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Player Ratings: Defence shocking as United pay the price in Turkey; Martial’s consolation goal the only positive

4 November 2020 by

Manchester United were beaten 2-1 by Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League at the Fatih Terim Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. It was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first defeat in the competition this season and his second defeat in a row following the defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday. United’s defence lost the match with them not present twice in the first half, resulting in Dean Henderson conceding his first two goals for United. Anthony Martial scored a consolation at the end of the first half to get his club back into the match, which was fruitless for United. They face Everton on Sunday.

United started in lukewarm fashion in Turkey with Basaksehir getting on the front foot after Rafael da Silva intercepted the ball from a Nemanja Matic error in the fifth minute of the match. That resulted in nothing but United broke forward minutes later with Harry Maguire lifting the ball into Bruno Fernandes from deep with the ball going over Boli Bolingoli’s head reaching the Portuguese midfielder who then volleyed the ball but it was not on target. The Turkish side then had a chance through Edin Višća who had 30-yards of space only for him to hit the bar. United’s defence then made an error with Višća playing the ball to Demba Ba, who scored.

Basaksehir looked to be the better side after opening the scoring and were pressuring United for the remainder of the half. Rafael showed his ability by getting a block on Anthony Martial’s shot just before the half hour stage of the match. The Bolingoli, who was full of energy saw an effort saved by Henderson a minute or two later. The Turkish side went 2-0 up in the 40th minute of the match after Juan Mata was robbed of the ball and it found Višća, who slotted home past Henderson. United got themselves back into the match in the 43rd minute with Martial scoring his second goal of the season after Luke Shaw took on Rafael and clipped the ball into Martial.

At the start of the second half, Solskjaer made his first substitution with Scott McTominay replacing Axel Tuanzebe. Both teams then got into the match with United seeking to find an equaliser and the Turkish side looking to stay in the lead. In the 61st minute, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani replaced Donny van de Beek and Mata with United looking to throw all they could at their opposition in their hunt for the elusive equaliser. In the 76th minute of the match, Solskjaer made his final two substitutions with Mason Greenwood and Tim Fosu-Mensah replacing Marcus Rashford and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. United did not have much time to waste.

United had some late opportunities in the match to get the equaliser but nothing was going to get them back into the match. Basaksehir showed United what they were made of, even if United did gift them two goals with the defence not present on two different attacks in the first half. United had a very late chance which saw the ball cleared from the line in added time, winning a corner, which again came to nothing. It was not meant to be for United. Solskjaer’s side failed to recover from their Arsenal defeat and will now head to Goodison Park in the Premier League to face an Everton side that need to get back to winning ways after their good start to the season.

Manchester United

26 Dean Henderson

Conceded his first Champions League goal 13 minutes into his debut in the competition after his defence left him high and dry. Not his fault at all. Conceded a second goal late in the first half, once again being hung out to dry by the defence.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Defensively, it did not work for United in Turkey, at least in the first half. United were not at the top of the game in this area and improvement is required. He was replaced bu Fosu-Mensah in the 76th minute of the match.

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38 Axel Tuanzebe

Focus lost in the opening stages of the match, booked in the 20th minute for a foul on Ba. His first match back against PSG was a masterclass, this looks nothing like that. He seemed to be devoid of confidence and ability against the Turkish side. I am sure he will find his feet but in terms of him being the saviour of this back four, a problem has been unearthed with his defending and that of his teammates. He was replaced by McTominay in the 46th minute of the match.

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5 Harry Maguire

Allowed United to lose their focus defensively in the 13th minute as Ba broke through, with no defender in sight, to open the scoring for the Turkish side. His summer exploits will come back to haunt him in terms of strong criticism for his sides performance in Turkey. The captain should be leading by example, even if United did have one cleared off the line late on in the match.

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23 Luke Shaw

After United's defence conceded two goals in the first half of the match, Shaw got involved in United's late goal at the end of the first half, assisting for Martial.

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31 Nemanja Matic

Tried to track back after United were caught out by Ba in the 13th minute but could not stop him from scoring. Played a more defensive role in the second half of the match. United really need to find a player that could take Matic's role in the team. His lack of pace and inability to play back to back matches is alarming and will haunt United this season.

