Manchester United fell to a 2-1 defeat to Midtjylland in the first leg of their round-of-32 Europa League clash at the MCH Arena on Thursday night.
Paul Onuachu proved to be the hero for the hosts, as he won a 50-50 tackle with Juan Mata, albeit with a timid effort from the Spaniard, before arrowing his effort beyond Sergio Romero and into the back of the net.
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The night hadn’t started in the best of fashion for the Red Devils, with David de Gea pulling out of the game after picking up an injury in the warm-up.
While United have yet to release any further information on the extent of the problem, Sergio Romero proved that he was more than capable of stepping in with numerous key saves during the course of the encounter.
It looked like it would be a successful trip for United when Memphis Depay bundled home to give them the lead in the first half, but it was short-lived as Pione Sisto found an equaliser just before the interval to hand the home side the initiative.
As Louis van Gaal’s side battled to try and get back into the game, they were caught out again, this time by Onuachu to give the Danish champions an important advantage heading into the second leg at Old Trafford next week.
It remains to be seen whether or not De Gea will be available for selection, while Van Gaal will undoubtedly be feeling further pressure as United are expected to advance beyond their rivals.
Nevertheless, the focus now switches to Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday night, before Midtjylland arrive in Manchester next Thursday hoping to secure a major upset against their illustrious opponents.