Manchester United came into their final Champions League group game of the season on Tuesday night needing just a draw to get through to the round of 16, yet they now find themselves in the Europa League following a 3-2 loss at RB Leipzig.
The visitors conceded inside two minutes, when Angelino got on the end of Marcel Sabitzer's brilliant pass. Barely 10 minutes later, Amadou Haidara scored to put United in a two-goal hole.
It looked as though the Red Devils would be 3-0 down within a half hour, but Willi Orban was shown to have been offside. That third goal eventually came in the 69th minute, when Justin Kluivert capitalised on poor communication between David de Gea and Harry Maguire.
Mason Greenwood won a penalty in the 79th minute, which Bruno Fernandes coolly stepped up to convert. United then got the score back to 3-2 two minutes later through second-half substitute Paul Pogba.
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more
Despite their late push, United's comeback fell short, and the Europa League beckons for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer & Co.
Positives
The Red Devils were able to create some decent chances for themselves, even if they weren't always taken. There were improvements in the second half and good character was shown to get close to a comeback.
Negatives
So much of Man United's defending, especially early on, was completely unacceptable at this level. It was made even more shocking considering Solskjaer opted to play five at the back. There were also signs of a lack of discipline at points.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- Playing a five-man defence and then being opened up down the wings within 15 minutes is unforgivable. Solskjaer has got out of tough situations plenty of times but couldn't quite do so here, despite the late comeback. The bench were given a telling off by the referee, giving the manager yet another problem to deal with.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK David de Gea, 4 -- There was very little the Spain No. 1 could do about either of Leipzig's first two goals. Had a terrible mix-up with Maguire for the third.
DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 3 -- It's hard to believe this is the same man who's so often been lauded for his defensive capabilities. Wan-Bissaka's first-half performance was truly shocking.
DF Victor Lindelof, 4 -- Looked completely helpless at stages as United's defence failed to deal with Leipzig. Was booked for a foul before coming off.
DF Harry Maguire, 4 -- Was booked for a cynical foul on Justin Kluivert, then gifted the Netherlands international a goal when he didn't clear the ball.
DF Luke Shaw, 4 -- Had some good moments defensively but could have shown better awareness for the second goal. Was harshly booked for a foul on Ibrahima Konate
DF Alex Telles, 5 -- Some good intent was shown but his execution was far from the best. The Brazilian's inability to produce saw him taken off at half-time.
MF Scott McTominay, 7 -- Showed far more fight than most of his teammates did in large parts of the game and also produced some moments of quality.
MF Nemanja Matic, 4 -- Looked pretty neat on the ball at times but wasn't very effective at all.
MF Bruno Fernandes, 7 -- Was given an early booking for complaining to the referee. Seemed very frustrated for large periods but kept plugging away and was clinical from the penalty spot.
FW Mason Greenwood, 6 -- Wasted a decent chance early on but kept trying to make things happen and won United's penalty.
FW Marcus Rashford, 6 -- Threatened to cause danger for RB Leipzig plenty of times but couldn't quite beat Peter Gulacsi.
Substitutes
MF Donny van de Beek, 6 -- Replaced Telles at half-time and was a spark at times with his forward running.
MF Paul Pogba, 7 -- Replaced Matic in the 61st minute and showed a good range of passing before being credited with United's second goal. Got away with a terrible pass near the end.
DF Brandon Williams, 5 -- Replaced Shaw in the 61st minute and was inconsistent. Showed some very promising moments but also looked clumsy at times. Was booked for a foul on Kluivert.
DF Axel Tuanzebe, N/R -- Replaced Lindelof in the 78th minute and looked like a composed presence at the back for United.
DF Timothy Fosu-Mensah, N/R -- Replaced Wan-Bissaka in the 78th minute and tried to help get the ball forward quickly at every opportunity.