How Schmeichel reacted to Onana's penalty save
TNT Sports have shared some incredible footage of Peter Schmeichel reacting to Andre Onana’s penalty save, in Manchester United’s dramatic 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen.
Erik ten Hag’s men needed a victory in the Champions League group-stage match and took a deserved lead through Harry Maguire in the second half.
Just as a win looked secure, the visitors earned a contentious penalty in the final seconds of added time and a familiar name stepped up to take it: Jordan Larsson, the son of former Red, Henrik.
It was a moment of extreme drama and we needed a hero to step up, which Onana did in sensational style by diving to his left and parrying away the spot kick.
Old Trafford reacted wildly and that included Schmeichel, who was in attendance as part of his punditry role with TNT Sports. As a former Brondy player, it's fair to say Big Pete enjoyed the moment! Take a look…
Man Utd legend @Pschmeichel1 reacts to Andre Onana's last minute save... 🧤#UCL pic.twitter.com/q7Ng4qesmx
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 24, 2023
WHAT ONANA SAID
“I was just doing my job, being calm, not under pressure and making myself big, waiting as long as possible and making the save,” the Cameroonian told us.
“It was an important victory for us – we had to win this game if we wanted to continue this competition.
“We are Manchester United and we have a lot of ambition, a lot of expectation.
“We had to win this game. We cannot go out after the first three games already, we are too big to go out so soon as possible. We have to fight and work hard.
Onana: I was doing my job!
Stewart Gardner caught up with Andre Onana moments after his penalty save…
SCHMEICHEL'S TRIBUTE TO SIR BOBBY
Before the match, Peter spoke to MUTV about the United legend who he admired so much. “I mean, I feel very, very fortunate that I got to know Sir Bobby,” the Great Dane told us. “What a fantastic human being he was.
“I was just getting into football when he was kind of at the end of his career, so I only watched him a little bit, but what a player he was. And because of his personality, you know, that sort of humble, maybe introverted a little bit, he's not considered in the same bracket as Beckenbauer or Pele and other players, Eusebio from that time, but I think he was much better than everybody. He was an incredible footballer and what a servant for Manchester United.
Schmeichel sums up Sir Bobby
Peter Schmeichel is clear in his assessment: Sir Bobby was second to none as both a player and a person...
“From what he went through to end up achieving what he did for this club, helping the club, getting back on his feet, it's just extraordinary. The one thing that I would think about is what a fantastic person he was. When I arrived here, he was so full of encouragement, so full of support, you know, he would come into the dressing room before every game and more often than not after the games as well.
“It didn't really matter how it went. He was always, always supporting, never critical, never said a bad word You know, he was on the board and to have a boss like that, it's incredible. But also to have someone, a football legend of that stature, speaking and talking to you so supportively, it helped me enormously. We have lost a fantastic human being.”