Manchester United
Rio Ferdinand Sarcastically Clapped At The Referee Last Night
Two second half goals from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo were enough to see Real Madrid through to the Quarter finals of the Champions league with a 3-2 aggregate over Manchester United.
However, the referee played a spoilt sport in favour of Real Madrid in a match where Manchester United were clearly dominating. With an away goal advantage and an a own goal from Sergio Ramos, United were cruising to what could have been an incredible victory over the Los Blancos. But Nani was sent off in the 56th minute for catching Alvaro Arbeloa with a high boot, for a tackle which certainly deserved not more than a yellow card.
United were clearly heart broken by the incident and Madrid’s two quick fire goals immediately after the red card incident sunked their hearts. Following the final whistle Rio Ferdinand sarcastically clapped in the refs face to vent his frustration towards his decision to send Nani off.
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Man United undoubtedly deserve a place in the next stage of the competition for their efforts last night and Jose Mourinho felt the same. Following the match, he said:
“We didn’t play well and didn’t deserve to win. But football is like this. I’m not talking about the decision as I’m not sure about it. But independent of that, the best team lost. I doubt 11 v 11 that we would win the match.”
“I was a bit frustrated because we played so amazingly well against Barcelona and I was waiting for more — for my team to come here and express their football in a different way.
“I know they are giants physically and mentally and know they are fantastic and have a manager able to organise people and motivate people — I know all that.
Manchester United Women travel to Germany on Wednesday evening looking to maintain their perfect Champions League record against a Wolfsburg side that sits three points behind them in the League Phase standings.
Predicted Lineups
Wolfsburg Women (4-2-3-1): Johannes; Linder, Dijkstra, Kuver, Levels; Kielland, Minge; Huth, Popp, Zicai; Beerensteyn
Manchester United Women (4-3-3): Middleton-Patel; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Toone; Park, Rolfo, Malard
Wolfsburg’s Fortress Mentality
Wolfsburg exploded out of the blocks in this season’s Champions League with a commanding 4-0 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain, before edging Valerenga 2-1 on matchday two. Their perfect start ended in last week’s 3-1 defeat to record European champions Lyon, though Stephan Lerch’s side bounced back with Saturday’s 3-1 DFB-Pokal victory over Freiburg.
The German side will draw belief from their impressive record against English opposition at home as they’ve avoided defeat in all seven previous Champions League matches against WSL sides at the AOK Stadion. Captain Alex Popp remains the heartbeat of Wolfsburg’s attack despite turning 34 earlier this year.
United’s European Excellence Masks Domestic Struggles
Manchester United have established themselves as one of three teams boasting perfect records at the League Phase halfway stage, alongside Barcelona and Lyon. Marc Skinner’s side started with narrow 1-0 victories over Valerenga and Atletico Madrid before claiming a crucial 2-1 triumph against PSG at Old Trafford last week.
Their European exploits have seemingly come at a domestic cost. United have lost their last two WSL matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City, with Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat particularly painful. The loss leaves them third in the table.
Injury Concerns
Manchester United remain without Millie Turner and Celin Bizet through long-term injuries. Safia Middleton-Patel will continue in goal after Phallon Tullis-Joyce fractured her eye socket in the Aston Villa defeat earlier this month.
United currently occupy a top-four position that guarantees automatic quarter-final qualification. For Wolfsburg, victory would move them level on six points with United and strengthen their bid for a top-eight finish.
Kick-off: 8:00 PM Wednesday, November 20th, 2025
Venue: AOK Stadion, Wolfsburg
TV: DAZN (UK, Germany) | Paramount+ (USA)
Manchester United
Broken Eye Socket Sidelines Manchester United Women’s Star: Expected Healing Time and Return Date
Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket that could sideline her for several weeks, dealing a significant blow to the Red Devils’ momentum in both domestic and European competition.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce Fractures Eye Socket
The 29-year-old sustained the injury during United’s Women’s Super League clash against Aston Villa on November 11 in an accidental impact that required immediate attention after the match.
While she escaped without a concussion, further medical assessments confirmed the fracture, forcing her to miss Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain and Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
Marc Skinner confirmed after the PSG match that Tullis-Joyce had experienced “a little bit of irritation” around the affected area. She was spotted on the pitch before kick-off wearing sunglasses and talking with teammates, highlighting the sensitivity to light that typically accompanies this type of injury.
Expected Recovery Timeline
Recovery timelines for a fractured eye socket typically extend several weeks, with rest and protection crucial to ensuring safe healing before a return to competition.
Despite the concerning diagnosis, Skinner struck a cautiously optimistic tone ahead of the Manchester derby. “She should be fine, it’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t get another knock in that area,” the 42-year-old coach said on Saturday.
Impact on United’s Title Push
The timing couldn’t be worse for Manchester United. Tullis-Joyce has been in arguably the best form of her career this season, establishing herself as one of the WSL’s most reliable goalkeepers since inheriting the number one spot following Mary Earps’ departure in summer 2024.
Her absence forces United to rely on backup goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel, who impressed in her second senior appearance against PSG but remains relatively inexperienced at this level. The 3-0 derby defeat to City, where Middleton-Patel deputised again, exposed the defensive vulnerability created by Tullis-Joyce’s absence.
United currently sit third in the WSL table with 17 points from nine matches, but their fixture list intensifies significantly over the coming weeks. Beyond Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Wolfsburg, they face a crucial run of domestic fixtures that could define their season.
Internationally, the injury also disrupts Tullis-Joyce’s upward trajectory with the USWNT. After making her senior debut in April 2025 against Brazil, she’s been a regular in Emma Hayes’ squads and had positioned herself as a genuine contender for future major tournaments. With the United States set to face Italy in a doubleheader on November 28 and December 1, her availability remains uncertain.
Manchester City
Manchester United Women Suffer Unwanted Record for the First Time in 18 Months after Lackluster Display Against Manchester City
Manchester United Women endured their most toothless attacking display in 18 months during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, failing to register a single shot on target for the first time since facing Chelsea on May 18, 2024.
Despite controlling 60% of possession at the Etihad Stadium, United failed to test City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita once across the entire 90 minutes, managing just 11 shots with none finding the target.
Defeat in the derby. pic.twitter.com/6KImmqLhTj
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 15, 2025
It’s a damning indictment of Marc Skinner’s side, especially considering they came into this fixture as the only team with a perfect away record in the WSL this season. That unblemished run is now history, blown apart by Andree Jeglertz’s side who delivered three first-half goals through Rebecca Knaak, Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Creativity Vanished When It Mattered Most
The absence of injured goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce certainly didn’t help defensively, but United’s attacking woes can’t be blamed on personnel. Jess Park started against her former club, Ella Toone was in the lineup, and Melvine Malard came off the bench. Yet none of them could fashion a single effort that genuinely troubled Yamashita.
United dominated possession but lacked any penetration in the final third. When they did manage to get shots away, it was either blocked, wayward, or hit straight at City defenders.
The worrying part is this wasn’t just a one-off. United collapsed 3-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League midweek despite initially leading 2-0, and now they’ve followed that up with arguably their worst attacking performance of the season.
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