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.
But Onana, who has come in for criticism since his £47 million summer move from Inter Milan, turned Jordan Larsson’s effort wide with what turned out to be the very last action of the game.
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.
“The first half was not so good—a difficult game. They were well organized, and it was difficult to create chances; we didn’t get the right build-up, so we didn’t get the right tempo,” said Erik ten Hag.
“The second half was better. The first half pressing did not happen on many occasions, so in the second half, both things were better and the buildup was better.
“There were more switches, and we created more chances. The win was justified, but it was a narrow escape.”
