Rasmus Hojlund etched his name into the Manchester United history books on Wednesday night but was unable to prevent his side from falling afoul of a shock 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen. 

After netting a quick-fire brace, Hojlund had his side cruising 2-0 up inside 28 minutes, with much of the difficult work on a potentially tricky away night done in the first half. 

However, a VAR check revealed that Marcus Rashford had caught Elias Jelert high on the ankle in a challenge, and the England forward – on his return to the starting line-up – was shown a red card that changed the face of the game. 

The hosts quickly got one back through Mohamed Elyounoussi, before Pedro Goncalves converted from the spot to set up a fascinating second half.

Although Bruno Fernandes restored the lead emphatically with a penalty of his own, Copenhagen struck late in the 83rd minute with Lukas Lerager to draw level, before Roony Bardghji won it in the 87th in dramatic fashion.

Rasmus Hojlund broke two Manchester United records in the Champions League on Wednesday

His goals put United 2-0 up on the night inside half an hour but he was powerless to prevent defeat

Roony Bardghji’s 87th-minute strike sealed a memorable comeback for Copenhagen at Parken

His goals may ultimately have counted for little in the Danish capital, but Hojlund still broke not one but two records on the night at his new club.

Not only did he become the youngest Man United player to score a brace on the road in the Champions League at 20 and 277 days, but he also became the first Red Devils star to net five in his first four outings in the competition.

The previous record was held by Bulgarian icon Dimitar Berbatov, who managed four in his first four games in the Champions League at the club.

Hojlund’s prodigious tally in the Champions League has so far kept many of the doubters at arms length, given his struggles to net in the Premier League.

In the English top-flight, the £72million summer arrival has now gone eight games without registering a single goal or assist for the Red Devils, but he is proving to Erik ten Hag that he can get on the scoresheet in Europe at least.

It will be scant consolation for the Dutchman, who has now lost three of the last four, and nine all competitions so far this term – including five at Old Trafford.

Following the game, Hojlund gave an honest assessment of his side’s performance, in which he issued a rallying call for his team-mates to ‘do better’ when in similar positions in any future games.

‘Disappointed because we turned it around after the red card,’ he told United legend Peter Schmeichel after the game.  ‘Of course it changed the game, but it’s a bad feeling.

Hojlund became the youngest United player to score a brace on the road in the Champions League

He also broke Dimitar Berbatov’s record (four) for goals in his first four Champions League outings with his fifth of the competition so far

Man United have now lost nine games in all competitions – including five at Old Trafford

‘We did well to keep working hard after the (third) goal, and to try and keep them away from the goal, but we need to do better. We can’t let them come back in a game like this!

‘We went a man down and they made a change of system to try and get men forward, and it worked for them.’

United now face a battle to keep their feint hopes of qualification from the group alive, and will likely need big wins over Bayern Munich at home and Galatasaray in Istanbul.

They sit bottom of Group A on three points, behind Bayern Munich on 12 and Copenhagen and Galatasaray on four, the Danish side ahead on head-to-head record.