Manchester United were eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday evening after falling to Bayern Munich 1-0 at Old Trafford.
After a cagey and ultimately goalless first half in Manchester, Kingsley Coman’s second-half strike was the game’s sole shining moment.
Erik ten Hag’s team needed a win to have any chance of survival, but they also required Copenhagen and Galatasaray to share the spoils elsewhere, so a win for the Danish side meant there was nothing United could have done to stay alive.
How the game played out
Man United clearly increased their intensity following their 3-0 setback to Bournemouth at the weekend, knowing that only a win would suffice. However, the hosts were unable to cause Bayern many difficulties early on, with the best they could generate in the first half-hour being Luke Shaw’s long-range effort, which was easily dealt with by Manuel Neuer.
The Bundesliga champions did cause some concern for United in the first half, with Leroy Sane’s dashing runs stretching their backline. With Coman’s cross just after the 30-minute mark, the in-form winger should have done better, inexplicably shooting the ball backwards with his close-range volley.
Man United failed to lay a glove on Bayern in a rather bad first half of Champions League football, with the visitors not needing to get out of second gear to contain Ten Hag’s side.
As Manchester United sought to improve their game, Bruno Fernandes delivered a pair of errant attempts from the edge of the box early in the second half, while Joshua Kimmich also blazed past from 18 yards at the other end.
In a lethargic match, Bayern eventually delivered a moment of greatness that knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League with 20 minutes remaining. Harry Kane’s exquisite ball in behind the hosts’ backline put Coman through on goal, and the Frenchman slammed past a hapless Andre Onana.
Man United were unable to respond to Bayern Munich’s opener, as Erik ten Hag’s side exited Europe in front of a quiet Old Trafford crowd. In the end, their first five group stage games had done them in.
Manchester United player ratings (4-2-3-1)
Injury forced the withdrawal of Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans Maguire, and Shaw / James Gill – Danehouse/GettyImages GK: Andre Onana – 6/10 – In the 71st minute, all he had to do was pluck the ball out of his own net.
Diogo Dalot RB – 6/10 A far better effort than the previous weekend, with some encouraging forward runs.
CB: Harry Maguire – 6/10 – Substituted with a groyne injury immediately before halftime, increasing Manchester United’s injury troubles. In his little time on the pitch, he performed admirably, but he was rarely tested.
Raphael Varane – 6/10 – CB Some key early interventions and didn’t do much wrong in the United backline. The athletes in front of him struggled to make an impression.
Luke Shaw – LB – 6/10 Shaw had a difficult evening up against Coman, which may have contributed to the left-back’s injury at halftime. At the half, he was replaced.
5/10 DM: Scott McTominay He couldn’t make too many of his characteristic runs into the final third and didn’t cause any problems for Bayern’s defence.
5/10 DM: Sofyan Amrabat Put together a ferocious performance despite receiving a ticket for a nasty foul on Jamal Musiala. The midfielder’s lack of speed was frequently highlighted.
RM: Antony – 5/10 – One nice nutmeg on Kim Min-jae that would look wonderful on a YouTube compilation, but he was ultimately invisible when United needed him to create a magical moment.
Bruno Fernandes – 6/10 – AM With a couple of attempts from the edge of the penalty box, he couldn’t retain his calm and couldn’t create anything in Bayern’s half. Out of possession, at least demonstrated some determination.
6/10 LM: Alejandro Garnacho There were glimpses of his creativity down the left wing, but they weren’t frequent enough. lacked the quality to cause problems for Bayern’s defence.
Rasmus Hojlund (5/10) – Couldn’t handle Bayern’s two center-backs’ aggression and was bullied the entire game.
SUB: Jonny Evans (40′ for Maguire) – 6/10 – Bayern didn’t put Evans through too much work, but he couldn’t keep a clean sheet in the end.
6/10 – SUB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (46′ for Shaw) Coped rather well with Sane, the German’s influence fading as the half progressed.
6/10 SUB: Facundo Pellistri (74′ for Antony)
Hannibal Mejbri (74′ substitution for Garnacho) – 6/10
N/A SUB: Kobbie Mainoo (80′ for Varane)
Altay Bayindir (GK), Tom Heaton (GK), Sergio Reguilon, Daniel Gore, and Joe Hugill were not used as substitutes.
Erik ten Hag, manager – 4/10 – Ten Hag couldn’t improve much from the Bournemouth disgrace due to a huge number of absentees, and his team put up a pitiful performance.
Player ratings for Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)
Bruno Fernandes, Leroy Sane
Sane was a pain for the hosts | Michael Steele/Getty Images GK: 6/10 – Manuel Neuer Shaw tested it once with a fizzing effort, but he was mostly a spectator.
Noussair Mazraoui RB – 6/10 – Substituted at halftime following a relatively unproductive effort, however he did make some helpful surges forward despite not being picked out by teammates.
CB: Dayot Upamecano – 7/10 – Hojlund was overwhelmed by his physicality, with the Frenchman winning every battle.
8/10 – CB: Kim Min-jae A fantastic performance from the South Korean international, who showed Manchester United what they lost out on by failing to recruit him in the summer.
7/10 LB: Alphonso Davies Plenty of opportunity to show off his scary pace while dealing with Antony. To be honest, he should have been required to do more defensive work.
7/10 DM: Joshua Kimmich After hefty touches, he was almost caught in possession a couple of times, but he kept things moving in the middle regions.
7/10 DM: Leon Goretzka Goretzka delivered an unspectacular performance, which isn’t necessarily a negative thing. Did a good job with the fundamentals and helped Bayern manage the tempo.
Kingsley Coman – 8/10 RM A constant threat on the right wing who scored superbly. His quickness forced United defenders to frequently turn and face their own goal.
Jamal Musiala – 8/10 – AM In possession, he was so fluid, gliding across the Old Trafford ground. Before his withdrawal, he seemed the most hopeful for Bayern in a lacklustre affair.
7/10 for Leroy Sane His lanky dashes caused some problems for Manchester United, but he was also guilty of squandering Bayern’s most promising opportunities in the first half. He maintained his solid form, but lacked a little final product.
7/10 for Harry Kane With the exception of a handful of feeble shots, the England captain was unable to get involved. Did provide a magnificent assist for Coman’s effort.
SUBS: Konrad Laimer (46′ for Mazraoui) – 7/10 – Garnacho’s performance after coming in was fantastic, but he should have been tested more.
6/10 SUB: Thomas Muller (67′ for Musiala)
6/10 SUB: Mathys Tel (77′ for Coman)
Raphael Guerreiro (90′ substitution for Sane) – N/A
Daniel Peretz (GK), Frans Kratzig, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were not used as substitutes.
Manager Thomas Tuchel – 6/10 – Selected a full-strength squad despite Bayern having already clinched first place. His teammates put in a lethargic effort, but they didn’t need to do much to beat United.
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) was named Player of the Match.
