Bayern help Man Utd keep hope alive in Champions League

Germany Bayern's 0-0 draw with Copenhagen in Group A on November 29 means Man Utd still have a chance to advance to the Champions League group stage, albeit a slim one.

Man Utd will be eliminated early if Copenhagen beat Bayern at the Allianz Arena. The Danish side had a chance to leave Germany with three points, on a day when the hosts did not play at their best because they were the group leaders. But in the end, Bayern's much-changed squad still had the edge over Copenhagen. The two teams drew goalless in the match, both sides satisfied with a point.

Kane (red and white) leans down to shoot while being marked by a Copenhagen defender at the Allianz Arena on November 29. Photo: Reuters — Kane (red and white) leans down to shoot while being marked by a Copenhagen defender at the Allianz Arena on November 29. Photo: *Reuters*

Bayern made four changes to the starting line-up from last week's win over Cologne, with Alphonso Davies, Raphael Guerreiro, Mathys Tel and Thomas Muller starting. Muller, who was celebrating his 100th Champions League appearance, created Bayern's first chance but Tel's shot went wide.

Copenhagen's spirits were high after Galatasaray and Man Utd drew 3-3 in the early game. That result meant the visitors only needed a draw with Bayern to move up to second in the table and have the final say. In a relaxed mood, Copenhagen played back-and-forth with Bayern and even had more shots on target than the hosts.

Head coach Jacon Neestrup could not hide his disappointment when Roony Bardghji's shot went just a few yards wide after a good combination between Viktor Claesson and Lukas Lerager. He knew that such chances would not come often in Germany. At the end of the half, Neestrup breathed a sigh of relief when goalkeeper Kamil Grabara saved Bayern's only shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

Muller was absent in his 150th Champions League match at the Allianz Arena on November 29. Photo: Reuters — Muller was absent in his 150th Champions League match at the Allianz Arena on November 29. Photo: *Reuters*

The drama intensified towards the end of the match. After Neuer brilliantly blocked Mohamed Elyounoussi's header and rebound, Bayern almost got a penalty when Peter Ankersen used his hand to block Frans Kratzig's cross. However, the referee changed his decision after consulting VAR, leaving coach Thomas Tuchel surprised.

The draw did not affect Bayern's ranking, but it did break their 17-game winning streak in the Champions League group stage. This draw gave hope to Man Utd, but in fact the team that benefited the most was Copenhagen. Neestrup's team is in second place with five points, equal with Galatasaray but with a better goal difference, and one point ahead of Man Utd. In the final round, Copenhagen will definitely go through if they beat Galatasaray at home. If they draw, the Danish representative will still have a ticket in case Man Utd cannot beat Bayern.

Line-up

Bayern: Neuer, Laimer, Goretzka, Upamecano, Davies (Kratzig 86), Kimmich, Guerreiro (Pavlovic 64), Coman (Sane 64), Muller, Mathys Tel (Gnabry 64), Kane
Copenhagen: Grabara, Jelert, Diks, Vavro, Boilesen (Ankersen 71), Goncalves (Oscar Hojlund 90), Falk, Lerager, Bardghji (Achouri 60), Elyounoussi, Claesson (Oskarsson 60)

Vy Anh

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