Copenhagen vs Man Utd LIVE: Latest Champions League updates

3 mins: Man Utd move the ball nicely around the backline, they play it around the Copenhagen press and look confident on the ball which is a strong early sign.

Diogo Dalot brings the ball down the left wing and slots it inside to Bruno Fernandes who sweeps the ball wide to the opposite side of the pitch for Marcus Rashford.

He slots in Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the overlap who finds Scott McTominay making a run from deep. The midfielder squares the ball across the face of goal where Rasmus Hojlund taps it home.

Copenhagen get the ball rolling for this crucial Champions League game. Marcus Rashford is starting on the right side with Alejandro Garncacho on the left.

There’s an early shout for handball against Harry Maguire in the penalty area but nothing comes from it.

Bruno Fernandes leads out the Manchester United team. They know what they have to do tonight. Three points is a must if they want to have a chance of staying in the Champions League.

Copenhagen coach, Jacob Neestrup, speaking to TNT Sports before kick off: “We need to create a good performance, but we need points on the table for us.

“It’s a big pressure but we can manage. Since we were at Old Trafford, we have won three more games in a row. We have confidence; we believe in ourselves big time.

“But, at the same time, we have the biggest respect for our opponents. They have class players in every position on the pitch, but we have a belief we can do it.”

Manchester United have only won one of their last seven away games in the Champions League (D2 L4), with that one victory coming at Villarreal in November 2021 under Michael Carrick soon after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked.

It is a homecoming with a difference: not to the place where it all started, but to the ground where it almost finished. Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the Parken Stadium pitch at Euro 2020. His life could have ended, yet he is almost two years into a comeback. And it remains remarkable that Eriksen has returned to play for one of the game’s biggest clubs (Manchester United’s recent travails aside), at a World Cup, and in the Champions League.

Eriksen has appeared at the Parken Stadium since, most recently in a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan three weeks ago. Now, once again, Denmark’s national ground will welcome arguably the greatest Danish footballer since Peter Schmeichel and the Laudrup brothers. Also there will be the most-expensive-ever Danish footballer, with the £72m Rasmus Hojlund alongside Eriksen in United’s ranks.

Eriksen might be there from the start this time. Erik ten Hag might have erred in United’s meeting with FC Copenhagen two weeks ago, initially benching Eriksen for a first half where the Danish champions were the more impressive side. But with a practised assurance in possession, a Dane helped his side assume the initiative thereafter.

Over the last few weeks, in what has been a highly pressurised period in games, the Manchester United squad have noted a shift in training. Erik ten Hag has been doing a conspicuous amount of fitness work. Some players feel this has been more of a focus than tactical sessions.

Critics and opposition analysts might well say that’s obvious, given that even FC Copenhagen dominated the ball for long periods of that Champions League-saving win at Old Trafford. One of the themes of the season has been how United just haven’t played anything close to Ten Hag’s supposed tactical ideal. Many of the recent games have actually been reminiscent of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time, especially in how individual inspiration has brought wins out of unconvincing collective displays.

That’s also why their fitness work may be important. Durability has been one of the few current qualities keeping United going, and may well prevent Ten Hag from emulating Solskjaer in another way. It may stop them from going out in the group stage again, just as they did in 2020-21.

Bayern Munich have a perfect record after three rounds and will take a step closer to reaching the final at Wembley if they win at home to Galatasaray tonight. A draw would also likely seal their place the round of 16.

Manchester United are still in the mix despite losing two of their three games, while FC Copenhagen will do their hopes of progressing the world of good if they seal the points.

In the previous encounters Manchester United beat Copenhagen in the one-off Europa League quarter-final in Cologne, although it took extra time to finally divide the sides with Bruno Fernandes scoring the only goal in the 95th minute.

The clubs’ only other meetings before this season came in the 2006/07 Champions League.

United won 3-0 at Old Trafford, ended up topping the group and went on to reach the semi-finals, while Copenhagen finished fourth with seven points.

Copenhagen are fourth in Group A having collected just one point from their three games – from a 2-2 Matchday 1 draw at Galatasaray in which they conceded two late goals.

The Danish champions were beaten 2-1 at home by Bayern in their first home game on Matchday 2.