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34 Donny van de Beek

Good to see him start but this formation did not seem to work for him. It just did not work for United. He's a good player but needs to be running into the box in a more attacking side, not playing deep in midfield. He was replaced by Pogba in the 61st minute of the match. His passing was top notch at 93%.

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8 Juan Mata

Hid pace let him down against the Turkish side. Two first half goals saw United out of their depth and needing something else on the pitch. Mata, who did not really do much wrong, was replaced by Cavani in the 61st minute of the match.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

A bad match for Fernandes? United just did not recover from the two shocks from Basaksehir in the first half of the match. Nothing seemed to work for United, going forward, until Martial got United back into the match. Fernandes didn't play badly

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10 Marcus Rashford

It was not the best match for Rashford in Turkey. His last two matches, after his hat-trick against Leipzig last week, were both lame ducks. He did not seem to be able to get into the right places or be found by his teammates. A bad day at the office maybe? He was replaced by Greenwood in the 76th minute of the match.

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9 Anthony Martial

Got United back into the match just a few minutes after seeing his side go 2-0 down in the latter stages of the first half. Slotted home with a cool finish.

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Substitutes

39 Scott McTominay

Replaced Tuanzebe 46'. Came on to offer something inn midfield which was missing in this match and did just that. Should have perhaps started the match. I understand that Solskjaer might have been saving him for Everton on Saturday.

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6 Paul Pogba

Replaced Van de Beek 61'. United needed some inspiration in the match. Could that come from Pogba? Not likely.

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7 Edinson Cavani

Replaced Mata 61'. Needs to find some form for United at perhaps the time they need him the most.

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11 Mason Greenwood

Replaced Rashford 76'. Came on late in the match to help United get level, which did not happen. A first defeat in the competition is not a good taste, especially to a team that had not won or scored in the Champions League before tonight.

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24 Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Replaced Wan-Bissaka 76'. Added something to the defence, which was really needed in the first half. Not sure where United go from here?

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Goals: Demba Ba 13′, Edin Višća 40′; Anthony Martial 43′

Assists: Edin Višća 13′, Deniz Türüç 40′; Luke Shaw 43′

Manchester United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka (Fosu-Mensah 76′), Tuanzebe (McTominay 46′), Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Van de Beek (Pogba 61′); Mata (Cavani 61′), Fernandes, Rashford (Greenwood 76′); Martial

Substitutes Not Used: De Gea; Lindelof, Williams, Mengi; Fred, James; Ighalo

Bookings: Martin Škrtel 89′; Axel Tuanzebe 20′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: Henderson makes Champions League debut; Van de Beek and Fernandes also start in Turkey

4 November 2020 by

Manchester United return to action in the UEFA Champions League this evening against Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey. United have been a different team in the European competition than they have in the Premier League, beating Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the competition, topping the group after two matches. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not been as good in the league, having just seven points after six matches have been played. There is a lot of overreaction with sections of supporters on social media calling for the manager to be sacked once again – it never seems to take long to upset these supporters.

Patience is a virtue that many don’t seem to know about with supporters expecting United to click their fingers and run riot in every competition. In seven years, the same thing continues to happen with the club which highlights the same things all the time which seems to be appropriated to the manager, despite the problems being similar to those faced by David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. However, some let the facts slip away from the reality as they look for the next casualty that they will back before becoming the manager, then turn against as soon as they are given the job. The word support does not seem to mean the same thing anymore.

United will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday which puts them in dire form at home in the league this season, not winning any of their last six home matches which started last season. Of course, it is a problem if the team cannot win home matches and to many supporters seem to be making too many excuses. When United ran riot over Leipzig last week, that victory was nothing to do with Solskjaer, according to some on Twitter – it was the players that did that. However, the defeat to Arsenal was all down to Solskjaer, nothing to do with the players. Agendas never seem to do anyone any good.

