Manchester United avoided getting embarrassed in Germany after some shaky goalkeeping in their opening Champions League game, losing 4-3 against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
After a promising opening to the game, the wheels started to fall off for Manchester United after Leroy Sane’s shot in the 28th minute slipped through Andre Onana’s hands to give the hosts a first-half lead.
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“We started very good. After my mistake, we lost control of the game. It’s a difficult situation for us, for me,” Onana told TNT Sports post-match, according to BBC Sport.
The blunder was the latest blemish this season for the Cameroonian goalkeeper, who has struggled since joining Manchester United from Inter Milan.
“I have a lot to prove. My start in Manchester hasn’t been so good, not how I want. This was one of my worst games,” Onana said.
“It’s a tough time. We have to be together and work hard,” he added.
Bayern Munich doubled their lead shortly after the opening goal when Serge Gnabry beat Onana from inside the penalty area in the 32nd minute.
In the second half, Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Manchester United goal before Harry Kane converted a penalty to restore Bayern’s two-goal advantage. Then Bayern Munich wiped out another United comeback bid after Casemiro’s strike was canceled out by Mathys Tel’s goal.
Onana has now conceded 14 goals in six games in all competitions.
Jordan Raanan is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Raanan covers the New York Giants. You can follow him via Twitter @JordanRaanan.
Nick Wagoner
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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
Sep 21, 2023, 11:35 PM ET
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers pulled out a 30-12 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night, and while the 49ers may not have looked unbeatable, they did more than enough to handle a banged-up opponent.
The Giants kept hanging around until the fourth quarter, when the Niners put it away late. Here’s what to know about each team’s performance:
San Francisco 49ers
It wasn’t always pretty, and it wasn’t as easy as the final score might indicate, but the 49ers took care of business.
On a short week, the Niners, without injured receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder), labored through the win. While the Giants were short-handed in their second game of a West Coast swing, there’s no need for the 49ers to apologize for another victory as San Francisco moved to 3-0 for just the second time in the past 25 years.
But if this win taught anything, it’s that Aiyuk’s value to the Niners should not be discounted. The Giants entered this game having blitzed more than any team in the league since the start of 2022. They lived up to that reputation, relentlessly sending extra rushers at 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Those blitzes were effective in the first half, not only in pressuring Purdy but in causing him to be off target and forcing Niners coach Kyle Shanahan to resort to more screens and quick passes instead of the intermediate routes he often prefers.
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That is where Aiyuk would have made a difference. Dating to the start of last season, Aiyuk has 50 catches (tied for 8th in the NFL) for 679 yards (tied for 9th) against man coverage. Nobody on the Niners more consistently and quickly beats man coverage than Aiyuk.
In the second half, fellow wideout Deebo Samuel (six catches for 129 yards and a touchdown) and tight end George Kittle (seven receptions for 90 yards) helped pick up the slack, and the Niners defense dominated the Giants.
To be sure, the 49ers did the right thing keeping Aiyuk, whom they’d like to sign to a contract extension in the offseason, out Thursday night so he can use the extra rest to get healthy for the long haul. But his absence should also only bolster how much they value him for the rest of this season. And beyond.
QB breakdown: With defenders constantly in his face, Purdy had a bit of an odd night, though his final numbers turned out quite good. Purdy finished 25 of 37 for 310 yards with two touchdowns for a passer rating of 111.3. Purdy put the ball in harm’s way a handful of times and was fortunate to avoid turnovers in the first half, but he was outstanding on third down and came on late in the game. It wasn’t his best performance, but Purdy is now one of only four quarterbacks to start a career with at least eight straight regular season wins in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966).
Purdy was blitzed on 74% of his dropbacks, the highest blitz rate faced by a QB with 30 dropbacks since Colin Kaepernick in 2013 (88% vs Cardinals). The 29 blitzes Purdy faced were more than double his previous high (14). Purdy’s 236 passing yards against the blitz were the most by a passer since Aaron Rodgers in 2021.
Troubling trend: The Niners entered the night tied for the fifth-most penalties in the league and did nothing to assuage those concerns against the Giants. San Francisco finished with six penalties for 71 yards, including two for 37 yards that set up New York’s first touchdown of the game.
