Europa League: Midtjylland 2-1 Manchester United
Chaos is a
very under-rated quality in football. A 6ft 7 in, 21-year-old Nigerian
called Paul Onuachu came on for Midtjylland and brought it – and now
Manchester United are in chaos, too.
This
will go down as one of their greatest humiliations in Europe. Rotor
Volgograd, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, there have been a few. Not too many
like this, though. Midtjylland, for all their achievements in recent
years, are in essence a bad Scrabble hand of a team when compared to the
aristocrats of European football.
They
are coming off the back of a long mid-winter break – their last game
was on December 10 – and are currently placed third in Denmark's
Superliga. They qualified for the Europa League's round of 32 having
finished second to Napoli, with a goal difference of minus six. Napoli
beat them 9-1 on aggregate in their group matches, including a 4-1 win
here.
Midtjylland forward Paul Onuachu (left) slides on his knees as he celebrates his side's second goal against Manchester United
Midtjylland forward Pione Sisto
celebrates after scoring the equalising goal against United in the
Europa League round of 32 victory
Sisto loses his marker before shooting
to score and level the tie at 1-1 in the Europa League round of 32
clash on Thursday night
United forward Memphis Depay (left)
celebrates scoring the opening goal against Midtjylland during Thursday
night's clash in Denmark
Holland international Depay recovers from a slip to stab home his goal from close-range in the Europa League round of 32 defeat
United winger Jesse Lingard (left) sprints with the ball past Midtjylland midfielder Rilwan Hassan during Thursday night's game
Red Devils goalkeeper Sergio Romero
dives to make a stunning save during the first-half of the round of 32
tie first-leg in Denmark
So
let's get real. Midtjylland have some very good qualities, but even a
much-reduced Manchester United team should have been able to handle
them, certainly given the advantage of a lead after 37 minutes.
Instead,
they return from the home of Lego – the headquarters is in Billund, 40
minutes away – to Old Trafford on the verge of collapse. Not just
behind, but rattled too.
It is by no means a foregone conclusion that Manchester United will retrieve this tie. At first glance, the margin is tiny.
A
1-0 win and they are through. Yet who would presume a clean sheet after
this? Everything that Midtjylland are good at, finds United weak.
They
are strong from set pieces, they are athletic and physically
competitive in the box; and in Onuachu they have one of those random
factor players, a wild card, all limbs and limbo shapes.
When
United had men like Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand or Roy Keane in their
ranks they would have had him under control; but this team is fearful
and uncertain. From the moment he came on, the sight of Onuachu
terrified them.
It
was the 60th minute when he replaced Martin Pusic and in that instant
the game changed. Until then, United had enjoyed the best of the second
half, hitting the bar through Jesse Lingard, coming close with a header
from Juan Mata.
The
score tied at 1-1 it seemed a matter of time before they regained the
lead. Onuachu changed that. His first involvement was a eye-watering
aerial challenge with Chris Smalling, which the United man won. His
second produced the save of the game from stand-in goalkeeper Sergio
Romero.
The
Argentinian was a battlefield promotion after David de Gea suffered an
ankle injury in the warm-up. United's luck goes from bad to worse.
The
eve of the match was dominated by news that Wayne Rooney would be out
for two months, now this. De Gea is not a long-term casualty, but how
United needed him on Thursday.
Not
that Romero played poorly, more that having a second string in goal
would not have aided levels of confidence that are low to begin with.
A
cross from Kristoffer Olsson – once at Arsenal, although to little
effect – instantly showcased Onuachu's danger. He was comfortably first
to the ball and Romero was at full stretch to tip his header wide.
How
to describe Onuacho? He is one of those anarchic talents, like Paolo
Wanchope – you know the type. He doesn't know what he's going to do, his
team-mates don't know what he is going to do, so the opposition are
most certainly in the dark, too.
If
United pigeon-holed him as merely a target man, he flummoxed them after
68 minutes, haring away from chasing defenders, long legs eating up the
turf to set up a chance for Pione Sisto. And then, in the 77th minute,
the culmination of all that lovely muddle and tumult. Somehow, Onuachu
scored.
