"They’re frail in away games" - Manchester United legend makes damning admission on Erik ten Hag's side
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has bemoaned the Red Devils' away record ahead of their clash with Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 8. The Englishman explained that Erik ten Hag's men are frail when they play at opposition stadiums especially when the atmosphere is huge.
Manchester United will travel to Denmark to face Copenhagen in a very important Champions League game. The Red Devils need to secure a victory to keep their hopes of progressing into the next round alive.
Scholes, meanwhile, is worried their poor record away from home could come back to haunt them. The Englishman pointed to Erik ten Hag's side's 3-0 capitulation against Sevilla in the Europa League last season to drive home his point.
When asked whether he was backing the Premier League giants to reach the last-16 in the Champions League, he told TNT Sport (via The Mirror):
“If I was a betting man, I’d say no. They showed last year they’re frail in away games, you think of Sevilla away. It was a brilliant atmosphere, it was hostile, they crumbled, they couldn’t handle it.
“It makes me worry about going to Copenhagen, who aren’t a brilliant team but they’re organised. I don’t know if there’s the character and fighters in that team to be able to cope with a big atmosphere."
The Manchester United legend further stressed that United could crumble if they meet a hostile atmosphere against Copenhagen at the Parken Stadium.
“It’s so hard going to Copenhagen, these European away games are tough. If they make it a hostile atmosphere, you have to worry about the frailty of Manchester United – they could really crumble under that pressure," he added.
The Red Devils beat Copenhagen 1-0 at Old Trafford in their last Champions League game.
What would a defeat mean for Manchester United against Copenhagen?
A defeat to Copenhagen would see Manchester United drop to the bottom of the table in Group A, while the Dane side would move to the third position.
Should Bayern Munich beat Galatasaray, the Red Devils would still have a very slim chance of going through to the knockout round. They would need to win their last two games and hope their two rivals drop points.
As it stands in Group A ahead of today's fixtures, Bayern sit atop the table with nine points. Galatasaray follow with four points. Manchester United come next with three points while Copenhagen lie at the bottom with one point. All three clubs have played three games each so far.
Erik ten Hag's men came out on top with a 1-0 victory when they faced the Danish side the last time out, thanks to a late goal from Harry Maguire. Andre Onana saved a penalty in injury time.