Manchester United are out of the Champions League after they were beaten 3-2 away at Wolfsburg last night following a performance which perversely showed glimpses of the attacking endeavour missing in recent weeks but which will be remembered for some calamitous defending.
Advertisement
Under David Moyes, it became obvious just how much work and investment was needed, and United finished seventh, which meant that Louis van Gaal had an easy ride in his first season. “Everyone word what I say is the wrong word”, he declared.
Van Gaal however tried to see some positives from the defeat: “The last matches we played we didn’t score goals, but now we have scored goals”. But it was good we equalised quickly and then we had a great goal for 2-1 and could have got a third. That’s my answer because I can only give facts.
“I think it’s a insane match, we had chances but they also had chances”, Van Gaal told BT Sport after the game.
“I can not say that he was the Schweinsteiger from my period in (Bayern) Munich in this game”, Van Gaal said.
Poor defending is what ultimately costed United a place in the Champions League, according to Daniel Taylor, but van Gaal spoke about things out of his control after the loss.
Midfielder Adelino Vieirinha extended the lead to make it 2-1 for Wolfsburg in the 29th minute of the match, the Guardian reported.
“When you overview everything you remember the first match with PSV was also (against us with) the decisions of the referee”.
Despite finishing second in the Premier League, they never really looked like winning the title.
Van Gaal admits it will be underwhelming to see his team play the rest of the season in the Europa League.
Whatever the case, Ronaldo scored four goals and set up two others Tuesday as Madrid routed Malmo 8-0, making him the first player with 10 goals or more in the group stage of the Champions League. The 4-0 demolition in the Camp Nou is what most people remember, yet it was the 3-1 defeat away in Gothenburg – inspired by future United winger Jesper Blomqvist – that proved costly.
United were without seven senior players for the trip to Wolfsburg, with skipper Wayne Rooney the most notable absentee with an ankle injury.
“We have enough to fight for in the Premier League”. “We are disappointed. We should win against PSV at home”, said the 28-year-old Belgium global.
United may have been beset by injuries, but Van Gaal can not use that as an excuse.
Dieter Hecking’s men on Tuesday came from behind thanks to the brace by Naldo and Vieirinha’s goal to progress into the Champions League’s round of the last 16 for the first time in the club’s history.
Advertisement
“I don’t have thought about [Europa League football] at this moment”. After a sustained run of pressure by Wolfsburg, the German side played some handsome give-and-go’s around the United box, leaving the defense in shambles, unable to keep up, before the ball eventually ended up at the feet of Vierinha, positioned to cooly tap home the go-ahead goal.
