five matches for the first time in the Premier League era, the Red Devils were hoping for a better result in their Group A opener at the Allianz Arena.
The match started surprisingly well for United, only for summer signing Andre Onana to let a low Leroy Sane shot squirm home. The 27-year-old was visibly upset and later said he “let the team down” and that United “didn’t win today, it’s because of me”. However, captain Bruno Fernandes was quick to absolve Onana of any blame, saying “It’s not about Andre. Andre is a great goalkeeper. He will keep giving us a lot of points, a lot of saves. He hasn’t to take any blame for nothing. We have to take the blame as a team, that we’re going to go through this moment together because we are strong as a team.”
The Red Devils were then hit by a double whammy as Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane scored within minutes of Onana’s mistake. United did manage to pull one back early in the second half through Rasmus Hojlund, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. The match came to a hectic conclusion, with Casemiro scoring either side of Mathys Tel’s stoppage-time strike as United showed spirit but ultimately lost for a fourth time in five matches.
The defeat was a blow for the Red Devils, who had been hoping to make a statement in their return to European football’s top table. However, Fernandes was quick to point out that United were playing against one of the best teams in the world, and that the team still had enough talent and experience to get through this difficult period. He also urged his teammates to focus on their own jobs, and not to rely on the injured players to get the team out of this slump.
United stayed in Germany following the Group A opener and are training before flying back as preparations step up for Saturday evening’s key trip to Burnley. Ten Hag will be hoping to have more options to choose from at Turf Moor, having headed to Bayern without nine injured players.
The Red Devils’ return to European football’s top table ended in a 4-3 loss on Wednesday night, but the team is determined to bounce back and prove their worth. With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, United could still make a statement in the Champions League this season.