Manchester United:

Henderson;

Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Shaw;

Matic, Van de Beek;

Mata, Fernandes, Rashford;

Martial

Substitutes:

De Gea; Lindelof, Fosu-Mensah, Williams, Mengi; Pogba, Fred, James, McTominay; Cavani, Greenwood, Ighalo

Istanbul Basaksehir:

Günok;

Rafael, Škrtel, Epureanu, Bolingoli;

Aleksić, Özcan, Kahveci;

Višća, Ba, Türüc

Substitutes:

Babacan, Kıvanç, Topal, Giuliano, Gulbrandsen, Ponck, Kaplan, Karakuş

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have not played each other before in the 30-year history of the Turkish club. However, they club has played teams from England with Burnley being the only English club they have met, drawing 0-0 in Istanbul and losing 1-0 at Turf Moor which saw the Lancashire club reach the play-off round of the UEFA Europe League in the 2018/19 season, failing to qualify for the group stages of the competition after losing to Olympiakos. United have met Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Bursaspor from Turkey, playing 16 matches in the Europa League and Champions League, winning eight, drawing three and losing five.

United have met Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe six times each and Beşiktaş and Bursaspor two times each. The last Turkish club to face United was Fenerbahçe in the Europa League in the 2016/17 season where they met in the group stages of the competition, at the time welcoming Robin van Persie back to Old Trafford a year after his departure from the club. United won 4-1 at Old Trafford, losing 2-1 in Istanbul. United have played a total of seven times in Istanbul, winning twice, drawing twice and losing three times. IBFK have played twice in the Champions League so far this season, losing twice, so it could well be a chance for United to return to winning ways.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Predicted XI: [3-5-2] Pogba to be dropped? Tuanzebe to return in defence in Turkey? Van de Beek to start?

2 November 2020 by

Manchester United return to action in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening against Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey. United have been a different team in the European competition than they have in the Premier League, beating Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the competition, topping the group after two matches. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not been as good in the league, having just seven points after six matches have been played. There is a lot of overreaction with sections of supporters on social media calling for the manager to be sacked once again – it never seems to take long to upset these supporters.

Patience is a virtue that many don’t seem to know about with supporters expecting United to click their fingers and run riot in every competition. In seven years, the same thing continues to happen with the club which highlights the same things all the time which seems to be appropriated to the manager, despite the problems being similar to those faced by David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. However, some let the facts slip away from the reality as they look for the next casualty that they will back before becoming the manager, then turn against as soon as they are given the job. The word support does not seem to mean the same thing anymore.

United will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday which puts them in dire form at home in the league this season, not winning any of their last six home matches which started last season. Of course, it is a problem if the team cannot win home matches and to many supporters seem to be making too many excuses. When United ran riot over Leipzig last week, that victory was nothing to do with Solskjaer, according to some on Twitter – it was the players that did that. However, the defeat to Arsenal was all down to Solskjaer, nothing to do with the players. Agendas never seem to do anyone any good.

How United have faired against Turkish teams in the UEFA Champions League.

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have not played each other before in the 30-year history of the Turkish club. However, they club has played teams from England with Burnley being the only English club they have met, drawing 0-0 in Istanbul and losing 1-0 at Turf Moor which saw the Lancashire club reach the play-off round of the UEFA Europe League in the 2018/19 season, failing to qualify for the group stages of the competition after losing to Olympiakos. United have met Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Bursaspor from Turkey, playing 16 matches in the Europa League and Champions League, winning eight, drawing three and losing five.

United have met Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe six times each and Beşiktaş and Bursaspor two times each. The last Turkish club to face United was Fenerbahçe in the Europa League in the 2016/17 season where they met in the group stages of the competition, at the time welcoming Robin van Persie back to Old Trafford a year after his departure from the club. United won 4-1 at Old Trafford, losing 2-1 in Istanbul. United have played a total of seven times in Istanbul, winning twice, drawing twice and losing three times. IBFK have played twice in the Champions League so far this season, losing twice, so it could well be a chance for United to return to winning ways.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League at the Fatih Terim Stadium on Wednesday evening…

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

The Spanish goalkeeper has been in good form of late and will be annoyed that he conceded a goal, albeit a penalty against Arsenal on Sunday. United need to hit back from that defeat and create a winning mentality at the club again, which seems to be the case in the cup competition – in which they have not yet lost a match playing four and winning four in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup. United have been better, at times with De Gea in goal this season but he has conceded a few goals in the league, which has seemingly dried up a little since that Spurs defeat. In the Champions League though, United have conceded just one goal and that was an own goal.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles

United played well in a similar formation in Paris, getting the result they needed in their first Champions League match; a 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain a fortnight ago. This will be the their match in the group and a chance for United to get nine points out of nine. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alex Telles should play in the wing-back roles, of Telles is fit after testing positive for the coronavirus a few weeks ago and returning to training on Monday. Axel Tuanzebe, who also played against PSG should start again with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw with the trio playing as the three defenders in the team, which could solidify United’s defence.

