MANCHESTER: Andre Onana saved a penalty in added time to give Manchester United a priceless Champions League victory against Copenhagen.

On an emotional night that began with a lone piper walking out playing the United anthem ‘We’ll Never Die’ as Old Trafford paid its respects to Sir Bobby Charlton, United fans thought Harry Maguire’s first goal since February 2022 had given them the win they craved.

But with the allotted four minutes of added time played, Scott McTominay conceded a penalty by swinging a high boot dangerously near Mohamed Elyounoussi’s face.

But Onana, who has come in for criticism since his £47m summer move from Inter Milan, turned Jordan Larsson’s effort wide with what turned out to be the very last action of the game.

The victory breathed new life into a Champions League campaign that had started with successive defeats for Erik ten Hag’s side.

It was another night when United’s overall performance would not stand up to much scrutiny but, as on Saturday, the manner of the victory was secondary to the eventual outcome given the enormous legacy of the man they were trying to honour.

The two players that secured the precious win for the home side are men who have endured a torrid time recently.

Maguire would have been sold in the summer had he accepted the chance to link up with David Moyes at West Ham United, while many have questioned Ten Hag’s wisdom in replacing David de Gea with Onana.

But when half-time substitute Christian Eriksen delivered a superb curling cross to the far post 18 minutes from time, Maguire met it perfectly, shrugging off the attentions of a defender to make sure he was in position to head home.

It was a moment to savour for the 30-year-old, who lost the United captaincy in the summer and at one point seemed to be Ten Hag’s fifth-choice central defender, behind even left-back Luke Shaw.

The hosts should have eased their path to the final whistle with a second goal but after Alejandro Garnacho’s initial effort was saved superbly by Kamil Grabara, McTominay sent the rebound inches wide of the post.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes also had a shot deflected wide in a pulsating finish but it seemed United would take the points anyway.

Instead, they had to rely on Onana to ensure victory was not stripped from their grasp.

The charismatic Cameroon goalkeeper’s save will allow United to look ahead to the return meeting in Denmark two weeks from now knowing victory will almost certainly take them into second spot behind Bayern Munich in Group A.

Arsenal win in Spain

Gabriel Jesus scored a goal and grabbed an assist to help Arsenal get back to winning ways in the Champions League with victory at Sevilla.

After losing 2-1 to Lens in their previous European outing, the Gunners came through a difficult test against the seven-time Europa League winners.

Gabriel Martinelli got the visitors up and running by marking his Champions League debut with a goal, racing onto Jesus’ brilliant ball and rounding the goalkeeper in first-half stoppage time.

Jesus then increased Arsenal’s lead early in the second half with a superb strike into the top corner.

Sevilla, backed by a vocal home crowd, got back into the game when Nemanja Gudelj headed in from a set piece.

From then on, Arsenal had to withstand some pressure as the hosts tried to find an equaliser, and David Raya tipped Mariano’s shot onto the crossbar, although it may not have counted because of a possible handball.

Mikel Arteta’s side then suffered a late blow as Jesus went off with an injury, but they held firm despite that setback to secure a victory that moves them top of Group B.

The Gunners are back in the Champions League after a six-year absence but have a squad that is still finding its feet in the competition, with several players having never played in it until this season.

That included the scorer of Arsenal’s opening goal, Martinelli, but he will be thankful for Jesus’ European experience, which showed in this performance.

Facing a hostile atmosphere at The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, the Gunners needed their big players to step up and Jesus did just that with a superb display.

A Champions League runner-up with Manchester City in 2021, Jesus’ assist for the opener was a thing of beauty as he brought the ball down and then spun to beat two players with one movement, before showing great vision to send Martinelli away with a perfect pass.

His goal in the second half gave the visitors the breathing space they needed as Sevilla piled on the pressure as they looked to rescue something from the game.

With three goals in three Champions League games this season, Jesus is a crucial player in Europe for the Gunners, who now face an anxious wait to discover the seriousness of the injury he suffered late on, although he was able to make his own way off the pitch with just a slight limp.

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