EURO TRASH
United crash out in Germany
There were 59 seconds between Bruno Fernandes hitting the bar and J usti n Kluivert scoring the third goal that sent Manchester United out of the Champions League.
Yet that’s only part of the story. The bottom line is that if you keep giving the opposition a goal or two to start, eventually there will be no way back. RB Leipzig are much better than the likes of Southampton, Brighton and West ham. United served them two first-half goals and no amount of second-half pressure was going to change the outcome from there.
When the final whistle blew, United were out of europe’s premier competition, a desperately disappointing denouement given the start they made in this group. The rot began in Istanbul and has eaten through the campaign.
United were much improved in the second 45 minutes here but the advantage afforded Leipzig always made them vulnerable. everything had to go in at one end, nothing at the other.
So, yes, United were unfortunate when Brandon Williams won a free-kick and Fernandes rapped the bar with a free-kick from just outside the area. Yet what happened next summed up the visitors’ failings.
Leipzig broke down the l eft and struck a cross which took a deflection. harry Maguire, for some reason, chose not to deal with it, David de Gea was slow to react, too. In slipped substitute Kluivert — very much his father’s son — with an exquisite finish. It looked as if he simply tapped it past De Gea. he didn’t. he dinked it, subtly, perfectly, past the goalkeeper for the goal that appeared to have made Leipzig safe.
But this is United, so nothing was over. It must be said, however, that referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz played a part. he’s a showy official and nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. The penalty award that earned United a lifeline was as soft as they come.
Ibrahima Konate and Mason Greenwood c a me t ogether shoulder to shoulder, no more. Both men went down, but Mateu Lopez saw a f oul. Fernandes stepped up, hopped, skipped, jumped and stuck the ball to the right of goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Then, two minutes later, a United corner on the left. Fernandes whipped it in, Paul Pogba — on as a substitute — rose higher than any player to head goalwards at the far post, Konate unable to keep it out on the line. Leipzig’s players claimed it hit Maguire on the arm, re plays were inconclusive, the goal stood.
It wasn’t enough. Sooner or later it was going to catch up with them. United are pegged behind a team they have scored seven goals against in two games. That’s what happens if you give head starts.
United’s powers of recovery have been a marvel this season, yet giving the first goal away is never a smart tactic, and giving away two can be fatal. Within 13 minutes here, United were two goals down and it could have been more had Leipzig taken their chances.
They were set up to defend, too. Needing only a point and with edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial unavailable, it was not as if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picked a team of cavaliers.
There were five defenders, two holding midfield players and only Fernandes, Marcus rashford and Greenwood in attacking roles. Despite this, for 20 minutes or more, United were pinned back.
Leipzig were smarter, sharper, slick with their passing, and ambitious. The 5-0 beating they took at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign was clearly an anomaly. here was the reality, and United could not cope with it.
Specifically, they could not cope with Angelino on the left, a fact made doubly embarrassing by his status as a Manchester City player, loaned to Leipzig for experience.
On this evidence he won’t be away long. he scored the first and created the second.
The clock had not passed two minutes when Leipzig took the lead. It was a gorgeous crossfield delivery from Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer, but United’s defence was nowhere.
The most starkly exposed was
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was not alert to the run Angelino had made along the left flank behind him. He met Sabitzer’s ball perfectly, unleashing a l ow shot across De Gea that gave Manchester United’s goalkeeper no chance.
A lively counter-attack after nine minutes could have brought United quickly back into the game, but a poor finish from Greenwood allowed Leipzig to escape. Not true at the other end, though.
There were 13 minutes gone when the ball was fed to Angelino once more. He picked out Amadou Haidara whose precise finish left De Gea with no chance again.
Willi Orban had the ball in the net in the 29th minute but was rightly ruled offside and United reached half-time just about in it, given a draw would be enough.
They came out for the second half much improved, but to no avail. Kluivert’s goal spelled embarrassment and not even two late consolations and a hint of a fightback could paper over that fact.
‘ We started too l ate,’ said Solskjaer. ‘ Great spirit and comeback again. It’s different to the Premier League. You can’t give a team a three-goal lead and expect to come back.
‘We were unlucky towards the end. Of course you can’t say we were good enough. We weren’t. Today we were close but we failed to defend crosses into the box.’
RB LEIPZIG (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Mukiele, Konate, Orban; Haidara, Kampl (Adams 75), Sabitzer, Angelino (Halstenberg 87); Nkunku, Forsberg (Poulsen 56); Olmo (Kluivert 56). Subs not used: Tschauner, Sorloth, Martinez, Martel, Wosz. Booked: Mukiele, Sabitzer, Kluivert, Adams. MAN UNITED (3-4-1-2): de Gea; Lindelof (Tuanzebe 78), Maguire, Shaw (Williams 61); Wan-Bissaka (Fosu-Mensah 77), McTominay, Matic (Pogba 61), Telles (Van de Beek 45); Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood. Subs not used: Bailly, Mata, Grant, Lingard, James, Ighalo, Henderson. Booked: Lindelof, Fernandes, Shaw, Maguire, Williams. Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain).