Man Utd suffer worst Champions League campaign ever as forwards dire in Bayern loss

Manchester United were left contemplating the grim reality of no European football for the rest of the season after Kingsley Coman’s second-half winner sent them crashing to another Champions League defeat. The home loss to Bayern Munich was their fourth of a campaign which can now officially be categorised as their worst in the Champions League.

Their four-point haul - which left them propping up the group - was United’s lowest, eclipsing 2005/6 when they finished with six. Bayern, already through to the last 16 as group winners, never really had to get into top gear. United were a comfortable second best.

Had they won on Tuesday night, they would have at least secured Europa League football, but it was as if they never really believed they could do it. The win extended Bayern Munich’s unbeaten Champions League run to 40 group matches, a streak going all the way back to 2017.

To finish below the German heavyweights was no disgrace for United but Copenhagen and Galatasaray too? Not good. To add injury to insult, United lost two England defenders in Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw during the contest.

It never rains when it can pour for Erik ten Hag. The United manager had chosen to pair Maguire with Raphael Varane in the centre of his defence in what was Varane's first start since the Copenhagen game on October 24.

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However the double act only lasted 40 minutes as Maguire was forced off with a pulled groin. With Shaw going off at half time it left United down to the bare bones at the back and Bayern made them pay with Coman’s 70th minute goal.

For once it wasn’t Harry Kane on the scoresheet - the England captain has fitted in at Bayern Munich like he was born in lederhosen with 22 goals in 20 matches - but he did provide the assist. Both sides had come into the game after horror weekends domestically.

United’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth was bad enough but even more of a surprise was Bayern Munich’s 5-1 thumping by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. The sting from that ensured that even with qualification for the last 16 wrapped up Thomas Tuchel’s side were interested - if not particularly energised - at Old Trafford.

They did not have to be. They had United in their pockets. Ten Hag’s side had just one shot on target all night - a drive from Shaw which was comfortably tipped over the bar by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer

Bayern dominated completely with their slick interplay. It took a timely intervention from United full-back Diogo Dalot to take the ball off the impressive Jamal Musiala’s toe in the six-yard box after a driving run from Leroy Sane. And the former Manchester City forward should have done better from an inviting cross by Coman.

While it was still 0-0 - and the same scoreline in Copenhagen - United were still in the race for qualification. But with the class differential they needed everything to fall their way and when Bruno Fernandes wasted a good chance to grab one three minutes after the break as he skied his shot over the bar there was a sense that the writing was on the wall.

The news of a goal in Denmark sent United to the brink and then Coman pushed them over it. Leon Goretzka drove at the rejigged United defence, Kane beat Dalot to the touch, and worked the French international into space. One on one with Onana he made no mistake.

Game - and European dream for United - well and truly over.

Man Utd player ratings: Onana 7, Dalot 7, Maguire 7, Varane 7, Shaw 7, Amrabat Booked 6, McTominay 6, Fernandes 7, Antony Booked 5, Garnacho 6, Hojlund 5

Subs: Evans (Maguire 40), 6; Wan-Bissaka (Shaw 46) 7; Hannibal (Garnacho 74), Pellistri (Antony 75), Mainoo (Varane 80).