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Ratings: Fernandes the man who got United ticking, Rashford heading back to form, Telles impressive – good to see James score again

24 November 2020 by

Manchester United beat Istanbul Basaksehir 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. Bruno Fernandes scored a brace in the first 19 minutes of the match with United winning a penalty in the 33rd minute, which was eventually scored by Marcus Rashford. United had a fair amount of chances in the match. Late in the match, the Turkish side scored a consolation from a set-piece with Deniz Türüç beating the United wall and David De Gea to eradicate the clean sheet in. Daniel James scored a late added time goal, adding his first in the Champions League in his career, which was good to see. United top their group with nine points.

United started out well against the Turkish side, keeping in mind how they fared three weeks ago in the first group stage match between the two sides. Marcus Rashford had a chance in the second minute, weaving through the box before forcing a save from the goalkeeper. In the seventh minute, Harry Maguire surged forward with the ball and fed Alex Telles, who won a corner off Rafael da Silva. Telles took the corner, found Edinson Cavani who had the ball flicked off him by Alexandra Epureanu which eventually found Bruno Fernandes, who found the back of the net with a. stunning strike of the ball to put United 1-0 ahead early in the match.

United doubled their lead in the 19th minute of the match through Fernandes once again, who now has 21 goals and 13 assists since signing for United in January. Cavani laid the ball out to Telles to cross into the box but the Turkish goalkeeper spilled the ball into the feet of the Portuguese magnifico who scored his second goal of the match putting United 2-0 up. In the 33rd minute of the match, United won a penalty, which could have sealed a hat-trick for Fernandes but he gave the spot kick to Rashford, who won it. The England forward scored his eighth goal of the season to put United 3-0 up in this match. United were playing some brilliant football.

The first half ended with United at 3-0 with further chances to put them into the winning position. It shows that United have some confidence and something in them in order to get the results that they desire. It also puts the defeat in Istanbul three weeks ago back into the past, where it will remain, until the ABU or the Ole Out brigade desire to bring it back to continue their agendas against the club and the manager. At the start of the second half, Solskjaer made his first substitute bringing on Axel Tuanzebe in replacement for Victor Lindelof, who seems to still be carrying his lower back injury that he also carried through the international break.

Tuanzebe was booked for a challenge in the 55th minute of the match, which means he will not be able to face Paris Saint-Germain in the clash at Old Trafford next week, which is going to add some problems for Solskjaer. In the 59th minute of the match, Solskjaer made a triple change with Brandon Williams replacing Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who went straight down the tunnel, which is worrying; Daniel James replaced Rashford and Mason Greenwood replaced Fernandes. Almost immediately, Greenwood was through into the opposition box aiming to score but with the number of players in the box, he was unable to do anything to the advantage of United.

The Turkish side scored from a free-kick in the 75th minute of the match through Deniz Türüç, whose set-piece went right over the United wall with David De Gea making a diving save to deflect the threat. It looked as if the Spaniard made the save but the referee blew his whistle for the goal, which looking at the angled replay, showed that the ball had crossed the line meaning that United did not keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford. United seemed to be off the pace in the minutes up until the goal was scored, which might just have woken them up to avert the Turkish side coming back and opening the game, which was very firmly a one horse race, until that goal.

Solskjaer made his fifth substitute in the 82nd minute with United struggling with the Turkish side continuing to attack late in the match. Nemanja Matic replaced Martial to add some more defensive play to the midfield, which was needed to stop the Turks from getting another goal and opening the entire match, which is not something United would want to do. United then won a free kick in the 85th minute through Fred, who was fouled in United’s half. Cavani had a chance late in the match after seeing the goalkeeper off his line but it did not go to plan for the Uruguayan, who is searching for his 50th UEFA Champions League goal of his career.

It was not over for United, who scored a fourth goal in the match with Donny van de Beek, Mason Greenwood and Daniel James all running into the box. The Dutch international played the ball to Greenwood, who in turn found James in the box, who scored his first Champions League goal of his career. The Welshman will be full of confidence after that and his goal for Wales last week, which puts him in better form than he has been with the matches starting to stack up for United now. United will face Southampton in the Premier League at St Mary’s on Sunday, which will be another important match for United to continue their form on the road.

