Champions League: Player Blames Union for Costly Defeat | Europe Football News

It doesn’t happen often that a visiting player is whistled at from kick-off. And certainly not by the eternally positive audience of Union. But Mason Greenwood is a special case. The former top talent of Manchester United fell out of favor in England after he was accused of rape and serious domestic violence. His girlfriend shared shocking images on social media. Manchester United already seemed to accept a conviction for its attacker when the charges against him were suddenly dropped. Greenwood was ready to continue his career again, according to his lawyer.

Greenwood went to play football in Spain for a year, at Getafe, and returned to Manchester United to pick up the thread. However, the images continued to circulate on social media and it challenged United club management that a longer stay for the then 22-year-old Greenwood at the club was not sustainable. A solution was sought and found. Roberto De Zerbi, the coach of Marseille, convinced his club management to put a sum of 26 million euros on the table for the disgraced footballer. “He’s just a very good player.”

Greenwood’s arrival in the summer of last year was very negatively received in Marseille. Fan groups launched the English-language hashtag #GreenwoodNotWelcome. Even the mayor, Benoît Payan, got involved. He called Greenwood’s behavior “unacceptable.”

Yet De Zerbi got his way and in the French competition Greenwood is doing exactly what he was brought to Marseille for: scoring goals. 21 in his first season and again 10 this season. De Zerbi calls him one of the best attackers in Europe. The French fans have a love-hate relationship with him. The Union supporters are well aware of his situation and whistled at him when he had the ball.

Greenwood is most dangerous when he can dive into spaces and he got exactly that from Union on Tuesday evening. It would not have had to be this way if goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen had not made a mistake in the 1-1 against Brazilian Igor Paixão. The (former) Red Devil Arthur Vermeeren had initiated the goal with a good through ball to the veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Amir Murillo (ex-Anderlecht) was able to take a swing, but Scherpen released the ball that he could easily have clamped. Paixão scored on the rebound.

The equalizer meant that Union could no longer play its beloved game of sitting back and threatening on the counter-attack. They had taken the lead thanks to the Israeli Anan Khalaili, played by Rob Schoofs, who had all the time and space to prepare the ball for his left. For the first time in this Champions League campaign, Union took the lead at Lotto Park.

But Paixão’s equalizer changed the game. Not Union, but Marseille could now counter. And that is precisely where Mason Greenwood excelled. Just before half time after a one-two with Aubameyang and weak defending from Leysen and Niang. After half-time by shaking off Christian Burgess and neatly putting the ball away in the far corner.

With a 1-3 score, Union seemed to be exhausted, but the fire still went up in the Lotto Park. First, star Khalaili made it 2-3. Marseille goalkeeper Rulli went under the ball from a cross from Leysen, the Israeli controlled the ball with his chest to score the tying goal.

Twice offside

The appearance of the strong Promise David turned the match even more. Twice the players, and also the stadium, believed in the 3-3. But first a goal by Kevin MacAllister was disallowed after a VAR intervention for barely visible offside, and in the end substitute Promise David was flagged by the assistant referee. Right in the end, David saw a third chance for an equalizer saved by the goalkeeper.

Union have lost all four of their games at Lotto Park this season. First twice without a chance with 0-4 against Newcastle United and Inter, then with 1-0 against Anderlecht in the league, and on Tuesday with 2-3 in a match that it could and perhaps should have won. The Union players were badly affected.

“Was it perfect? ​​No. We conceded three avoidable goals,” coach David Hubert responded. “But I am proud of my players. We chose to remain compact and seize our moments. We knew that we could come out of the first pressure and score. We did that until the 1-1 where we were a bit too naive. In the second half we were more aggressive and in the last half hour we came close to a deserved point several times. Then everyone would have said: Union’s juste-au-bout-ism is working again. Now the analyzes sound different.”

Due to the negative goal difference of -7, Union probably needs ten points to qualify for the top 24 and advance to the intermediate round of the Champions League. In any case, Union is obliged to win its last home match in the Champions League, on January 28 against Atalanta Bergamo. On January 21, the people of Brussels will also visit Bayern Munich. “It is too early to look ahead to those matches,” says Hubert. “My football heart bleeds to see that we miss a point by two millimeters that could have meant a lot in this campaign. That makes it extra sad.”

An interim assessment after six games and six points (wins over PSV and Galatasaray) is that Union has the potential, but not yet the coolness, to be competitive in the Champions League. The people of Brussels pay a high price for individual mistakes, such as Tuesday by Scherpen. Another observation is that Union is close to a dip in form under coach David Hubert. Things are also not going well in the competition, with a draw against AA Gent after the defeat against Anderlecht. Winning matches, starting in the Jupiler Pro League, is now the first task for the outgoing champion.