Highlights:
- Cristiano Ronaldo gave the Premier League outfit a lead against Young Boys but it was not enough
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s dismissal in the 35th minute of the game was too much for the Red Devils
- Just 24 before the match, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talked how his team can win the CL
In their match against Young Boys, Cristiano Ronaldo gave Man Utd a lead early in the game, however, the Premier League outfit slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat after Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s dismissal.
Manchester United could not have hoped for a worse start to the UEFA Champions League campaign.
Just a little over 24 hours before Manchester United’s Tuesday night’s Champions League opener against Young Boys, their head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sat in a very hot media room at the Wankdorf Stadium and talked up his team and their chances of going all the way to the final.
However, based on how it went for the Red Devils in Bern, United would be lucky to even get out of the group again, let alone make it to Saint Petersburg next May.
Solskjaer told the reporters, “We’ve added some experience, quality and youth and are better prepared this year for what is to come”.
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However, what they had not prepared for was Aaron Wan-Bissaka becoming the first United player to be shown a straight red card in the Champions League since Nani against Real Madrid in 2013. It was a silly challenge from the Full-Back which caused Solskjaer’s plans go up in smoke with just 35 minutes into the game.
Having said this, one red card should not have caused such a lacklustre performance from the visitors given United starting lineup had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and David de Gea who are some of the biggest names in the Football world.
Man Utd went against a side sitting fourth in the Swiss Super League and competing in the Champions League for just the second time.
Young Boys had pulled off a remarkable yet fully deserved victory against a disorganised United side which clearly lacked shape and a coherent game plan following Wan-Bissaka’s dismissal.
Solskjaer had responded to the red card by immediately bringing on Diogo Dalot for Jadon Sancho. And after half-time, he introduced another Centre Back, Raphael Varane, in place of midfielder Donny van de Beek, who just cannot catch a break at the moment, as United switched to a back three.
However, the question stayed whether Solskjaer should have made that change the moment Wan-Bissaka was sent off.
For the first 10 minutes of the second half, Solskjaer, Mike Phelan as well as Kieran McKenna were screaming instructions at the players before every goal kick. Whatever the message was, it surely did not go through to the players on field.
In the 66th minute, Moumi Ngamaleu equalised and it was no longer clear what system United were playing. The pressure on the visitors only intensified which resulted in prompting Solskjaer to withdraw both Ronaldo and Fernandes – a decision he defended saying was made due to tired legs.