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

Made his first save in the second half of the match, He did not have much to do in the first with United scoring three goals and having the lion's share of possession. He was beaten in the second half from a free-kick, which was unfortunate for him,

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Played well defensively, despite the Turkish team not having that much to offer in the first half of the match. He could have provided more when he broke forward. He was replaced by Williams in the 59th minute of the match, heading straight down the tunnel, which is worrying with Southampton on the horizon this weekend.

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2 Victor Lindelof

Played well defensively during the first half of the match with United doing all the work and getting all the goals, ending the half 3-0 up. The Swedish international did not come out for the second half and was replaced by Tuanzebe, who played well against PSG at the start of the group stages of the competition.

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5 Harry Maguire

Led the team well throughout the match and continued to keep United driving forward to dominate the majority of the match. Playing in form at this stage of the season shows the type of player Maguire is, especially after every man and his dog was criticising him many months ago. Back him and you will see what happens.

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27 Alex Telles

His set-piece delivery and his crossing ability is what will keep him in the starting XI over Shaw. His first corner of the match resulted in Fernandes scoring his first goal in the match and he had involvement in the second too.

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34 Donny van de Beek

Great to see him start for United and he put in a performance worthy of seeing more football, especially ahead of Pogba, who has not looked interested for the majority of the season so far. He was involved in the fourth goal of the match, laying the ball off to Greenwood who provided the assist for James.

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17 Fred

Did his job in midfield and looked impressive alongside Van de Beek, who also started against the Turkish side.

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10 Marcus Rashford

Scored his eighth goal of the season, albeit from the penalty spot. Had a few chances in the first half of the match to get United ahead in the match. He was replaced by James in the 59th minute of the match.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

MOTM for me. Scored two goals in the first half and as United won a penalty, he gave the ball to Rashford, instead of aiming for his first hat-trick for the club. Fernandes is the go to guy for Solakjaer and as long as he is fit and playing in form, he will win United matches. Exactly what he was brought to do. Cracking player. He was replaced by Greenwood in the 59th minute of the match.

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9 Anthony Martial

I think the Frenchman played better on the left-wing than he does when playing as the striker. I don't see Martial as the main striker in the team. If Solskjaer picks a forward two, Martial should be one of them but as a lone striker, Martial should not play there all of the time. United need not be too predictable.

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21 Edinson Cavani

Played his part in the match, aiming to have the ball delivered to him from the corner which resulted in Fernandes' first goal of the match. He seemed to be better at leading the line and has that predator like ability on and off the ball. His work rate on and off the ball was impressive and it looks like he has perfect control in everything that he needs to do to keep United on top in matches.

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Substitutes

38 Axel Tuanzebe

Replaced Lindelof 46'. He was booked in the 55th minute of the match, which will rule him out of the clash with PSG at Old Trafford next week, which adds more pressure to United's defence, so either Teden Mengi could get a chance to impress of Eric Bailly will need to be fit and ready to go.

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33 Brandon Williams

Replaced Wan-Bissaka 59'. Did what he needed to do in the right-back position and could be called into action this weekend if Wan-Bissaka is not fit to face Southampton.

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Ratings: Fernandes the man who got United ticking, Rashford heading back to form, Telles impressive – good to see James score again

Replaced Rashford 59'. Scored his first goal of the season and his first in the Champions League during his career. This will be a massive confidence boost for the Welshman. Perhaps his critics could lay off him and give him the time to find his feet. I bet you could not perform under the same pressure that he's under?

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11 Mason Greenwood

Replaced Fernandes 59'. Got an assist against the Turkish side providing the ball for James, who scored his first goal of the season and his first in the Champions League. Good to see him play and it will be important that he starts to find more form to get him back into a starting position.

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31 Nemanja Matic

Replaced Martial 82'. Came on to do a job and protect the defence, stopping the Turkish side from attacking, which was not the case but his addition certainly helped to take the sting out of the attack.

