Galatasaray 3-3 Manchester United (Ziyech 29′, 62′, Akturkoglu 71′ | Garnacho 11′, Fernandes 18′, McTominay 55′)
RAMS PARK — For the neutral, and especially rival supporters, few things bring more pleasure than Manchester United this season.
They have brought out all the hits. There have been record-breaking losing streaks, embarrassing ineptitude and endless snatching of defeats from the jaws of victories. Their latest rebrand saw them become slapstick European entertainers.
In a match they really had to win to give themselves a chance of reaching the knockout stages, United played some of their best attacking football of the season, raining in 18 shots at the Galatasaray goal, away from home, scoring three goals – a tally that should be enough to beat the Turkish champions.
Yet, goalkeeping howlers and calamitous defending ensured there was no need for the canned laughter to fill any dead spaces. United led 2-0 and 3-1 and still, somehow, managed to take home one point. They have scored 12 goals and remain bottom of their Champions League group – Manchester United really are the gift that keeps on giving.
“It was enjoyable to watch. We were dynamic, brave and scored great goals,” Erik ten Hag said. “Even after we had setbacks, we kept going and should have won.
“We need to manage games better. We will learn from that.”
Not when it is this fun, Erik. We nearly didn’t have a game at all. The rain in Istanbul made Manchester look like the Gobi Desert pre-match, but after the match officials had previous looked concerned, as kick-off neared, the rain ceased – let the games begin.
While the modern-day Ali Sami Yen Stadium may look a look more imposing than its predecessor, the atmosphere inside resembles more of a modern-day cauldron – plenty of noise but players not fearing for their safety.
The pre-match tifo message was, of course, very much on brand as the hosts welcomed United back to “hell”, opening the scars from that famous night in 1993 when Eric Cantona lost his head and Bryan Robson was missing some blood.
The whistles that greeted every United touch were piercing, but they were soon silenced in a blistering United start.
First of all, man, well boy, of the hour, Alejandro Garnacho, followed his Goal of the Season shoo-in at the weekend with another fine finish in the 11th minute, before Bruno Fernandes arrowed home the very definition of a bolt from the blue – the xG from where he wound back that right foot from was 0.02.
Even though they had led two previous group games and ended up losing, a much-improved United surely couldn’t mess it up from here.
They seemed to be in fact relishing the Turkish spite. For both goals, Garnacho and Fernandes taunted the home supporters and were pelted with all manner of missiles, with just a pig’s head missing from the repertoire.
This United side, however, for all their improvement, like the owners of a new puppy from the pound, still find it very difficult to hold onto leads.
Andre Onana has been markedly more dependable of late, but while his teammates revelled in the searing inferno, the United stopper was melting before our eyes.
Firstly, he was too easily wrong-footed by a Hakim Ziyech free-kick to get the hosts back in it. Then, after Scott McTominay had taken his season tally to five, Ziyech, the only home player aware of Onana’s suffering, fizzed another set piece into the Cameroonian’s body and you know the rest.
The hosts were dead and buried at 3-1, but after Onana’s latest misdemeanour, the crowd rose and sucked home an equaliser with 19 minutes to go, Kerem Akturkoglu taking advantage of a visiting backline that parted like the Red Sea.
In this frankly bonkers match, every attack resulted in a chance. The Keystone Cops defending was a joy to behold. You just didn’t want it to end. Fernandes struck a post while substitute Facundo Pellestri should have won it at the death.
It wasn’t to be, leaving United’s fate down to the last game, where they need to beat Bayern Munich, while maintaining one eye on other results to even secure a Europa League spot. Guffawing all round.
One man won’t be finding this as amusing. Ten Hag’s thrill seekers have conceded 33 goals this season, the most in their opening 20 matches since 1962-63, while they have been breached 14 times in the Champions League, their most ever in a single group stage.
Popcorn at the ready for two weeks’ time.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/CBslvEZ
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