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Former Manchester United player Ander Herrera had a night to forget at the Club World Cup with current side Boca Juniors.
The Argentinian side faced off against Portuguese giants Benfica in Miami and squandered a two-goal lead in a feisty encounter which ended 2-2.
Herrera went off injured midway through the first half, then to add insult to injury received a red card from the sidelines as a result of a passionate objection to a Benfica penalty.
The 35-year-old was seething about the decision to award a spot-kick for Carlos Palacios’ challenge on former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi.
The Manchester Evening News relay that the Spaniard dished out some choice words to the referee, who promptly reached for his pocket.
Others on the Boca bench tried to hold Herrera back, but the damage was done and a red card was shown.
The penalty was scored by another former United man in Angel Di Maria, whose Old Trafford legacy is almost the polar opposite of cult hero Herrera’s after forcing his way out of the club following a series of terrible performances then reflecting scornfully on his time there.
The heated encounter yielded two more red cards, first for Benfica’s Andrea Belotti then for Boca’s Jorge Figal after an Otamendi equaliser secured a point for the Portuguese side.
Taken together, Herrera’s injury and his suspension suggest that he may not feature again in the competition, especially if his side don’t progress from the group stages.
Their group already seems to have a clear loser, with Bayern Munich beating Auckland City 10-0 on Sunday, and it’s very hard to see the Bundesliga side not finishing first from this formidable position.
Herrera spent five years at Old Trafford after arriving from Athletic Bilbao, scoring 20 goals from the heart of the midfield and endearing himself to the Stretford End with his all-action performances.
He departed in difficult circumstances for Paris Saint-Germain, then returned to Bilbao in 2022 for a joyous reunion.
The 35-year-old then moved to Boca Juniors in January this year, and has now played nine times for the 35-time Argentine Primera División winners.
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