Lingard (right) controls the ball under pressure during the Europa League round of 32 tie against Midtjylland on Thursday night
Martin Pusic (left) wins the ball from Red Devils striker Anthony Martial (centre) during the match at the MCH Arena in Herning
Lingard (centre) takes a tumble to the
turf after a strong challenge from Midtjylland's Nikolay Bodurov in the
Europa League clash
He
got the ball on the bounce on the edge of the area. He might have shot,
he might have passed, he might have dribbled, who know what the hell he
would do? Instead, he brought the ball under control, just about, and
tried a flick.
The ball hit his standing leg. United should have cleared but confusion reigned.
Undaunted as defenders hesitated, Onuachu recovered and shot, low and hard. It defeated Romero at his near post. Chaos had won.
'A
little bit unnecessary,' was Van Gaal's verdict on the goal. That is an
understatement. It was horrible defending, nothing less.
And
horrible from United in so many ways. Horrible passing, horrible
finishing, horrible in the midfield, where Midtjylland were first to
every loose ball. Van Gaal cited injuries, and the blow of losing De
Gea, but it is really no excuse.
There
was still a small fortune invested in this United team, even if it
included Donald Love on his full debut, plus Paddy McNair and Lingard.
Midtjylland
could buy the Danish league for the next decade with what United have
spent on Mata, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay. Morgan Schneiderlin
cost £24million and has played 13 times for France. He was one of
Manchester United's substitutes.
Nor
can it be claimed that Manchester United were demotivated. Van Gaal
stated at the weekend that winning the Europa League was their best
chance of reaching the Champions League next season, and given the list
of injuries, this was still as strong a team as he could have fielded.
Yet
Manchester United were never wholly comfortable. Even when they scored,
it came 56 seconds after a far better opportunity for Midtjylland.
United midfielder Juan Mata (left) tussles for possession with Midtjylland's Nikolay Bodurov at the MCH Arena on Thursday night
Depay (right) sprints with the ball
ahead of Bodurov during United's round of 32 first-leg match
against Midtjylland on Thursday night
United's young defender Donald Love
(left), making his first start for the club, is shown a yellow card in
the Europa League defeat
Onuachu (right) dribbles with the ball past Red Devils defender Paddy McNair during Thursday night's Europa League match
United striker Martial (left) knocks
the ball clear of Midtjylland defender Kian Hansen during the Europa
League round of the 32 match
The
see-saw minute began with a United set piece that broke down. The ball
was cleared upfield and, incredibly, Midtjylland were through on goal.
To
the mystification of all, Michael Carrick and Love had contrived to get
in front of Vaclev Kadlec, Midtjylland's highest presence.
Kadlec
ran, from his own half, with only Romero to beat. He even had a
team-mate in support, if he wanted to square it for the tap-in.
Instead,
he panicked and finished weakly, shooting straight at the goalkeeper –
but the question remained: how could that happen in an ordered back
line? While Van Gaal and his coaches pondered this bombshell, United
scored.
Lingard
crossed from the right and Depay at first looked to have stumbled at
the vital moment, but instead recovered to prod the ball past goalkeeper
Mikkel Andersen, quick off his line, but not quick enough to smother.
And
that is how it should have remained. United building on this good
fortune to put the tie out of reach, or at least holding what they had.
Instead, they allowed Midtjylland back into the game. It was a poor pass
from Carrick that put Ander Herrera in trouble.
He
couldn't get the ball under control and Midtjylland's Sisto – born in
Uganda, but a Danish international – pounced. He ran right and unleashed
a shot that defeated Romero.
This team has spirit. United will need to be goals ahead before they can relax in the return.
Still,
this is what happens when a team cannot beat Wolfsburg. They end up in
cold, flat, grey corners of Jutland, playing a team that bases its
strategies on statistics, analytics and terrifying set pieces.
And
chaos. That is what on course for Old Trafford next week. Long balls,
long throws and a long stick man of a player, all whirling arms, crazy
legs and nasty surprises. The men from Legoland are coming, and United
will be absolutely bricking it.
United goalkeeper Romero sends a long ball upfield during his side's Europa League round of 32 defeat by Midtjylland in Denmark
Sisto (left) holds off pressure from United defender Love during the Europa League match at the MCH Arena on Thursday night
Midtjylland's Kristoffer Olsson (left)
vies for the ball alongside United midfielder Ander Herrera at the MCH
Arena on Thursday night
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