Manchester United star spotted roughing up penalty spot moments before Copenhagen miss late spot-kick, Ten Hag refuses to comment

Manchester United youngster Alejandro Garnacho was seen scuffing the penalty spot before Copenhagen's Jordan Larsson missed a last-ditch spot kick.

United took the lead in the 72nd minute of the Champions League clash, courtesy of a goal from Harry Maguire. Copenhagen, though, had a golden chance to equalize from a last-minute penalty. Larsson, however, saw his tame effort saved by Andre Onana.

Moments before the penalty, Garnacho was seen tampering with the spot. Copenhagen coach Jacon Nistroop was unaware of the incident and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag also refused to comment on the matter.

The win marked United's first points in this season's Champions League. They suffered defeats against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray prior to the showdown against Copenhagen.

Erik ten Hag's side managed to rise from the last place in Group A to the third spot courtesy of their win. They have three points on the board from as many matches. The Red Devils will return to Premier League action on October 29 as they take on Manchester City in the derby at Old Trafford.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacted to the win against Copenhagen

The win against Copenhagen marked Manchester United's third straight win across competitions. After a dismal start to the 2023-24 campaign, the Red Devils are slowly getting their bearings back.

Ten Hag reacted positively to the recent result, telling the media that the confidence within the team is growing. He pointed out under-fire players like Maguire and Onana stepping up to the plate as instances. Ten Hag said (quotes from United's official website):

“Players are stepping up and getting their markers into the season. From there, they get the belief, as you have seen with Harry Maguire and Andre Onana. I think there are others with good performances. If we produce that and go from game to game, we can create something.”

While United got the job done against Copenhagen, it was a narrow escape. Ten Hag's Reds will certainly need to improve if they are to get a positive result against Manchester City.

The defending English champions head into the Premier League derby as the second-placed team in the table. Pep Guardiola's side have 21 points from nine matches and trail league leaders Tottenham Hotspur by two points.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are languishing in the eighth spot. They have 15 points on the board from nine matches and have won three of their last five league games, losing the other two.