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Goals: Bruno Fernandes 7′, 19′, Marcus Rashford 35′ penalty, Daniel James 90+2′; Deniz Türüç 75′

Assists: Mason Greenwood 90+2′

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (Williams 59′), Lindelof (Tuanzebe 46′), Maguire, Telles; Van de Beek, Fred; Rashford (James 59′), Fernandes (Greenwood 59′), Martial (Matic 82′); Cavani

Substitutes Not Used: Grant, Henderson; Fosu-Mensah, Mengi; Mata, Pellistri; Ighalo

Bookings: Axel Tuanzebe 55′, Harry Maguire 86′; Martin Skrtel 78′, Mahmut Tekdemir 85′, Deniz Türüç 89′

Written by John Walker

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

Confirmed XI: Van de Beek, Cavani, Rashford, Fernandes and Martial start against Istanbul Basaksehir

24 November 2020 by

Manchester United will be back in UEFA Champions League action when they welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Old Trafford this evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get back to winning ways in the competition after a 2-1 away defeat in the group stage almost three weeks ago. In Istanbul, United looked disjointed and lost their concentration twice in the match which resulted in two sloppy goals for the home side. United will need to be at the top of their game to face the Turkish champions, who have seemingly fallen in stature in the Super Lig this season, losing their last two matches, which means nothing in this competition.

At this moment in time, United are top of their group with six points after three matches, sitting in that position on goal difference with them being seven goals ahead of second placed RB Leipzig. United will need to beat the Turkish side this time to keep their top spot in the group with two matches remaining, which will be the more difficult matches, at least on paper, despite United looking comfortable in the victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig in their first two group stage matches. PSG only have three points in the three matches they have played, which is not good for them, especially after reaching the final last season.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles;

Van de Beek, Fred;

Rashford, Fernandes, Martial;

Cavani

Substitutes:

Grant, Henderson; Fosu-Mensah, Williams, Tuanzebe, Mengi; Mata, James, Pellistri, Matic; Greenwood, Ighalo

Istanbul Basaksehir:

Günok;

Rafael, Škrtel, Epureanu, Bolingoli;

Özcan;

Višća, Chadli, Kahveci, Türüç;

Ba

Substitutes:

Babacan, Kıvanç, Kaldırım, Giuliano, Tekdemir, Gulbrandsen, Ponck, Kaplan, Karakuş

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have played once with the Turkish side winning that match. The club had only played Burnley in European competition before the match three weeks ago, 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 tend to do much better at Old Trafford against Turkish sides; playing eight matches, winning five, drawing once and losing twice. United need another win at home against a Turkish side to get back on track this season.

Written by John Walker

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

Predicted XI: [4-3-3] Edinson Cavani, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood starting up front against Basaksehir?

22 November 2020 by

Manchester United will be back in UEFA Champions League action when they welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get back to winning ways in the competition after a 2-1 away defeat in the group stage almost three weeks ago. In Istanbul, United looked disjointed and lost their concentration twice in the match which resulted in two sloppy goals for the home side. United will need to be at the top of their game to face the Turkish champions, who have seemingly fallen in stature in the Super Lig this season, losing their last two matches, which means nothing in this competition.

At this moment in time, United are top of their group with six points after three matches, sitting in that position on goal difference with them being seven goals ahead of second placed RB Leipzig. United will need to beat the Turkish side this time to keep their top spot in the group with two matches remaining, which will be the more difficult matches, at least on paper, despite United looking comfortable in the victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig in their first two group stage matches. PSG only have three points in the three matches they have played, which is not good for them, especially after reaching the final last season.

How United have faired against Istanbul Basaksehir and other Turkish teams in the UEFA Champions League.

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have played once with the Turkish side winning that match. The club had only played Burnley in European competition before the match three weeks ago, 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 tend to do much better at Old Trafford against Turkish sides; playing eight matches, winning five, drawing once and losing twice. United need another win at home against a Turkish side to get back on track this season.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening…

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

David De Gea is gathering the form we all know he is capable of and has been pulling it out of the bag recently. Having a competent defence and a defence with confidence is key here. Harry Maguire has suffered a tough summer break and an even tougher start to the season, but his form at this moment in time is something that has contributed to United’s form, at least in the last two matches. De Gea will keep performing to the best of his abilities and despite a few errors here and there, he is still a class act on the pitch for the club. It is good to see him back on the right road to greatness again – hopefully his teammates will be keeping up the clubs good spirits in a bid to overturn their season and aim for the dizzy heights.

