It was hard to look past Harry Maguire and Andre Onana as the two Manchester United heroes against Copenhagen on Tuesday night, but just as important was the contribution of Christian Eriksen from the bench.
The Danish playmaker will have no issues with being the unsung hero on a night where United kept their Champions League dreams alive, though he will certainly be getting a lot more attention later this week. After another lacklustre first half in which United struggled to get a grip on proceedings or create any chances of note, Erik ten Hag once again went to his bench in order to freshen things up.
Sofyan Amrabat was taken off with Eriksen's creativity and composure required in his place. It was little surprise that their winning goal came from a perfect cross into the box from their substitute.
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"He is a much better footballer (than Amrabat)," Paul Scholes said after the match. "No disrespect to Amrabat; he’s a stopper; he’ll do his kind of thing. But he won’t build up play."
Ten Hag still hasn't nailed his midfield balance yet but it is quite clear that he has specialists for the different roles and that they aren't quite as interchangeable as he would like. We have yet to see Amrabat in his best position during a match that suits his style, while it is quite obvious that Eriksen is well-suited to games in which United are favourites to win and have an onus to breakdown their opponents.
"Christian is always positive," Ten Hag glowed after the game. "We did not have the football in the first-half and he brings football. Christian Eriksen makes the right passes."
It was a brilliant decision to bring him on at half-time though it was also a baffling one not to start him when it seemed so obvious that United would need his creativity in midfield. There is nobody else in the team who can match the combination of calmness and composure that Eriksen brings.
His game-changing performance on Tuesday night was a timely reminder of his obvious quality but it has presented Ten Hag with a dilemma as he prepares his side for the Manchester derby this weekend. There is an understandable temptation to use Eriksen from the start of given how well he on Tuesday but it might not be the type of contest that plays to his strengths.
You only have to look back to the last meeting between the two sides - the FA Cup final - for a reminder of Eriksen's struggles in matches when his defensive attributes are required more than his attacking ones. The 31-year-old was replaced by Alejandro Garnacho after an hour and was unable to keep up with City's hard-working midfield and the intensity of the game.
United's issue is that while Eriksen still offers a unique skillset in midfield, he also needs to be managed carefully and his performance levels tend to drop the longer his spell in the side. Ultimately his role will mirror United's ambitions for the match and signal just how confident Ten Hag feels about being able to beat City at their own game.
A start for Eriksen would resemble a high-risk and high-reward approach while sticking him on the bench would be a more risk-adverse strategy focused on avoiding defeat. It would not be a surprise if Ten Hag instead went for the more industrious Scott McTominay, a defensive line up with Amrabat and Casemiro, or even moved either Mason Mount or Bruno Fernandes to the right wing.
Eriksen was the game changer in midweek and he might have to reprise that role this weekend.
