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Two goals to the good against a hapless Copenhagen side, Manchester United looked to be putting in a statement performance on Wednesday evening in the Champions League, with hopes of progression having been momentarily boosted following a stunning opening in Denmark.
And yet, as has been the way this season for this luckless side, the Red Devils suffered a subsequent implosion – not all of their own making – to slip to a dismal 4-3 defeat to further dent any knockout stage ambitions, the Premier League side now languishing at the bottom of Group A with just two games left to play.
It had all looked so promising when Rasmus Hojlund steered Erik ten Hag‘s men into a two-goal lead against his prior employers, although some contentious refereeing and VAR decisions, including Marcus Rashford‘s early red card, made it yet another grim night in Europe for United.
One man who particularly struggled in the Danish capital was the “erratic” Diogo Dalot – as described by journalist Samuel Luckhurst – with the Portugal international looking like exactly what he was, a makeshift left-back.
Diogo Dalot’s stats vs Copenhagen
With the likes of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still sidelined – and with Sergio Reguilon enduring his own injury woes in recent weeks – Dalot has been called upon across the last two games to slot in as an unorthodox, left-sided full-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka reinstated on the opposite side.
Although that tactic paid off against Fulham at the weekend as United secured a clean sheet in that 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage, the former Porto man appeared far more shaky this time around, having been particularly exposed for the home side’s third of the night to draw the game level.
The 24-year-old – who was awarded a new long-term deal back in May – was caught napping at the back post as Lukas Lerager snuck in to equalise for the hosts, with that lapse in concentration undoing all the hard work that had led to Bruno Fernandes’ penalty just over ten minutes earlier.
As Luckhurst noted on Twitter, the aforementioned Hojlund was one of those going “ballistic” at Dalot for his woes in the backline, with the latter man also something of a liability after losing possession on ten occasions on the night, while also failing to complete either of his two attempted crosses.
Of course, the headline-maker may be Rashford for his early dismissal, although that red card was debatable, to say the least, with Dalot forming part of a backline that rather capitulated thereafter, even despite the excuse of being a man light.
Diogo Dalot’s season by numbers
It was certainly not the first time in recent weeks that Dalot has been something of a villain for the Red Devils, with the £85k-per-week asset unceremoniously hooked at half-time following an abject display in the first half of the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United last week.
That outing saw the underfire defender lose possession 11 times from just 39 touches and record a pass accuracy rate of only 73%, with ESPN’s Mark Ogden noting that he is an “example of Man United’s flawed recruitment” following that dire performance.
Ogden even went on to suggest that Dalot’s lengthy contract extension was merely a “long-term reward for mediocrity“, with Ten Hag and co potentially set to rue that show of faith if this season is anything to go by.
It is not even as if the one-time AC Milan loanee is making up for his defensive woes in the final third, having now scored just once and provided no assists in 16 games in all competitions so far this term, hardly warranting his place in the side on a regular basis.
With Wan-Bissaka now fit and available, Dalot could soon find himself ousted once the likes of Shaw and Malacia are also in contention, with the 16-cap international – as well as Rashford and VAR – having cost United “dearly” once again last night, as per club legend, Paul Scholes, to only heighten the scrutiny on the manager.
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