Erik ten Hag bemoans ‘limited options’ as Man Utd boss gives frank ‘not good enough’ assessment after Bayern Munich end Champions League campaign with a whimper

Manchester United's quest for a Champions League last-16 spot came to a disappointing end with a 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford. To advance, the three-time European champions had to secure a victory against Bayern in their group stage finale and also rely on a draw in the game between Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Unfortunately for United, neither scenario unfolded as planned as Kingsley Coman delivered the decisive blow for Bayern, scoring from close range in the 70th minute.

Nonetheless, Ten Hag remained defiant that his side did not deserve to lose on the night and blamed earlier mistakes for their ouster.

Speaking to reporters, Ten Hag said: "We didn't lose today in the Champions League, we lost it before. We have to acknowledge that. I think we’ve had some good performances but then also we made mistakes, individual errors from players. In the end, it’s not good enough but I think, today, the performance was very good again and we didn’t deserve to lose.”

The Red Devils are facing a massive injury crisis with several first-team players on the treatment table including Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and others. Marcus Rashford had taken ill ahead of the showdown which further reduced Ten Hag's options in attack.

"That’s clear," Ten Hag said when pressed if injuries played a part in the result.

"The players gave everything – you saw the spirit and, as I said, I have to credit the team, big compliment for the way they worked together as a team against this good Bayern side. But, of course, when the game is going, you need energy from the bench, and especially in the frontline, the options were limited.”

United shipped in 15 goals in the group stage, the highest among English teams this year. Moreover, it was the club's sixth exit at the group stage, a setback they hadn't faced since the 2020-21 season. Additionally, it was only the second time in their history that they finished at the bottom of their group, the previous instance being in the 2005-06 campaign.

Apart from the injured players, United will miss Bruno Fernandes at Anfield on Sunday against Liverpool as the Portuguese will be serving a one-match suspension after picking up five yellow cards in the season. They currently sit sixth in the Premier League and another defeat would be a major blow to their top-flight European aspirations for next season.