Copenhagen head coach makes red card admission after Man Utd Champions League win

Copenhagen boss Jacob Neestrup has admitted his side benefitted significantly from the Marcus Rashford red card decision during Wednesday night's clash with Manchester United. United suffered a 4-3 defeat in Denmark despite leading twice, leaving them bottom of their group with two games to play.

United were 2-0 up until Marcus Rashford was sent off for overstepping and catching an opponent high on the leg, and that led to the home side scoring twice. United retook the lead through a penalty, and Copenhagen still found it within them to complete another comeback, scoring twice in three minutes late on to secure all three points.

After the game, Copenhagen boss Neestrup spoke about the huge win for his side, that keeps them in with a chance of progressing, and how the red card gave them the break they needed.

“I have never said in the first three rounds we have been unlucky,” the said after the game. “I’ve said it’s been a lack of quality.

“If there was something that was called luck in football, then we’ve got it today. But we also hunted. The early goal made us very, very shaky. We are the second best team on the pitch in the whole first half until the red card.

“That of course changed momentum for the next 15 minutes in the first half where we scored two goals. Of course the red card changed the opportunities in the game and for me as Copenhagen coach it was by far the weakest performance we have had in this group stage so far.

“If you take the picture today, then we maybe didn’t deserve three or maybe even one point. But if you take it over four rounds, then it’s very, very well deserved that Copenhagen is in second place because I believe truly that we have been the second best team over four games. Not today, but over four games.”