Midfield Three: Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Fred

Paul Pogba needs to be dropped as his form has not been the best. When he came off the bench in Paris, it seemed to work for United but against Arsenal, he was laboured and did not seem all that interested in succeeding. For me, Pogba is the weakest link at the club right now. It seems obvious that his heart is not in it and his fans seem to think he still needs to be unlocked. If a world class player needs other players to unlock him, what is the point. No doubt some will treat this criticism as a personal hit against the player, which is not the case. Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay and Fred should start in midfield in Turkey.

Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial should start up from for United in Turkey. I think they could unlock their opposition and ensure that United get three more points in their Champions League group, looking good to achieve a place in the knockout stages of the competition. Rashford has scored seven goals this season including a hat-trick in the last Champions League match against RB Leipzig with Martial getting a goal too. United could then utilise Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood if they need more attacking inspiration in the match, which may or may not be the case. The Turkish side have not scored a goal in Europe this season, yet!

Substitutes: Dean Henderson; Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams, Teden Mengi; Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Bruno Fernandes, Daniel James, Facundo Pellistri, Nemanja Matic; Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood

Solskjaer will have five substitutes to call upon in the Champions League on Wednesday evening in Turkey which could see the club utilise a number of players in different areas of the pitch. Dean Henderson will probably keep his place on the bench, although he will be expecting a starting role again soon. In defence, Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams and Teden Mengi could be available. In midfield, Paul pogba, who has been poor of late, Juan Mata, Bruno Fernandes, Daniel James, Facundo Pellistri and Nemanja Matic could be available, should they all travel with Everton also on the horizon. In attack, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood could reinforce the squad.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Preview: Manchester United to keep 100% record in the UEFA Champions League against Istanbul Basaksehir?

2 November 2020 by

Istanbul Basaksehir -v- Manchester United

UEFA Champions League

Fatih Terim Stadium, Istanbul

Wednesday 4 November 2020, KO 17:55 GMT

Referee: Davide Massa Assistants: Filippo Meli, Stefano Alassio

Fourth Official: Gianpaolo Calvarese

VAR: Marco Di Bello Assistant VAR: Maurizio Mariani

Manchester United return to action in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening against Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey. United have been a different team in the European competition than they have in the Premier League, beating Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the competition, topping the group after two matches. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not been as good in the league, having just seven points after six matches have been played. There is a lot of overreaction with sections of supporters on social media calling for the manager to be sacked once again – it never seems to take long to upset these supporters.

Patience is a virtue that many don’t seem to know about with supporters expecting United to click their fingers and run riot in every competition. In seven years, the same thing continues to happen with the club which highlights the same things all the time which seems to be appropriated to the manager, despite the problems being similar to those faced by David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. However, some let the facts slip away from the reality as they look for the next casualty that they will back before becoming the manager, then turn against as soon as they are given the job. The word support does not seem to mean the same thing anymore.

United will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday which puts them in dire form at home in the league this season, not winning any of their last six home matches which started last season. Of course, it is a problem if the team cannot win home matches and to many supporters seem to be making too many excuses. When United ran riot over Leipzig last week, that victory was nothing to do with Solskjaer, according to some on Twitter – it was the players that did that. However, the defeat to Arsenal was all down to Solskjaer, nothing to do with the players. Agendas never seem to do anyone any good.

Manchester United: LWDWWL

Arsenal 1-0 L, RB Leipzig 5-0 W, Chelsea 0-0 D, Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 W, Newcastle United 4-1 W, Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 L

Istanbul Basaksehir: WLWLWW

Konyaspor 2-1 W, Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 L, Antalyaspor 5-1 W, RB Leipzig 2-0 L, Trabzonspor 2-0 W, Kasımpaşa 5-0 W

Top Scorers: United have all the attributes to score the goals but the ingredients have been a little off, especially in the Premier League. Marcus Rashford will be seeking to add more goals to his tally in Turkey.