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

United’s defence has improved and will continue to do so as long as they play consistently and get used to each other. Alex Telles is becoming the best left-back at the club, which will worry Luke Shaw, who has seemingly been given a free ride since signing for the club – having no competition for places in the squad, which is what he has now. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is good defensively but could learn something going forward, possible from Telles, who does both to a good standard. A central defensive partnership of Axel Tuanzebe and Harry Maguire could be a good shout for this match, giving Victor Lindelof some time to rest after his lower back injury that may become much more if he plays regularly whilst carrying the problem.

Midfield Three: Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes

A midfield three might make is easier for United to get something started in attack with Bruno Fernandes playing as the furthest forward, Donny van de Beek playing in the midfield role and with Scott McTominay playing the defensive role. The Dutchman could be in the middle of both Fernandes and McTominay and even overlap the Portuguese midfielder making runs into the box, which was one of the attributes that Solskjaer was keen on adding to the squad this season. Right now, no matter what his faithful supporters say, Paul Pogba has not done enough to be given a key role in this team. He needs to decide whether he wants to stay or go, if it is the former, show some class and bust a gut.

Forwards: Daniel James, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood

United’s attack was not quite working against the Baggies on Saturday evening, Marcus Rashford seems to have taken a hit with the injury that he is carrying and Anthony Martial was poor and will need to buck up his ideas. Yes he scored 23 goals last season but that is no excuse for missing easy chances. Juan Mata tried but was not getting United out of trouble. Against Basaksehir, Daniel James, who scored for Wales during the international break, Edinson Cavani who scored for Uruguay and Mason Greenwood, who spent the time in training with United, should all start, seeking to find a way for United’s attack to get firing again.

Substitutes: Dean Henderson; Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams, Teden Mengi; Paul Pogba, Fred, Facundo Pellistri, Nemanja Matic, Arnau Puigmal; Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga

With up to five substitutes in the Champions League this season, Solskjaer will be able to take advantage of this based on the size of his squad and the fact there are some talented players coming through the youth team that could benefit from linking up with the first team during a home match such as this. Dean Henderson is expected to be on the bench for this match, despite making his debut in the last Champions League fixture. Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams, Teden Mengi could be available in defence. In midfield, Paul Pogba, Fred, Facundo Pellistri, Nemanja Matic and Arnau Puigmal could have some involvement. In attack, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga could also be options.

Written by John Walker

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

Preview: Manchester United v Istanbul Basaksehir – UEFA Champions League

22 November 2020 by

Manchester United -v- Istanbul Basaksehir

UEFA Champions League

Old Trafford, Manchester

Tuesday 24 November 2020, KO 20:00 GMT

Referee: Ovidiu Haţegan Assistants: Octavian Șovre, Sebastian Gheorghe

Fourth Official: Marius Avram

VAR: Christian Dingert Assistant VAR: João Pinheiro

Manchester United will be back in UEFA Champions League action when they welcome Istanbul Basaksehir to Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get back to winning ways in the competition after a 2-1 away defeat in the group stage almost three weeks ago. In Istanbul, United looked disjointed and lost their concentration twice in the match which resulted in two sloppy goals for the home side. United will need to be at the top of their game to face the Turkish champions, who have seemingly fallen in stature in the Super Lig this season, losing their last two matches, which means nothing in this competition.

At this moment in time, United are top of their group with six points after three matches, sitting in that position on goal difference with them being seven goals ahead of second placed RB Leipzig. United will need to beat the Turkish side this time to keep their top spot in the group with two matches remaining, which will be the more difficult matches, at least on paper, despite United looking comfortable in the victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig in their first two group stage matches. PSG only have three points in the three matches they have played, which is not good for them, especially after reaching the final last season.

Manchester United: WWLLWD

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 W, Everton 3-1 W, Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1 L, Arsenal 1-0 L, RB Leipzig 5-0 W, Chelsea 0-0 D

Istanbul Basaksehir: LLWWWL

Beşiktaş 3-2 L, İstanbulspor 3-1 L, Gençlerbirliği S.K. 2-1 W, Manchester United 2-1 W, Konyaspor 2-1 W, Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 L

Top Scorers: Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have seven goals a piece in all competitions this season for United with Edin Visca and Fredrik Gulbrandsen having for a piece for the Turkish side.

