Man Utd face must-win FC Copenhagen clash to avoid Champions League exit but worrying omen emerges before crucial tie
MANCHESTER UNITED face a daunting challenge when they face FC Copenhagen tonight.
The Red Devils' hopes of progressing into the Champions League knockout stages hang by a thread after winning just one of their three group-stage games so far.
Matchday four sees them pay a visit to Danish champions Copenhagen, having narrowly beaten them at Old Trafford last time out.
However, Man Utd were beaten on their previous visit to Parken Stadium under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2006/07 season.
That time around they lost 1-0 to a 73rd-minute goal from Marcus Allback, who revealed in an exclusive interview to The Sun that he had had a baby named after him following his "crappy" winner.
But Erik ten Hag's modern-day Devils face an equally challenging task given their host's imperious home record.
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From each of their five seasons in the Champions League, Copenhagen have lost just two home games, winning six and drawing eight.
It is a formidable record - and a worrying omen for Manchester United.
Also a concern for the Red Devils is that they have won just one of their last seven away games in the Champions League.
That victory came at Villarreal under Michael Carrick in 2021.
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It seems the eight-degree weather Marcus Rashord and Co face tonight does not put a warm feeling in the heart of Man Utd legend Paul Scholes, who played in that 1-0 defeat during the 2006/07 season.
Asked on TNT Sports whether he was backing Ten Hag's side to progress into the Last 16, he said: "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."
Scholes, 48, came on as a 71st-minute substitute in Man Utd's last visit to the Danish Capital.
He continued: "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.
"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.";
Defeat would leave Man Utd depending on Bayern Munich to beat Galatasaray to stay within touching distance of the top two spots, though they would then need to go and beat Galatasaray away.
Their odds of progressing have not been improved after Ten Hag revealed both Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro were not expected to be back until Christmas.
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Rashford's fitness is also in question after he missed the win over Fulham following a knock in training.
However, there is hope in that Bayern Munich did come away from Parken with a win, though that was far from a walkover with the Germans needing to mount a second-half comeback to win 2-1.
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