‘That’s still a few’ – Erik ten Hag rages at THREE decisions of referee that made Man United defeat to Copenhagen
Manchester United’s Tough Loss in Copenhagen Sparks Frustration
Erik ten Hag expressed his frustration with “three tough decisions” that went against Manchester United in a chaotic late loss to Copenhagen, a defeat that deals a significant blow to their Champions League knockout phase hopes.
In an exhilarating Group A encounter, Rasmus Hojlund, facing his former team, netted a brace, setting United on a promising path.
However, the turning point arrived with Marcus Rashford’s red card, ultimately leading to a crushing 4-3 loss.
A VAR review in the first half resulted in Rashford being sent off for a challenge on Elias Jelert. This sparked a series of events where Mohamed Elyounoussi scored, and Diogo Goncalves equalized from the penalty spot.
Bruno Fernandes managed to put United ahead once more with a well-taken penalty in the second half.
However, Lukas Lerager and substitute Roony Bardghji turned the tables in a dramatic conclusion to a thrilling, albeit chaotic, match.
Ten Hag expressed his disappointment, saying, “It’s clear we’re very disappointed, especially when you’ve played so well. We started the game exceptionally, probably the best minutes of this season.”
The United manager voiced his grievances with the decisions, particularly the red card shown to Rashford, which he considered harsh.
He argued that an offside player obstructed Andre Onana’s vision during Elyounoussi’s goal. Ten Hag also criticized the handball decision against Harry Maguire, which led to Goncalves’ penalty.
“The game is never meant to be like this,” Ten Hag lamented, emphasizing the importance of fair and timely decision-making in football.
Manchester United now finds themselves at the bottom of Group A and in a challenging position for Champions League qualification.
They face Galatasaray in their penultimate group stage match, knowing that a loss would severely impact their hopes of progressing.
Ten Hag expressed his confidence in the team’s resilience, despite the setbacks and challenging decisions faced throughout the season. He believes that the tide will turn in their favor at some point.
Copenhagen’s Jacob Neestrup acknowledged the impact of Rashford’s red card on the match’s outcome and expressed his belief that his team deserved the victory over the course of four games in the group stage, even if not on this particular day.
“We maybe didn’t deserve three or even one point today, but over four rounds, it’s very well deserved that Copenhagen is in second place,” Neestrup said, emphasizing the consistency his team has shown in the group stage.