Eye-popping stat: After scoring on a four-yard run in the first half, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey now has a touchdown in 12 consecutive games (including playoffs), tying him with Jerry Rice for the longest streak in franchise history. Lenny Moore has the record for most consecutive games with a TD — including playoffs — at 17. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: vs. Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Oct. 1)
New York Giants
This wasn’t a no-contest like the 40-0 opening loss to Dallas. The shorthanded Giants hung around Thursday night, keeping it within a score into the fourth quarter.
Ultimately, the Giants couldn’t beat the more talented 49ers, especially with a couple bounces and costly penalties going against them. But it wasn’t for a lack of effort. The Giants would’ve had to play a perfect game in order to win on the road in prime time without four starters (running back
Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot as Bayern Munich piled more misery on struggling Manchester United with a 4-3 home win in the Champions League on Wednesday.
United travelled to Germany after a poor run of form and amid a raft of off-field issues and were offered little respite by a Bayern side who have now won their past 20 Champions League opening matches.
It was a fourth defeat in just six matches for Erik ten Hag’s floundering United in all competitions this season as they failed to bounce back from last weekend’s embarrassing 3-1 home loss to Brighton in the Premier League.
Bayern took control when visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana let Leroy Sane’s weak shot roll into the net in the 28th minute before Serge Gnabry swept home a second.
Rasmus Hojlund pulled one back before Kane drilled in a penalty early in the second half.
Casemiro’s late effort briefly gave United hope of an unlikely comeback against the run of play, but Bayern substitute Mathys Tel smashed home a fourth for the hosts in added time.
Brazilian Casemiro nodded in another consolation goal for United from the last attack of the match.
“We lost a bit of concentration there in the last five minutes,” Kane, who has now scored five goals in as many starts for Bayern since joining from Tottenham, told TNT Sports.
“Thankfully we were able to hold onto the lead. It’s always great to score. Always room for improvement.
“Really good night tonight, we’ve started the season well and we can improve in certain areas but I feel like we are building towards that.”
Six-time European champions Bayern moved top of the early Group A table after Wednesday’s earlier 2-2 draw between Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen in Istanbul.
United next visit Burnley at the weekend, with their second Champions League game at home against Galatasaray next month.
“After my mistake we lost control of the game. It’s a difficult situation for us, for me,” admitted Onana.
“The team were one down because of that mistake. I have to learn from it and be strong.”
‘Focus on the process’
Coming into the match, Ten Hag said the challenges would teach his side to “focus on the process”.
Early on, they controlled possession and forced Bayern onto the back foot.
Bayern would strike first, however, thanks to some clever work from Kane and Sane — and a poor error from Onana.
Sane evaded his marker and threaded a ball to Kane, who guided the ball back into the path of the former Manchester City winger.
Sane slid the ball goalwards and Onana made a meal of the save and allowed it to trickle into the net.
Bayern celebrated as Onana lay forlorn on the Allianz Arena turf.
If Bayern’s first was a mix of team understanding and good fortune, the second came about mainly thanks to the individual brilliance of Jamal Musiala.
The England-raised midfielder, 20, collected the ball near the halfway line and dribbled goalwards, fending off the attention of several United defenders before squaring for Gnabry.
The former Arsenal forward slammed the ball into the net to leave United 2-0 down and reeling after a solid if unspectacular start.
The visitors did give their travelling fans hope just after half-time when United collected a poor back-pass from Musiala, Marcus Rashford finding summer signing Hojlund whose deflected shot evaded goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
United’s hope was short-lived however, a VAR review finding a handball in the box from Christian Eriksen.
United complained about the call, with Eriksen clearly trying to withdraw his arm while having little time to react, but Kane stepped up and converted the spot-kick.
United rallied late on, Casemiro scoring either side of a Mathys Tel goal, but Bayern were never in serious danger of relinquishing the three points.
The Champions League is back! Below, we dissect the biggest talking points from Tuesday’s action as this season’s group stage kicks off.
Newcastle still have a lot to learn
There’s a temptation to praise teams when they steal a point away from home. Newcastle United did it Tuesday against AC Milan, drawing a round of applause from various pundits for their “battling” performance at San Siro.
