Last season, Manchester United didn't appear in the UEFA Champions League, but at least they played in the UEFA Europa League. This season, the "Red Devils" didn't have even that luxury after exiting the Champions League as the bottom team of Group A.
Group F, in which Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), AC Milan and Newcastle United were competing, was seen as the "group of death" to many. Theoretically, any of them could enter the next phase or be eliminated.
However, the final result was still a little surprising, especially with the process that led to it. Newcastle blew their way to the Europa League because they chose to play aggressively when they could have played it safe and lived with a draw with Milan.
By contrast, PSG chose the safe option with Dortmund. Their draw took them to the next stage, but a win would have made the French giants the leader of the group. Nonetheless, the way PSG played the game's final six minutes left the impression that they wanted it over sooner than Dortmund did. Usually, the club that aims for the throne plays with more authority, which PSG have been lacking on most occasions so far this season.
Players of Manchester United look on after the 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League group game at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, December 12, 2023. /CFP
Players of Newcastle United look on after the 2-1 loss to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League group game at St. James Park in Newcastle, England, December 13, 2023. /CFP
Kylian Mbappe (#7) of Paris Saint-Germain shoots in the UEFA Champions League group game against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, December 13, 2023. /CFP
Host: Li Xiang
Guest: Josh McNally
Cover designer: Feng Yuan