Manchester United and Sevilla faced a disappointing exit from European competition on Tuesday night, with both teams finishing at the bottom of their respective groups.
United, a three-time Champions League winner, needed a victory against Bayern Munich and favorable results elsewhere, but they lost 1-0 to the six-time winner. This defeat means they miss out on even the Europa League spot.
In the same group, Danish side Copenhagen secured qualification in second place after defeating Galatasaray 1-0 at home. Galatasaray, finishing third, secured a spot in the Europa League knockout round playoff, leaving United at the bottom of the group, having conceded 15 goals in six games.
Man United and Sevilla tumble out of European competition after Champions League losses https://t.co/85VYKWY9kv pic.twitter.com/9KnWg9IKvC
— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) December 13, 2023
This marks only the fourth time a Premier League team has finished at the bottom of its Champions League group. Earlier in the evening, defending Europa League champion Sevilla, a seven-time winner, suffered a 2-1 defeat at Lens, finishing at the bottom of Group B.
Lens secured third place. At Old Trafford, Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman scored the only goal in the 71st minute, securing victory and prompting away fans to taunt United supporters with familiar English soccer chants.
United’s manager Erik Ten Hag faces increased pressure, especially as captain Harry Maguire limped off with a suspected groin injury. In Denmark, Copenhagen’s Lukas Lerager scored in the 58th minute, securing their place in the Europa League playoffs.
Coach Jacob Neestrup celebrated with his players, marking a historic achievement for the Danish side. In other matches, Italian champion Napoli advanced to the last 16 by beating Braga 2-0, and Real Madrid won 3-2 at Union Berlin, with Luka Modric missing a penalty.
Inter Milan and Real Sociedad drew 0-0, and Benfica secured a 3-1 win against Salzburg with Arthur Cabral’s backheel goal. As the group stage concludes, the focus shifts to the draw on December 18, where group winners will be seeded for the last-16 draw, and the Europa League draw will also take place on the same day.