Manchester United Goals: 7 – Marcus Rashford, 4 – Bruno Fernandes, 2 – Juan Mata, Mason Greenwood, 1 – Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, Harry Maguire, Own Goal, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay

United’s season seems different when you compare their form in the cup competitions; Carabao Cup and the Champions League to their form in the Premier League. United are undefeated in four cup matches; beating Luton Town and Brighton and Hove Albion (both 3-0 scorelines) also beating Paris Saint-Germain (2-1) and RB Leipzig (5-0). United have just seven points in the league this season (after six matches), which is pretty poor for United. Three defeats, one draw and two wins is an unfortunate start to the season. United will need to ensure their form in the cup competitions continue otherwise the worst could come and a good position could be lost.

Istanbul Basaksehir Goals: 3 – Edin Visca, Irfan Kahveci, 2 – Enzo Crivelli, 1 – Danijel Aleksic, Demba Ba, Fredrik Gulbrandsen, Guiliano de Paula, Mehmet Topal, Own Goal

The Turkish side did not start too well in the Super Lig this season, losing their first three matches, drawing their fourth and winning their next three. In the Champions League, that have lost both matches to RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain which means they will be seeking their first group stage victory this season, getting three points on the board. United could put themselves in a great position in the so-called group of death by getting another three points on the board, meaning they will have a great change of getting out of the group. The Turkish side will need to start finding the victories to have a chance of making it out of the group.

Team News: Alex Telles could be fit to face Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League after returning to training on Monday; three other players missing for United.

United will definitely be without three players for the visit to Turkey with Phil Jones (knee), not that he was in the squad this season anyway, Eric Bailly (muscular) and Jesse Lingard (other) all out of action. Alex Telles has previously tested positive for coronavirus, despite showing no symptoms, returning to the Aon training complex on Monday for a training session, so he could be involved in Turkey, a country he used to play in, albeit for Galatasaray. Anthony Martial is eligible to play again for the club in the Champions League and has served his three-match ban in the Premier League, so will be able to face Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Istanbul Basaksehir will have four players out through injury; Júnior Caiçara (Achilles), Nacer Chadli (unknown), Mahmut Tekdemir (unknown) and Enzo Crivelli (unknown). There are also eight members of the squad that were not registered to play in the Champions League this season, which could either help or hinder the club ahead of their home clash with United on Wednesday. The Turkish side will be looking to get the better of United in this match and with United licking their wounds from their defeat to Arsenal, they will fancy their chances. Rafael da Silva will be savouring facing his old club, more so at Old Trafford, but it won’t be the same empty.

Predicted Starting XI: Rashford and Martial to lead the line in Istanbul? Van de Beek to start with Fred and McTominay in midfield? Telles and Wan-Bissaka in the wing-back roles? Three at the back?

Solskjaer will need to put his tactics to good use against Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday evening in the Champions League, keeping United’s 100% start in the competition this season and to continue their good start in what was called the group of death. The defeat to Arsenal was costly for United, who now need to find some form in the Premier League also, to get their season back on track. Alex Telles could be back in action after returning to training on Monday, which hopefully will see him start as United could do with his ability on the ball, especially in attack. Donny van de Beek should also start as he seems to be hungry to succeed at the club.

Match Prediction: 16 matches played against Turkish teams, eight matches won, five lost and three drawn. In Istanbul, United have played seven times, winning twice, drawing twice and losing three times.

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have not played each other before in the 30-year history of the Turkish club. However, they club has played teams from England with Burnley being the only English club they have met, drawing 0-0 in Istanbul and losing 1-0 at Turf Moor which saw the Lancashire club reach the play-off round of the UEFA Europe League in the 2018/19 season, failing to qualify for the group stages of the competition after losing to Olympiakos. United have met Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Bursaspor from Turkey, playing 16 matches in the Europa League and Champions League, winning eight, drawing three and losing five.

United have met Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe six times each and Beşiktaş and Bursaspor two times each. The last Turkish club to face United was Fenerbahçe in the Europa League in the 2016/17 season where they met in the group stages of the competition, at the time welcoming Robin van Persie back to Old Trafford a year after his departure from the club. United won 4-1 at Old Trafford, losing 2-1 in Istanbul. United have played a total of seven times in Istanbul, winning twice, drawing twice and losing three times. IBFK have played twice in the Champions League so far this season, losing twice, so it could well be a chance for United to return to winning ways.

Istanbul Basaksehir 0-2 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

copyright: JW