In a thrilling match that offered a bit of everything, Roony Bardghji, a 17-year-old winger born in Kuwait, sealed a dramatic victory for FC Copenhagen by scoring the winning goal in the 87th minute against a 10-man Manchester United side.
The crowd at Parken Stadium erupted in chants of “Roony, Roony” after witnessing Manchester United’s latest Champions League defeat. The irony was hard to miss for the struggling English club as a player with a name reminiscent of one of United’s greatest legends, Wayne Rooney, caused them significant trouble in Europe’s premier competition on Wednesday.
The roller-coaster game began with Rasmus Hojlund, a former Copenhagen player, scoring two goals within the first 28 minutes to give Manchester United a 2-0 lead. It took a dramatic turn when Marcus Rashford received a red card in the 42nd minute for a reckless tackle. The match concluded with the visitors suffering their third loss in four Group A games, as Lukas Lerager equalized for Copenhagen in the 83rd minute. Roony Bardghji, who became the youngest Champions League scorer against Manchester United, secured FC Copenhagen’s historic victory by driving a bouncing ball past Andre Onana’s near post in the 87th minute.
Mohamed Elyounoussi, one of Copenhagen’s scorers, described it as an “amazing night,” emphasizing the team’s spirit.
With just two games remaining in the group stage, Manchester United now finds itself in last place with three points, one less than Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Their next match against Galatasaray is a must-win, as a defeat will result in their elimination from the Champions League with one game still to play. Bruno Fernandes, the United captain, acknowledged the challenging road ahead, stating, “We have a mountain to climb, so we must climb. We have two games, and we have to win those two games.”
The match was played against the backdrop of an extraordinary atmosphere, with Copenhagen fans unveiling a pre-match tifo that read ‘Your Theatre of Nightmares,’ a clever play on United’s Old Trafford nickname, ‘Theatre of Dreams.’ It is unlikely that things will get any easier in Turkey, where United has previously encountered a hostile reception with banners that read ‘Welcome to Hell’ at the airport.
Despite starting strongly with an early goal from Hojlund, United’s fortunes took a turn for the worse after Rashford’s red card. His sending-off was a pivotal moment in the match, and it occurred as he attempted to shield the ball under pressure from Copenhagen’s left back, Elias Jelert. His studs accidentally made contact with his opponent’s ankle, leading to a red card shown after a video review, which the on-field referee had missed.
United conceded two goals in quick succession following Rashford’s dismissal, with Elyounoussi and Diogo Gonçalves finding the net. However, Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty after a handball, briefly putting United ahead at 3-2. Unfortunately for United, they couldn’t maintain their lead, and the pressure continues to mount on their manager, Erik ten Hag, following their ninth loss in 17 games in all competitions. Rasmus Hojlund pointed out that the game changed dramatically after the red card, saying, “We started very well, we controlled the game until the red card.”
