Man Utd miss on another Erling Haaland as salt rubbed into Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s wounds | Football | Sport

Manchester United have certainly made their mark on the Champions League this season, even if they haven’t been involved themselves. Matchday two of this year’s competition saw yet more former United stars showcasing their talents on Europe’s biggest stage.

In the Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain match, Marcus Rashford assisted team-mate Ferran Torres in stylish fashion, whereas Alejandro Garnacho earned his first goal contribution for Chelsea in their victory over Benfica. But it was in Italy where one much-maligned ex-Red Devil stole the show.

Rasmus Hojlund, who was effectively frozen out by Ruben Amorim at the beginning of the season, netted twice for his new side Napoli as they beat the United tactician’s former side, Sporting CP. Maybe it was just the sky blue tones of Napoli’s home shirt, but the first of his two goals certainly had a Manchester City flavour to it, given it was Kevin De Bruyne slipping the ball in behind the defence for Hojlund to run on to and finish.

It was the sort of pass De Bruyne had been used to playing through to Erling Haaland, with the legendary Belgian playmaker comparing Hojlund to his former team-mate during a post-match debrief. “We played a great game, but Sporting are strong and played a great game with technique and intensity.

“We created chances, but then the penalty was a bit of a stupid mistake. We deserved the win today. I was trying to get into that space for the first goal and was waiting for the right moment to pass it to Rasmus, luckily he did the rest. I think Rasmus is growing a lot and is very similar to Haaland.”

When pushed to elaborate on the comparison, he added: “I think they are very similar because they both like to attack the depth. Maybe Hojlund comes to play the ball towards us more, but I think he needs to attack the space a lot because he can score and give us a big hand.”

With Hojlund unlikely to ever play for United again, De Bruyne’s words will sting. United already missed out on Haaland twice themselves, ignoring Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s recommendations to sign his countryman. Now Hojlund has been quick to remind the world of his talents, with the Dane pointing to the Champions League badge on his sleeve – perhaps a message to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and those he left behind at United.