Alejandro Garnacho labelled ‘baby’ for scuffing spot before Copenhagen’s penalty miss

"Get Free Reading The Game Newsletter From Miguel Delaney"

Miguel Delaney's Weekly Newsletter: Sign Up Now!

On Tuesday night during the Champions League match at Old Trafford, Manchester United's winger, Alejandro Garnacho, was accused of behaving in an immature manner by deliberately scuffing up the penalty spot just before FC Copenhagen's game-deciding penalty.

In the video, Garnacho was seen dragging his boots over the penalty spot just before Jordan Larsson's penalty was denied by United's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, in the 97th minute. The match subsequently concluded with a score of 1-0, thanks to Harry Maguire's goal from a header.

Even though there wasn't any proof that Garnacho's behavior affected the penalty's outcome, Kim Kallstrom, a former player for Sweden and Arsenal, claimed on Swedish television that Garnacho was acting like a child and being immature.

Despite this, many Manchester United supporters were thrilled with Garnacho's sly tactics, with one individual even tweeting, "Where shall we have your monument erected?"

Beginning their journey in Group A with losses against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, it was crucial for the Red Devils to avoid any mistakes against the Danish champions. Onana was not up to par in the prior Champions League games, but he redeemed himself in a spectacular finish to their first home game since the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton.

According to manager Erik ten Hag, the recent addition to the team from Inter Milan exhibited great character and acknowledged that he hadn't been performing up to his true potential in the past. The manager believes that the player's abilities were not fully utilized before and there was room for improvement.

In my opinion, the match against Sheffield United on Saturday was a splendid show, and the game today was just as impressive. Let's not overlook the remarkable stop he made right after the half-time, stopping the opponents from scoring. That's one of his abilities - he has excellent skills when it comes to saving penalties.

The amazing save made by Onana brought about lively and enthusiastic rejoicing at an exhilarating Old Trafford. He was engulfed by his fellow team members, and afterwards, Manchester United's substitutes swarmed onto the field.

Ten Hag explained that the dressing room contains a strong team dynamic. He stated that the players work together, fight together, and commemorate opportunities together. Even when they encounter difficulties, they offer support to one another. Ten Hag believes that a team's success is dependent on maintaining this type of spirit. He also mentioned that he did not witness Garnacho's penalty spot scuff.