Man United 1-0 Copenhagen: Andre Onana makes penalty save right at the end to give Erik ten Hag’s men their first Champions League win after Harry Maguire’s powerful header

An hour or more before kick-off, Sir Bobby Charlton stood on the stadium concourses around the Old Trafford ground for many years, above the posters of a number of current Manchester United players, sipping from cups bearing the name of the official coffee partner of the club. Television screens showed images of the 1968 European Cup final.

Groups of fans, some of whom had laid wreaths at the foot of the statue of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law on the stadium forecourt, stood spellbound as they watched the gritty action that May evening at Wembley as Charlton scored the first goal. and the latter in United’s 4-1 win over Benfica, which might have been his finest hour.

Every detail seemed crystal clear, like Brian Kidd’s simple square pass that skipped slightly over the uneven ground just before reaching Charlton, who used the bounce to clip it over the Benfica goalkeeper and lift it past his dive. That goal sealed United’s victory. And when the final whistle blew, the camera lingered on Charlton.

Charlton bowed his head for a moment and then looked up to make sure he found a Benfica player he could feel sorry for. That was Charlton. Always think about sportsmanship. Always remember to do things right. He always thought about honoring the memory of his friends who had died in the Munich air disaster ten years earlier.

The kick-off against FC Copenhagen was getting closer. The groups of supporters still lingered. The screens showed images of Charlton lying in a bed at the Rechts der Isar hospital in Munich, his head in bandages, a cut on his right cheek and an abrasion on his left side, the only outward signs of the trauma he suffered. would stay with him for the rest of his life. his life.

There was also redemption for Harry Maguire, whose powerful header was the only goal in Man United’s victory over Copenhagen

It was a moving evening at Old Trafford as the club paid a moving tribute to the late Sir Bobby Charlton

And as they walked up the steps of the Halls to look down at the grass that looked so brilliantly green in the floodlights, those sitting in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand turned and looked at the director’s box to see how a wreath had been placed. on the seat where England’s greatest player had watched his successors fly across the lawn where he had once ridden.

As journalists walked to the press box, they left some words on the wall written by David Meek, the legendary Manchester Evening News reporter, about a year after the Munich tragedy.

“Charlton has developed poise and self-confidence,” Meek wrote. ‘Perhaps it was the realization that he was no longer just one of the youngsters, but an older hand on whom rested much of the responsibility for United’s recovery.’

Before the match started, a lone piper led United manager Erik ten Hag, Alex Stepney, the 1968 side’s goalkeeper and United Under 19 youth team captain Dan Gore, on a march to the center circle to place another wreath to lay.

Rarely has an occasion felt more as if the current United team were playing in the shadow of the giants and if that is partly because Charlton – who died on Saturday aged 86 – was probably the best English footballer there ever was, then that is also the case. as Ten Hag’s United seem a million miles away from being a side capable of following in the footsteps of Sir Matt Busby’s teams of the 1950s and 1960s and lifting European football’s most coveted prize.

This is a cautious, timid, restless, insecure, disjointed United team who have lost their way this season and went into the match against Copenhagen knowing that, after losing their first two group games against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, they urgently need to Danes had to beat. .

It was tempting to wonder where the modern equivalent of “the older hand” that Meek had written about had gone. Where was a man willing to take on the responsibility of leading United out of this wilderness, as Charlton had done all those decades ago under far more dire circumstances?

It’s a shame but there is very little sign of leadership in this United team. There is no one of the stature United ever found in Charlton. Perhaps such a player will emerge from these ranks, but that possibility has been difficult to discern.

United certainly seemed impressed by the tribute to Charlton. Five minutes after the start, Copenhagen almost took the lead. Mohamed Elyounoussi broke through a weak tackle from Harry Maguire, ran down the right and crossed deep to the back post where Diogo Goncalves met him with his right foot.

The win was a sigh of relief for Erik ten Hag as they get their European campaign underway after losing their first two games

Ten Hag laid a wreath for Sir Bobby in the center circle before kick-off as Old Trafford paid their respects to the English superpower.

Copenhagen’s Diogo Goncalves almost opened the scoring when he hit the post during a promising early spell for the visitors

Goncalves sent the ball towards goal, leaving Andre Onana flat-footed in the United goal, but the ball bounced back off the right post. A scramble ensued and Elyounoussi tried to force the loose ball in, but it was deflected behind for a corner. These were nervous moments for United. Copenhagen looked by far the more talented and confident side, passing the ball through and around the home side and making them look dull and ponderous. It was easy to see why they had taken the lead in their previous games against Bayern and Galatasaray.

United finally took action when Marcus Rashford curled a superb pass into Rasmus Hojlund and the striker quickly turned to blast a poisonous shot just too high, but that was the best the home side could offer in a disappointingly pale opening half.

Copenhagen sliced ​​open United’s defense again five minutes after the break and Onana produced a fine flying save to keep out a Lukas Leager shot. United finally forced a chance of their own a few minutes later, but Kamil Grabara saved brilliantly low to his right from substitute Christian Eriksen on half-time.

Scott McTominay gave away an injury time penalty for this challenge on Copenhagen’s Mohamed Elyounoussi

Onana came to McTominay’s rescue by saving Jordon Larsson’s penalty with the last kick of the match

Midway through the half, a fine pass from Bruno Fernandes cleared Alejandro Garnacho, but the substitute’s first touch failed him and he overran the ball.

It was 19 minutes from the end when United got the breakthrough they hardly deserved. Eriksen curled away a brilliant cross from the right and Maguire, who has spent much of his recent United career on the fringes of the side but is as close to a leader as this team gets, weaved his way in front of a defender and guided his header past Grabara.

United almost blew the ball deep in added time when Scott McTominay tried to clear a high ball but made contact with Elyounoussi instead. Jordan Larsson took the penalty, but Onana flung himself to his left to punch it away and the stadium erupted with joy and relief.

It was a modest, unconvincing victory, but it at least gave United their first points in European competition this season. Charlton would have smiled if he had been sitting in that chair in the director’s box where the wreath lay. And on this night of all nights, that was enough.