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

Since the last match between these two teams, when United were unfortunately caught napping and lost 2-1, they have turned around their form with a 3-1 victory away to Everton and a 1-0 home victory over West Bromwich Albion, which was United’s first home victory of the season in the Premier League. United will need to be wary of the Turkish side, who showed United that they were not to be underestimated. United should have seen the warning with the 2-1 defeat in the third match of the group stages, so they should aim to turn that around with another three points in the bag in this match, which should strengthen their position.

Istanbul Basaksehir Goals: 4 – Edin Visca, Fredrik Gulbrandsen, 3 – Irfan Kahveci, 2 – Demba Ba, Enzo Crivelli, Guiliano de Paula, Mehmet Topal, 1 – Danijel Aleksic, Own Goal

The Turkish side beat United in their first match against them, winning 2-1 at home. Now they travel to the Theatre of Dreams, which should be a different story for the side. The Turks are not in the same form as United, having played three matches since facing United, winning once and losing twice – their last two matches. It might have knocked their confidence a little, especially being the reigning champions of Turkey and sitting in sixth place in the league with 13 points after nine matches being played so far this season. They will have belief that they can beat United, as they did three weeks ago, but United need to be much better.

Team News: United without three players for the clash against the Turks, who could be missing at least four players for the trip to Old Trafford.

United will still be without Phil Jones (knee), Luke Shaw (thigh) and Jesse Lingard (other) for the match against Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday evening. Eric Bailly (muscular) returned to training last week and has 25% chance of being available for this match. Paul Pogba missed the West Bromwich Albion victory with a knock and has a 50% chance of being involved in this match and Mason Greenwood, also not involved at the weekend, also has a 50% chance of being available for this match. Edinson Cavani could make his first start for United against the Turkish side with United needing more luck up front at this stage of the season.

The Turkish side could be without both Enzo Crivelli and Junior Caicara with both players having muscular injury ahead of the match against United at Old Trafford. Mert Günok and Danijel Aleksić could also be out for this match after testing positive for coronavirus, according to Transfermarkt. Muhammed Senegezer is out of action with a shoulder injury, but he had not been named in the Champions League squad for his club this season, because of the injury. Former United right-back, Rafael da Silva could represent the opposition for the first time at the Theatre of Dreams, which is something he will relish, even without supporters.

Predicted Starting XI: Edinson Cavani to lead the line for United? Supported by Daniel James, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek?

Solskjaer will start to see the pressure lift as players become available to play for United, especially in defence, which has seen United left with barebones, especially in the central positions with Eric Bailly injury, Phil Jones not added to the squad and Marcos Rojo seemingly out of favour. Alex Telles will be happy that he made his Premier League debut this weekend, playing his second match for United in a month. Creatively, Bruno Fernandes is the GOAT for United but finishing chances is a problem at this moment in time – something that Edinson Cavani could change – hopefully. United need to find the system that works and works well for them.

Match Prediction: United have done well against Turkish sides at Old Trafford in Europe, playing eight, winning five, drawing once and losing twice. A victory on Tuesday will make the final two matches that little bit easier.

United and Istanbul Basaksehir have played once with the Turkish side winning that match. The club had only played Burnley in European competition before the match three weeks ago, 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 tend to do much better at Old Trafford against Turkish sides; playing eight matches, winning five, drawing once and losing twice. United need another win at home against a Turkish side to get back on track this season.

Manchester United 2-0 Istanbul Basaksehir

Written by John Walker

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

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

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: , , , , ,

Istanbul Basaksehir – UEFA Champions League 2020/21 – Profile – Welcome to Hell is a distant memory, this could be a new one…

17 October 2020 by

Manchester United returned to the UEFA Champions League this season after finishing third in the Premier League last season. United last appeared in the competition during the 2018/19 season coming up against Young Boys, Valencia and Juventus in the group stages, finishing second to Juventus and coming up against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, losing 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg. A 3-1 victory in Paris saw United make the quarter-finals, coming unstuck against Barcelona losing 1-0 at Old Trafford and 3-0 at the Nou Camp. United will be relishing this opportunity to play in the elite European competition once more.

