Andre Onana saved a penalty in added time to give Manchester United a priceless Champions League victory against Copenhagen.
On
an emotional night that began with a lone piper walking out playing the United
anthem ‘We’ll Never Die’ as Old Trafford paid its respects to Sir Bobby
Charlton, United fans thought Harry Maguire’s first goal since February 2022
had given them the win they craved.
But with the allotted four minutes of added time played, Scott
McTominay conceded a penalty by swinging a high boot dangerously near Mohamed
Elyounoussi’s face.
The victory breathed new life into a Champions
League campaign that had started with successive defeats for Erik ten Hag’s
side.
It was another night when United’s overall performance would not
stand up to much scrutiny but, as on Saturday, the manner of the victory was
secondary to the eventual outcome given the enormous legacy of the man they
were trying to honour.
Maguire and Onana turn jeers to cheers
The
two players that secured the precious win for the home side are men who have
endured a torrid time recently.
Maguire
would have been sold in the summer had he accepted the chance to link up with
David Moyes at West Ham United, while many have questioned Ten Hag’s wisdom in
replacing David de Gea with Onana.
But when half-time substitute Christian Eriksen
delivered a superb curling cross to the far post 18 minutes from time, Maguire
met it perfectly, shrugging off the attentions of a defender to make sure he
was in position to head home.
The
hosts should have eased their path to the final whistle with a second goal but
after Alejandro Garnacho’s initial effort was saved superbly by Kamil Grabara,
McTominay sent the rebound inches wide of the post.
Skipper
Bruno Fernandes also had a shot deflected wide in a pulsating finish but it
seemed United would take the points anyway.
Instead,
they had to rely on Onana to ensure victory was not stripped from their grasp.
The
charismatic Cameroon goalkeeper’s save will allow United to look ahead to the
return meeting in Denmark two weeks from now knowing victory will almost
certainly take them into second spot behind Bayern Munich in Group A.
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