Bayer Leverkusen take brutal swipe at Man United ahead of UCL draw
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Thu 28 August 2025 17:52, UK
Man United and Ruben Amorim’s blushes are not being spared at all after another embarrassing moment for the Premier League giants.
The Red Devils hit an all-time low after being stunned in the Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town on Wednesday, 27 August, eventually being knocked out on penalties at Blundell Park.
Amorim is under immense pressure as Man United boss, even more now than he was before, with his team still searching for their first win of the 2025/25 campaign after three matches.
Football fans across the Premier League, understandably, have been loving watching the drama unfold at Old Trafford, and that Carabao Cup embarrassment appears to have reached Europe now.
Bayer Leverkusen, whose current coach is Erik ten Hag, have made the most of the competition upset to land a major blow on the Red Devils, going viral on social media in the process.
Taking to X (28 August), Bayer Leverkusen’s media team could not help themselves, captioning a picture of their Champions League card, saying: “Just hoping we don’t get Grimsby…”.
The post, unsurprisingly, has gone down very well with rival fans on social media, with the Red Devils’ frustrations compounded further after missing out on Champions League football last season.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
Leverkusen have lost big names in Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, and Amine Adli, but nonetheless, they will be hoping to make a splash in Europe this season, which United are absent from after their miserable Europa League final defeat by Tottenham.
It has been confirmed that they will take on PSG, Villarreal, PSV Eindhoven, and Newcastle United at home, and Man City, Benfica, Olympiacos, and FC Copenhagen away.
Football Insider verdict
No European football for United should allow for Amorim to rebuild and reshape his squad much more easily, with only domestic competitions to worry about.
Being knocked out of the Carabao Cup could also be a blessing, given that the former Sporting CP figure has been unable to stamp his mark on the team’s playing style or winning mentality.
However, he might already be running out of time to bring in those changes, having now lost 19 of his 45 matches in charge since November, recording a 37 per cent win record.
Credit: Imago
Graham Potter is facing a similar situation at West Ham, with Football Insider understanding that the search has already begun to find his successor at the London Stadium.
The race for the first Premier League manager to be sacked is well and truly on, with those towards the top of the table enjoying the 2025/26 campaign so far.
Of course, if Sir Jim Ratcliffe decides to back the manager, there is every chance that he could change his fortunes around, but it does not appear that the Old Trafford faithful are willing to wait that long.