This season, United have been drawn against French champions Paris Saint-Germain, Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir and German side RB Leipzig, who finished third in the Bundesliga also reaching the semi-final of the Champions League last season, beaten by eventual runners-up, PSG. It is a tough group for United and one that they should be seeking to get the best out of from the very start as they will need to start strong this season in order to ensure they get out of the group and prolong their participation in the competition this season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a strong squad although they are licking their wounds at this moment in time.

Team Background and Pedigree

The Turkish champions were founded in 1990 as İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality), so has been in existence for 30 years now. However, on the 5 June 2014, just six years ago, the club was renamed İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü. It is one of the six Süper Lig teams to be based in Istanbul – the others being Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Fatih Karagümrük S.K. and Kasımpaşa. The Turkish side has won the 2. Lig twice (1992/93 and 1996/97), also winning the 1. Lig once (2013/14). During the 2019/20 season, they won the Süper Lig for the first time, having been the runners-up in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons.

The club has also won the Turkish Cup twice, during the 2010/11 and 2016/17 seasons. In terms of a pedigree in Europe, the Turkish champions have played just 30 matches in European competition. They have participated in the UEFA Europa League, playing 24 times, winning seven times, drawing six but losing 11 times. They have also appeared in the UEFA Champions League six times, winning once, drawing twice and losing three times. They are expected to be the easiest team to play against in the group, but that is based on their pedigree in Europe and could be very much different when a ball is kicked.

Manchester United Connections

There is just one former United player that currently plays for the Turkish side, signing for the club on the 8 September 2020 on a free transfer, leaving Lyon; Rafael Pereira da Silva. The 30-year-old was signed by United in January 2008 alongside his twin Fábio Pereira da Silva, who currently plays for Nantes in France. Both players were unable to play for United until they turned 18 later that summer. Rafael made 170 appearances for United, scoring five goals and 15 assists in his time at the club. He was sold to Lyon for £2.5 million in the summer of 2015, for a low fee and perhaps ahead of his time at the club. He will be looking forward to meeting up with United.

Players To Watch

Rafael Pereira da Silva will be a player to keep an eye on, for obvious reasons but there are a few other familiar names in the Turkish sides squad this season; former Tottenham Hotspur winger Nacer Chadli, former Chelsea forward and Steven Gerrard slip advantage taker Demba Ba also former Liverpool defender Martin Škrtel. Ba scored 13 goals for his club last season, but this season they do not seem to be as strong as they were last season, starting poorly in the league and currently sit at the bottom with just one point in four matches. Of course, by the time they face United, they will have either improved, or hit rock bottom and will be taken for granted.

Where does İstanbul Başakşehir play their home matches?

İstanbul Başakşehir play their home matches at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium. The stadium broke ground on the 1 June 2011 and was opened on the 26 July 2014, taking just over three years to complete. The stadium is located in the Başakşehir district of İstanbul and was named after the successful Turkish footballer and national team manager Fatih Terim, 67 and the current manager of cross city rivals Galatasaray. In normal times, a total of 17,156 supporters would fit into the stadium, so it would have been a relatively small venue for United, based on the size of Old Trafford and the other stadiums they have played in all around the world.

Who manages İstanbul Başakşehir?

Okan Buruk is the current manager of İstanbul Başakşehir. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey on the 19 October 1973 and is 46 years old. He started managing the club on the 11 June 2019 and won the Süper Lig title in his debut season at the club, which was a good start for him. Buruk started his played career at Galatasaray at youth level, reaching the first team in 1991, plain for ten years at the club. He also played for Inter Milan, Beşiktaş and İstanbul Başakşehir before retiring. He has managed Elazığspor, Gaziantepspor, Sivasspor, Göztepe, Akhisarspor and Çaykur Rizespor – spending a season at each club before arriving back at his former club.

When will the matches against Istanbul Basaksehir be played, and where?

United will face the Turkish champions in back to back matches in the group stages this season with the third group stage match being played at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday 4 November 2020 with kickoff scheduled for 17:55 GMT. The reverse fixture will be played at Old Trafford almost three weeks later on the 24 November 2020 with kickoff scheduled for 20:00 GMT. Both teams, having played both Paris Saint-German and RB Leipzig by the time they first meet, could be in the position whereby they need to get some points on the board, if the worst came to the worst, which hopefully will not be the case for United.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: First Team, Managers, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , ,

copyright: JW