Player ratings as 10-men Red Devils suffer dramatic comeback defeat against Copenhagen
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Manchester United suffered a surprising 4-3 defeat at the hands of Copenhagen on Wednesday night, jeopardizing their chances of advancing to the Champions League's knockout stages.
After securing an initial 2-0 lead in the first half through Rasmus Hojlund's double strike against his ex-team, United's future looked grim following halftime following Marcus Rashford's removal from the match.
Mohamed Elyounoussi and Diogo Goncalves swept in to draw Copenhagen level in first half stoppage time, and it seemed as if Bruno Fernandes's penalty conversion had saved the day for United. However, more excitement ensued when Lukas Lerager netted a last-minute equaliser for the Danish team, paving the way for 17-year-old Roony Bardghji to secure the victory.
As a result of the game's twist and turns, United plummeted from the second spot to the bottom of the group, leaving them facing a significant challenge in the final two match dates to advance.
United's match started with a promising outcome after Hojlund scored just three minutes in, thanks to a combination of Aaron Wan-Bissaka's and Scott McTominay's impressive play, which allowed him to tap the ball in.
United dominated the early game, but experienced a lengthly pause in gameplay due to an injury suffered by Jonny Evans and a medical emergency among spectators, disrupting their momentum.
Despite the setback, Copenhagen couldn't break through United's defence. Then Hojlund scored his second goal of the night, further dampening Copenhagen's efforts.
As Hojlund sought a third goal towards the end of the first half, Rashford received a red card, which altered the game's dynamics to Copenhagen's advantage.
First, a header from Fernandes hit the crossbar of his own goal. This was soon followed by a volley from Elyounoussi and a penalty strike from Goncalves, with the boost from the crowd propelling the Danes forward.
Interestingly, Copenhagen eased off during the second half enabling United, now a man short, to regain control. A penalty awarded check by VAR saw Fernandes regain the lead for United with a score from the spot.
Maguire's header detained as a handball offense leading into the final ten minutes of the match ensue the equalizer by Lerager.
Just as the match was drawing to a close, Bardghji's goal placed Copenhagen at the helm of the match for the first time, sparking wild celebrations within the stadium. Despite an impressive shot by Maguire in the last minutes which struck the crossbar, United's efforts to level the game were in vain.
United had mixed performances from its players with Andre Onana incapable of preventing the goals, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka managed to make a positive impact, scoring early in the game.