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Champions League: Maguire, Onana’s heroics help Man Utd beat Copenhagen

In an unexpected turn of events, Andre Onana and Harry Maguire emerged as the unlikely saviors for Manchester United as they kickstarted their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen. This victory came on the night when Bobby Charlton was being remembered at Old Trafford.

The much-criticized center-back Maguire headed in the only goal 18 minutes before the final whistle, while Onana played a pivotal role by saving Jordan Larsson’s penalty with the very last kick of the game.

The renowned English club had suffered defeats in their first two group-stage matches, a historical first for the club. However, this much-needed win puts them back in contention for a place in the last 16 of the competition.

Bobby Charlton, one of United’s greatest ever players, had passed away at the age of 86 the previous Saturday. Before the match, a touching tribute was paid to the 1966 World Cup winner. United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, laid a wreath in the center circle, and a minute’s silence was observed to honor his memory.

Ten Hag encouraged his players to draw inspiration from Charlton’s legacy after a challenging start to the season. Yet, the first half of the game was uninspiring.

The Danish champions came perilously close to taking the lead after just five minutes when Maguire lost possession to Mohamed Elyounoussi, and Elyounoussi’s cross hit the post after a deflection by Diogo Goncalves.

The emotional atmosphere at Old Trafford turned into audible frustration as the home side struggled to create meaningful chances in the first half.

Ten Hag made a tactical move by introducing Danish international Christian Eriksen against his compatriots, but it wasn’t until Copenhagen had two significant opportunities to score that United finally woke up from their sluggish performance.

Onana, who had made high-profile errors in the previous Champions League matches against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, demonstrated why United invested £47 million in him in July. His crucial save denied Lukas Lerager from finding the top corner, and moments later, Elias Achouri missed a chance to score a volley when he was unmarked at the far post.

Rasmus Hojlund, seen as the successor to Eriksen in the Danish national team, failed to shine against his former club, with his most notable contribution being assisting Eriksen for a powerful low drive, which was brilliantly saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Kamil Grabara.

Marcus Rashford’s loss of form has been a significant factor in United’s struggles this season. The England international, who scored 30 goals in the previous season, has only managed to score once this campaign and squandered a golden opportunity to open the scoring.

Substitute Alejandro Garnacho also missed a similar chance when one-on-one with Grabara. Nevertheless, Maguire, a center-back, came to the rescue to ensure that Charlton’s farewell was marked with a victory. Maguire met Eriksen’s cross with a powerful header 18 minutes from the end.

United had opportunities to score a second goal, but Garnacho and Scott McTominay both missed significant chances.

In the dying moments of the game, McTominay was penalized for a high foot on Elyounoussi, which led to a penalty kick for Copenhagen. Jordan Larsson, the son of former United striker Henrik Larsson, took the penalty, but his powerful effort was saved by Onana, prompting wild celebrations.

This victory elevated Manchester United to third place in Group A, ahead of Copenhagen, and brought them within one point of Galatasaray. Bayern Munich, with three wins from three games, is on course for qualification after defeating Galatasaray 3-1.

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