December 12th 2023.
Manchester United’s Champions League campaign ended in an all too familiar fashion. The Red Devils were out of the competition before the final matchday, and their exit was barely a surprise.
What should have been a cause for concern is that with such a talented squad, United only managed four points from four matches against Copenhagen and Galatasaray. To make matters worse, the exit was a whimper.
Bayern Munich had already qualified as group winners and United had a chance to make a statement in their final match. Bruno Fernandes had the best opportunity of the game, only to sky a cross over the bar.
United’s lack of quality was exposed when manager Erik ten Hag threw caution to the wind and left space in behind the midfield for Bayern to operate. It didn’t take long for the German champions to pounce and take the lead.
In the end, United barely laid a glove on Bayern and it didn’t look like they were close to scoring all night. Ten Hag’s decision to bring on two substitutes in the closing stages only served to show that he was no longer hoping for a route back into the match.
This exit with a whimper is not the first time it has happened under a manager. Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have both had similar experiences and we all know how that ended. United need to address their lack of quality in the Champions League if they are to have any chance of progressing in the future.
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