Man Utd vs Bayern Munich LIVE: Red Devils knocked out of Champions League after defeat at Old Trafford

This is Manchester United’s 25th appearance in the Champions League group stage – more than any other English side and three behind the competition record of 28 held jointly by Real Madrid and Barcelona.

United’s only victory in this season’s Champions League is a 1-0 home win against Copenhagen on Matchday 3, in which goalkeeper André Onana saved an added-time penalty. Their record otherwise is D2 L2.

Man Utd’s last home game against a German club saw a 5-0 defeat of RB Leipzig on Matchday 2 of the 2020/21 Champions League, although a 3-2 Matchday 6 defeat in Germany sent the Bundesliga side into the round of 16 at their expense.

That home win against Leipzig made it 11 matches unbeaten against German teams at Old Trafford (eight wins, three draws), since the 0-1 reverse against Bayern in the 2000/01 Champions League quarter-final first leg (1-3 aggregate).

Bayern’s 0-0 draw against Copenhagen last time out ended their record-breaking run of 17 wins in the group stages.

However, German champions are unbeaten in 39 all told and have won their last eight away from home – both best marks at this stage of the competition.

In a roundabout way, the uncertainty around Manchester United has given Erik ten Hag some assurance in the build-up to a decisive week.

No major decision-making is expected until the Ineos situation is fully resolved. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also known to have been an admirer of Ten Hag in the past, and the prospective new football staff want to fully assess the structure of the club before any big calls. Ten Hag, then, is highly unlikely to lose his job any time soon.

There is always the danger that events – or, really, results – can go out of control, though. This week looks like it has real potential for that.

The Manchester United boss is confident his team can score goals against Bayern Munich tonight but it is at the other end of the pitch where the Red Devils have been let down in this year’s Champions League.

“It is a very attractive team, Bayern Munich, but as you say, especially in the Champions League but also in other games, [against] Chelsea [for example], we created so many chances.” he said,

“This team can play very attractive and dynamic football [and] create from that point of view a lot of chances. I think we are able to score a lot of goals and I am aware they have a lot of individual quality so we have to defend very well.”

These two teams have nine European Cups between them, Bayern six and United’s three.

The German side who have fared better in the competition in recent years, claiming their most recent title in 2020 while United were last victorious in 2008.

The second of United’s triumphs came at Bayern’s expense, in perhaps the most dramatic conclusion to a European Cup final, Alex Ferguson’s side scoring twice in added time to snatch a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Manchester United face Group A winners Bayern München with their Champions League prospects hanging by a thread.

The English club – beaten 4-3 in Munich – are bottom of the section on four points, one behind both Copenhagen and Galatasaray, who meet in Denmark in the group’s other final-day fixture.

United must therefore win and hope the fixture in Copenhagen ends in a draw to overtake both clubs and claim second place.

“I think we can take our belief from the game against Chelsea.” said Erik ten Hag when asked how his team were going to beat Bayern Munich tonight.

“We know also what happened at the weekend but we want to go back to those levels against Chelsea. When we do that - when we have the right spirit and mood, when we have that strong belief, I am sure the fans will be behind us. They will energise us, they will support us and we will come to a high level.

“That is necessary if you are to beat Bayern Munich.

“We can’t think about what’s going to happen. We have to think about winning the game and there is only one way there is still a chance.

“If you draw there is a very small chance. We have to win tomorrow. We have to be aware of that. We are aware of that. We make a good plan and then it is up to us to beat Bayern Munich.”

Just the single change to the Bayern Munich team thrashed by Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, with Jamal Musiala favoured in the creative role behind Harry Kane.

Bayern Munich XI: Neuer; Mazraoui, Min-jae, Upamecano, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Coman, Musiala, Sane; Kane.

Neither Anthony Martial nor Marcus Rashford make the Manchester United squad. A couple of changes from Erik ten Hag, including a return to the fold for Raphael Varane after a period out of the team for the French defender. Rasmus Hojlund also starts up front.

Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw; Amrabat, McTominay, Fernandes; Antony, Hojlund, Garnacho.