“Congratulations to Erik ten Hag” - Piers Morgan mocks Manchester United boss after Red Devils set unwanted Champions League record
Renowned Arsenal fan and TV personality Piers Morgan took a swipe at Erik ten Hag following Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday (12 December).
Going into the game, the Red Devils knew only a win would suffice against the Bavarian giants. Even then, United needed Galatasaray and Copenhagen to play out a draw at the Parken if they wanted to make the knockout rounds.
However, Manchester United put up a drab display at Old Trafford, with Kingsley Coman's 70th-minute strike making the difference. According to Morgan, the Manchester-based giants became the first team in history to concede 15 goals in the Champions League group stage.
The 58-year-old tweeted on X:
"Congrats to Erik Ten Hag on breaking a record - Manchester United have become the first English side in history to concede 15 goals in the Champions League group stage. 👏👏"
Morgan has been a vocal critic of Ten Hag in recent months and has called him out several times for his treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or left the club by mutual consent in November 2022 after a public fallout with the former Ajax manager.
Bayern, who already qualified as group winners with a game to spare, kept 59% of the ball, managing three shots on target as compared to the hosts' one. The Red Devils, meanwhile, kept just one clean sheet throughout the group stage, which came in a narrow 1-0 win against Copenhagen at home.
They conceded three goals each in the home and away fixtures against Galatasaray and lost 4-3 to Copenhagen at the Parken. Bayern also put four past them in their opening-day 4-3 win at the Allianz Arena.
Copenhagen seal UCL qualification to ensure Manchester United elimination
Copenhagen hung on to win 1-0 against Galatasaray at home to ensure a seamless qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
Lukas Lerager broke the deadlock around the hour mark, after which the Turkish side upped the ante, knowing they needed to score. He was then sent off in the dying embers of the game to ensure that the Danes, just like in the reverse fixture, ended the game with 10 men.
The win meant Copenhagen finished second in the group with eight points, while Galatasaray dropped down to the UEFA Europa League. Manchester United finished rock bottom with just one win and four points, scoring joint-most goals (12) in the group stage but conceding 15 times.