Evening Standard
·12 December 2023
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Yahoo sportsEvening Standard
·12 December 2023
Over: Man United will play no more European football this season
AP
For all of the end-to-end drama to have cost Manchester United in the Champions League this season, a largely eventful Bayern Munich victory at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening is what eliminated them from European competition entirely.
A wild, error-strewn continental group stage left the Red Devils' last-16 hopes hanging by a thread, with progress only possible if they beat the German champions at Old Trafford and Copenhagen and Galatasaray drew.
But the Danes' victory and Coman's finish from a smart Harry Kane pass in a 1-0 Bayern win saw toothless United's hopes of a Champions League miracle go up in smoke as the curtain came down on Group A.
The loss also meant Ten Hag's side missed out on the consolation prize of Europa League qualification, with this just the fourth time a Premier League side has finished bottom of their Champions League group.
United had restricted Thomas Tuchel's men to half-chances during the opening period at Old Trafford, where the hosts' injury list increased as Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw picked up issues just before the break.
The reshuffled backline looked far more solid than during Saturday's 3-0 humiliation at home to Bournemouth but still could not stop Bayern from running out victorious.
United mustered just one shot on target in a must-win match that is followed by Sunday's Premier League trip to rivals Liverpool. There were boos at the final whistle once again.