"That's why he's my GOAT, "Onana haters in hiding" - Twitter erupts as Manchester United clinch vital win vs Copenhagen in UCL
Andre Onana and Harry Maguire were the heroes as Manchester United sealed a crucial 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (October 24).
The Red Devils put in a lackluster performance in the first half, lacking killer instinct in attack and being forced to keep the Danish side at bay. Jacob Neestrup's side went agonizingly close in the fifth minute when Portuguese winger Diogo Goncalves hit the post.
However, Rasmus Hojlund nearly put Manchester United ahead in the 16th minute after being found by a brilliant pass from Marcus Rashford. The Danish striker's attempt just flew over Copenhagen's Polish goalkeeper Kamil Grabara's bar.
The referee blew for half-time after just 44 minutes and 45 seconds which paints the picture of how dire Erik ten Hag's men were in the first half. The Dutch coach looked for a reaction from his side in the second half and he got one.
Hojlund nearly grabbed a vital opener for the Red Devils in the 52nd minute after an astute header from Bruno Fernandes. However, the towering center-forward mishit his shot and failed with a penalty claim.
Grabara was forced into a good save from Christian Eriksen two minutes later. The veteran midfielder stung the fingertips of the Poland international with a fierce effort.
However, Manchester United finally made the breakthrough in the 72nd minute and Maguire continued his career resurgence with a bullet header. Eriksen whipped a delightful cross to the far post and the English defender was there to meet it. Ten Hag was a relieved man amid his side's shaky start to the season.
The hosts could have grabbed another goal in the 78th minute when Alejandro Garnacho produced a fine stop from Grabara. Scott McTominay then fired over with the follow-up.
A dramatic end to the game then ensued when McTominay gave away a silly penalty in the 90+5th minute. The Scottish midfielder collided with Mohamed Elyounoussi and Copenhagen had a golden chance to equalize with the last kick of the game.
However, Onana had other ideas as he produced a magnificent save to deny Jordan Larsson from the spot with the very last action of the game. It was a moment the late great Sir Bobby Charlton will have been proud of.
The Manchester United goalkeeper has been under a ton of scrutiny lately but he came to the fore to save Ten Hag's side from more misery. The win moved the Red Devils up to third in Group A, a point behind second-placed Galatasaray.
One fan compared Onana to David de Gea, insisting the Spaniard wouldn't have saved the penalty:
"Onana haters in hiding. De Gea doesn’t save that."
Another fan heaped praise on Maguire for his winner:
"Maguire is here saving my slips, that’s why he’s my GOAT. Hahaha let’s go."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted as Manchester United sealed their first Champions League win of the season:
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Manchester United hero Andre Onana insists his side will progress to UCL knockout stages
Onana was in a buoyant mood following his heroics in Manchester United's win against Copenhagen. The Cameroonian vowed that his Red Devils side would make it out of their group, telling TNT Sports:
"We are Manchester United. I have no doubt we’ll make it out.”
The 27-year-old joined Ten Hag's side from Inter Milan in the summer for £47.5 million. He's put in several nervy performances, including in the Champions League in defeats to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
However, Onana lived up to his billing as a 2023 Ballon d'Or nominee tonight, producing a vital save at the death. It means United are back in the race to qualify for the knockout phase of Europe's elite club competition.