The truth is far less appealing. Milan outshot Newcastle 25-6 and outplayed the visitors in virtually every area of the pitch. Tuesday’s goalless draw was less a demonstration of Newcastle’s defensive brilliance and more an indictment of Milan’s careless finishing.
What we really learned is that Newcastle are well off the pace in the Champions League. They offered next to nothing offensively against Milan, who were beaten 5-1 by Inter Milan on the weekend. Newcastle’s first shot on target came in the 95th minute, and with just 11 touches in the penalty area, they rarely threatened to make any breakthrough. On the opposite end, Milan routinely broke Newcastle’s lines, wreaking all sorts of havoc in the 18-yard box. Sixteen of their 25 attempts came from inside the area, and if Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud hadn’t had such an off night, Milan would’ve run up the score. It could’ve been embarrassing.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said afterward his team would improve, and it must if the club has any hope of qualifying out of this year’s group of death. Timid in the final third and too loose in midfield to control games, Howe’s side often relies on Dan Burn’s exceptional blocking and clearing and Kieran Trippier’s clean tackling to get results. But as a unit, Newcastle are conceding too many high-quality chances for a team with as much ambition as they have.
What’s most concerning about Newcastle is their tactical imbalance. Howe’s team doesn’t press very well, and neither Sandro Tonali nor Bruno Guimaraes look like they can carry the load in the centre of the pitch. They almost seem to step on each other’s toes, with neither knowing what their assignment is.
So there’s much more to learn from the club’s first Champions League match in two decades than there’s to praise. And that’s OK. A lot of people at Newcastle – Howe included – hadn’t experienced a night like this one before. But there was a bit too much luck about this draw for Howe or any one of his players to fall for the usual cliches about such desperate performances. – Anthony Lopopolo
Rodri’s influence keeps on growing
It took some time for Rodri to settle at Manchester City. This isn’t surprising under a manager like Pep Guardiola, whose insistence on patterns and precision can be hard for some players to immediately understand and execute.
But it’s easy to forget that one of the main reasons the Spaniard was omitted from City’s lineup for their 2021 Champions League final defeat was because he was out of form – just two years before Rodri won it for his club against Inter to conclude an influential 2022-23 campaign.
Wind back a couple of years, and Rodri was guilty of dwelling in possession and could surrender the ball in dangerous areas. Sometimes he lacked the vision to consistently turn defense into attack. He didn’t always use his size effectively when shielding the ball. Simply put, he was struggling to be Fernandinho.
Tuesday’s 3-1 comeback victory over Crvena Zvezda was yet more evidence of how much he’s grown as a player. It’s difficult to name a better No. 6 on the planet, with his ability to progress play now reminiscent of Fernandinho while his brawn and assurance on the ball harks back to peak Yaya Toure.
His increased attacking threat was on display when he coolly bypassed his marker and sidefooted the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. He also ranked joint-third for shots in the match (five), completed three dribbles, was on the mark with all three of his attempted long balls, and, of course, touched the ball more times (117) than any other player.
And that’s perhaps the strongest indicator of how valuable Rodri is to Guardiola’s team – they’re getting him on the ball as much as possible. Last season, he averaged 101.2 touches per 90 minutes in the Premier League. That number has risen to 128.5 touches per 90 minutes over the opening five matches of City’s latest English title defense.
“He is a top class player,” Guardiola reflected on Rodri’s latest performance. “The goal is top class but defensively (and) offensively he reads the play and spaces and knows exactly where men are free. Close to the box he is so dangerous.” – Daniel Rouse
Felix enjoying his football again
It’s nice to see Joao Felix smiling.
After enduring a miserable spell at Atletico Madrid, and an even more disastrous loan stint at Chelsea, the Portuguese forward seems genuinely happy at Barcelona. Felix said it was his “dream” to play for the Catalan club prior to sealing his temporary switch from the Spanish capital, and, at least thus far, it’s going as well as he could possibly hope.
He was the standout performer in Barca’s 5-0 shellacking of Royal Antwerp on Tuesday, scoring twice, including a slick opener in which he cut inside and fired a textbook low shot back to the near post. The brace gives him three goals in his last two matches – both 5-0 Barcelona triumphs – and he’s establishing himself as a dangerous weapon on the left side of Xavi’s attacking trio.
Felix, still only 23, is objectively talented. Whatever you think of Atletico Madrid’s decision to spend €126 million to sign him in 2019, there’s no denying his quality. Can he consistently show it off is the question that will determine whether he can reestablish himself as one of the game’s most exciting forwards. It wasn’t that long ago he was viewed as a future superstar, after all.
Under Xavi’s tutelage, and free of the more rigorous defensive demands of Diego Simeone at Atletico, Felix is in the ideal environment. This is his best opportunity to thrive since his Benfica days, and he knows it.
“Getting to this level, it’s not the most difficult thing, it’s maintaining it,” Felix said after Tuesday’s stroll in Montjuic. “We all have to work hard to do that.”
Barcelona, looking to recover from two consecutive – and humbling – group-stage exits in Europe’s premier competition, need Felix to keep delivering just as much as he needs them right now. It’s a dream match. – Gianluca Nesci
Quick free-kicks
Provedel’s memorable moment
Is this the moment that jolts Lazio’s season to life? Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel’s 95th-minute equalizer against Atletico Madrid was a bolt from the blue. The netminder, almost as if in a daze, didn’t know how to celebrate after glancing a header beyond counterpart Jan Oblak to secure a 1-1 draw. Lazio supporters haven’t had much to get excited about in the early stages of the campaign. They lost their first two league matches in upset fashion, and their away win over Scudetto holders Napoli was immediately followed by a timid defeat to Juventus, halting any momentum Maurizio Sarri had hoped to gain. Provedel’s tally, the first by a goalkeeper in the Champions League in over a decade, should provide a much-needed spark. How could it not? – Nesci
Signs of progress for PSG
Paris Saint-Germain have gotten off to a rocky start under Luis Enrique, as the new-look squad – particularly up front – takes time to gel; going into their Champions League opener against Borussia Dortmund, they had won just two of their first five league games. But there were finally signs on Tuesday that the expensively assembled attack is starting to figure things out in the wake of losing Lionel Messi and Neymar. Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani, and Ousmane Dembele should be one of the most electric trios in world football. With Goncalo Ramos also in the mix, it’s only a matter of time until PSG morphs into a devastating unit. – Nesci
Tomori deserves more respect
Are you watching, Gareth Southgate? Perennially overlooked by England’s manager, Fikayo Tomori showed against English opposition just how brave of a defender he can be. The 25-year-old stuck to Alexander Isak like taffy on Tuesday, rendering Newcastle’s pacey striker powerless in an incredible man-marking display. Tomori also stepped out of defense whenever he could, ensuring none of Newcastle’s attackers could turn easily into Milan’s half of the field. He certainly took risks – every one of his challenges had to be perfect – but reaped the rewards. Whether Southgate sees Tomori as a solution at the back is another thing. The defender has made just three appearances for England in the last four years. He’s paid his dues. – Lopopolo
All aboard the Simons hype train
The hype over Xavi Simons continues to grow. The 20-year-old didn’t have a goal or an assist in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Young Boys, but the promising RB Leipzig star played well enough in his Champions League debut to pick up the Man of the Match award. He was a constant threat in possession, fearlessly driving at defenders and helping to create opportunities against the Swiss side courtesy of his great vision and passing. It was a continuation of the versatile Dutchman’s red-hot start to his first Bundesliga season after joining Leipzig on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. – Gordon Brunt
Glazer’s Jekyll and Hyde night
The hasty manner in which Crvena Zvezda boss Barak Bakhar jettisoned goalkeeper Milan Borjan over the summer seemed distasteful given the veteran donned the gloves for six consecutive Serbian SuperLiga titles. But Omri Glazer’s first-half performance at Manchester City helped explain Bakhar’s thinking. The Israeli shot-stopper pulled off seven saves – keeping Haaland off the score-sheet and producing one remarkable piece of athleticism to deny Nathan Ake – to help his team take a surprise 1-0 lead into halftime. However, it was a mixed evening for the 27-year-old, who duly punched Julian Alvarez’s free-kick into his own net for City’s second goal. – Rouse
Stat of the day
It is, officially, the end of an era in the Champions League.
Tweet of the day
Chelsea are still struggling and Thiago Silva turns 39 on Friday. Are the Brazilian defender’s Champions League days over?