Rio Ferdinand ponders over Manchester United’s unexpected elimination in the group stage, describing it as a “criminal” occurrence.

During Manchester United’s exit from the UEFA Champions League, Bruno Fernandes was applauded by the club’s supporters. The game against FC Bayern München occurred at Old Trafford on December 12, 2023.

Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United player, voiced his disappointment and asserted that the team did not merit advancement to the knockout stage of the tournament. He criticized their European strategy, describing it as a style of football resembling “basketball,” where both teams relentlessly attack to determine the victor. Ferdinand brought attention to the problem of United’s inability to convert their chances, as they scored 12 goals but allowed 15 in the group stage matches.

After suffering a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth in their previous game, United began the match with enthusiasm and aggression but lacked the necessary sharpness in the attacking third. They struggled to create clear opportunities to score and could only muster one shot on target against Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper.

The decisive moment of the game occurred when Harry Kane’s touch enabled Kingsley Coman to easily score, resulting in a 1-0 victory for Bayern Munich. United’s fate was sealed and they were eliminated from the competition before Christmas due to this outcome. The disappointment was clear as boos reverberated throughout the stadium after the game ended.

According to Paul Scholes, a former Manchester United player, he described the campaign as “very disappointing” and emphasized the team’s inability to maintain leads in matches. He highlighted that their downfall began with the loss at home against Galatasaray. Despite showing promise in some performances, United lacked the necessary cutting edge to secure victories.

Scholes also observed that Bayern Munich had more room to improve and could have scored more goals if they had wanted to.