Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Manchester United’s slim chance of a Champions League last-16 spot ended with a 1-0 defeat by group winners Bayern Munich at Old Trafford this morning, piling more misery on Erik ten Hag’s beleaguered team in an already rocky season.
The three-time European champions needed to beat Bayern in their group stage finale on Tuesday and hope Copenhagen’s game against visiting Galatasaray ended in a draw.
Neither happened as Kingsley Coman slotted home from close range in the 70th minute for Bayern, who were unbeaten in Group A to finish with 16 points and had the jubilant away fans singing “Football’s Coming Home” in the dying seconds.
“We didn’t make it, we have to accept and learn from it,” Dutchman Ten Hag told TNT Sports.
“We made mistakes. Today the performance was very good. We didn’t deserve to lose but we lost the game.”
“In the end, it’s not good enough.”
United have just four points, with their fourth-place finish meaning not even a Europa League playoff berth as consolation, and boos rang out as the final whistle sounded.
Copenhagen won 1-0 in Denmark to finish with eight points and reach the Champions League knockout round, while Galatasaray took the Europa League playoff spot in third with five points.
United won one only of their six group games, with their hopes of advancing hanging by a thread after they twice gave up a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray on Nov. 29.
Bayern, who beat United 4-3 in their previous meeting in Munich, had already secured top spot in the group.
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