Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal admitted his side missed a huge opportunity to qualify for the UEFA Champions League after falling to a 3-2 defeat against West Ham on Tuesday night.

The Red Devils fell behind at Upton Park after Diafra Sakho’s deflected effort found its way past David de Gea.

With United needing to win to put the pressure on rivals Manchester City, striker Anthony Martial took charge and scored two second-half goals to give Van Gaal’s men the advantage.

However, Michail Antonio and Winston Reid struck late on to ensure City stay fourth, with Van Gaal’s team two points them in fifth.

The victory for West Ham also gives them the chance to leapfrog United on the final day, if they fail to beat Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

A victory for Manchester City against Swansea on Sunday will ensure they qualify for the Champions League and Van Gaal admits his team wasted their chance.

He told Sky Sports: “It is the same story, we don’t have it in our hands but it is still possible, we can still catch Manchester City because they have to beat Swansea and that’s not so easy for them.

“Bournemouth (on Sunday) is also not easy because we have to cope with this big disappointment.

When you are 1-0 behind and you change it to 2-1 and then lose again it’s a mental blow.

“Of course this is a missed opportunity, you could imagine how thrilled the players and fans and the coach also would have been in this situation.

We have to cope with it and at the end we lost 3-2 so we have missed an opportunity.”