Munich is etched into the very soul of Manchester United. Through tragedy, of course, but also through this club’s instinctive ability to fight back in the face of adversity.
In that sense, Erik ten Hag’s players did their club proud on a quite bewildering and, at times, bonkers night at the Allianz Arena.
United looked down and out three times. Three times they fought back to somehow take this game to the wire. They do have form against Bayern Munich after all.
But let’s not kid ourselves that this was a seven-goal nail-biter. It was as one-sided a 4-3 game as you are likely to see.
Yes, United began well and were the better team in spite of their pitiful start to the season until Andre Onana catastrophically allowed a shot from former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane to elude him.
Manchester United fell short in their Champions League group stage opener on Wednesday
Harry Kane scored his first Champions League goal in Bayern colours against the Red Devils
The England captain stepped up to the spot and smashed his effort into the back of the net
Onana’s howler gifted Bayern the lead in the first half as he allowed Leroy Sane’s weak shot into the net
United’s fragile confidence crumbled after that and Bayern took over. They scored three more and hit the post twice. Onana did his best to redeem himself with a string of saves but the Germans could have reached double figures.
Each goal was greeted with pounding Bavarian oompah music and the delight of the stadium MC, rubbing salt into United’s wounds too many of which feel self-inflicted right now.
So Ten Hag’s side stagger on, from a painful night here in Bavaria to Burnley on Saturday. From defeat in this incredible goal feast beneath the futuristic majesty of the Allianz to an old-fashioned street fight at Turf Moor.
Just how bad can this get now? United’s start reads four defeats in their opening six games. This is crisis time for Ten Hag.
From a growing injury list to the wretched series of results and off-the-field issues that have rendered Antony and Jadon Sancho unavailable, the problems are piling up far faster than he can solve them at the moment.
Ten Hag will take some heart from Rasmus Hojlund’s first goal and the response from his beleaguered team. There is still a spirit about them if not much swagger. But he didn’t try to put a positive spin on it afterwards.
The start was bright enough, though. United could have been ahead in the fourth minute had Alpohonso Davies somehow beat Facundio Pellistri to Christian Eriksen’s cross in front of goal.
Ten Hag had ditched his midfield diamond from Saturday’s defeat to Brighton to give Pellistri his Champions League debut on the right wing. The United manager was also forced to put three youngsters – Hannibal Mejbri, Dan Gore and Omari Forson – on the bench alongside three goalkeepers.
It was the man who started in goal for United who was responsible for this game turning crucially in Bayern’s favour just before the half hour mark, however.
Onana appeared before the media here on Tuesday night and addressed the murmurings that the man brought in for £47.2million to replace David de Gea because he is better with his feet might not be so good with his hands.
Rasmus Hojlund scored his first goal for the club with a close-range, deflected effort
Hojlund’s goal got United back in it but they conceded a third after Eriksen was adjudged to have handled in the box
Youngster Mathys Tel added a fourth goal deep in added time with a thumping effort
Onana defended himself then better than he defended his goal in the 28th minute when Sane cut in from the right and exchanged passes with Harry Kane.
Sane’s first-time shot took the slightest nick off Lisandro Martinez but still flew straight at Onana and the Cameroon keeper somehow allowed it to squirm through his hands.
Ten Hag stood stoney-faced on the touchline. Maybe the United manager was mulling over the fact that De Gea is still on the market.
Credit to Onana for facing the music after the game last night, but that is 14 goals he has conceded in his first six games.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of United and within four minutes Bayern had another. The excellent Jamal Musiala raced down he left pursued by Diogo Dalot and was able to twist inside the United right-back. Musiala laid the ball back to Arsenal old-boy Serge Gnabry who swept it home.
United dug deep after half-time and pulled a goal back in the 49th minute when Hojlund scored after a largely anonymous first half. Marcus Rashford laid the ball off for his new strike partner who hit it first-time and a deflection helped his shot past Sven Ulreich.
The renewed hope was extinguished almost immediately. VAR official Pol van Boekel ruled that Dayot Upamecano’s header had hit Eriksen’s arm and up stepped Kane.
Casemiro scored a brace in the dying moments but it was too little, too late for Man United
Erik ten Hag’s Man United side have now lost their last three matches in all competitions
Onana messed around with his water bottle and towel to keep the England captain waiting, but to no avail. Kane converted for his fifth goal in the last five games.
Sane and substitute Thomas Muller hit the post and Onana saved from Kane and Eric Choupo-Moting as Bayern threatened to run riot.
Then Casemiro struck from close-range in the 88th minute and suddenly United hoped again. Substitute Mathys Tel restored the two-goal lead but Casemiro replied again from Bruno Fernandes’ freekick.
There was no way back, though, and Burnley will be licking their lips now.
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