THEY sang all night about one of the great Champions League miracles, against this same opposition almost a quarter of a century ago.

They sang of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scoring in injury-time in the Nou Camp in 1999.

Kingsley Coman scored the decisive goal

Bayern Munich have qualified as Group A winners

In the waning moments of a subpar performance, they sang of a Manchester United team that was great enough to summon a European Cup from a 1-0 deficit.

However, this United team is far from being great. After six terrible games, they are eliminated from Europe and are at best mediocre.

This place is no longer the Theatre of Dreams, it’s more like Memory Lane.

Erik ten Hag’s side barely conjured a notable scoring chance on a night when the mathematics of the situation demanded that they go hell-for-leather at Bayern Munich.

The German perma-champions didn’t need to win this but they did so all the same – England captain Harry Kane angling a pass which caught the United defence shambling and allowed Kingsley Coman to thump home midway through the second half.

United’s dismal Premier League campaign suggests that Old Trafford will not be hosting elite European competition again until September 2025 at the earliest.

And this defeat meant that United do not even have the consolation of Europa League football in the new year.

Man Utd were booed off at full time

The Red Devils are now out of Europe altogether after failing to qualify for the Europa League

Man Utd finished bottom of Group A

Not that they deserved anything from a campaign which had been chaotic and catastrophic in equal measures.

Injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw will make that an even taller assignment over Liverpool for Ten Hag.

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But the air of resignation – of stupor – around Old Trafford said it all, as United fans trooped out in their thousands, way before the final whistle, with little more than shoulder shrugs.

United had needed to win this and hope that Copenhagen and Galatsaray drew in the other Group A fixture but events in the Danish capital were deemed irrelevant to Ten Hag’s team once Coman struck.

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As they emerged for their warm-up United’s players were serenaded with a chorus of ‘you’re sh and you know you are’ from Bayern’s fans, signing in impeccable Anglo-Saxon.

Surveying the carnage of this Champions League campaign, it was difficult to disagree with their assessment – United had already conceded 14 goals and were lucky to still be in with a shout before this finale.

The difference between the two teams is also shown by the lack of performance of striker Rasmus Hojlund, because he only touched the ball nine times in the first half, the fewest on the field. The reason is that Man Utd midfielders cannot bring the ball up to the 20-year-old striker. Creative players like Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay and Antony only had a total of one chance for their teammates to score in this match.

The only significant point of the 19-year-old talent Garnacho was just a push of Kingsley Coman near the goal line, causing the French player to fall hard and hit his back against an advertising sign. Garnacho did not commit a foul, but he was still warned by Norwegian referee Espen Eskas for his bad actions.

Ironically for Man Utd, Coman himself scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute, sinking the hosts’ small hopes. Center striker Harry Kane shined with a one-touch pass in a back-to-back position at the edge of the penalty area, allowing Coman to rush down to face him and then shoot a low cross-angle shot to defeat goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Man Utd did not lose as heavily as expected, but the “Theater of Dreams” Old Trafford still did not dispel the gloomy atmosphere. For the first time in history, they lost four matches in a Champions League group stage. After the final whistle, many spectators whistled and booed the host. Several red shirt players put their hands on their hands and bowed their heads, looking helpless.

Fans can console themselves that the “Red Devils” have less stress in the European arena, focusing as much on the Premier League as possible. The trip to Anfield this weekend will be stormy for Man Utd, when they may be without Fernandes, Maguire and Shaw.