According to coach Erik ten Hag, individual mistakes caused Man Utd to lose 2-3 to Galatasaray in the second round of Group A of the Champions League.
"Man Utd were leading twice, controlling the game and we didn't expect it to end like this," Ten Hag said after the defeat at Old Trafford. "Then we made some basic mistakes that we don't normally make in a game. You can't do that at this level because you get punished. It's not just one person making those mistakes, it's us as a team making those mistakes. So Man Utd couldn't win."
Coach Ten Hag leaves Old Trafford pensively after the Galatasaray match. Photo: AFP
Man Utd took the lead twice thanks to a Rasmus Hojlund brace. But both times, Galatasaray found an equaliser through Wilfried Zaha and Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu. The visitors sealed the win in the 81st minute, when Mauro Icardi broke free and chipped the ball past goalkeeper Andre Onana.
This defeat means Man Utd have another bad record. This is the first time they have lost both legs of the Champions League group stage, after losing 3-4 at Bayern Munich in the opening round. As a result, the "Red Devils" are at the bottom of the table, with Copenhagen on one point, Galatasaray on four points and Bayern on six points.
Man Utd have also lost seven of their last 14 home Champions League games (W5 D2) - as many as in their previous 96 games in the competition (W67 D22). Man Utd have lost six and conceded 18 goals in 10 games in all competitions this season - their worst tally since conceding 20 goals in their first 10 games in 1966-67. With 19 goals conceded, Sheffield United are the only Premier League club to have conceded more than Man Utd this season.
"If I give you any explanation, you will see it as an excuse, and the reality is that there are no excuses at the moment," Ten Hag admitted. "We cannot make the mistakes we are making. We have to do better, we have to win games, that's the simple fact."
Casemiro received a red card for a foul on a Galatasaray player, after goalkeeper Andre Onana made a bad pass.
When asked about the possibility of reaching the Champions League round of 16, the Dutch coach was confident: "Everything is still open. We have four matches left, including two against Copenhagen. Every match is difficult, but we know what to do. The whole team knows what is required, shows solidarity and hopes to continue."
During the press conference, Ten Hag also defended Onana - the goalkeeper who passed the ball straight to Dries Mertens in the 77th minute, causing Casemiro to commit a foul in the penalty area and receive a second yellow card. Ten Hag praised Onana for having the qualities to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world, having reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with Ajax in 2019 and the final with Inter last season. "We saw Onana showing great ability and character after making mistakes. I believe he will be back in the next matches," he said.
The 53-year-old coach also praised Hojlund for his excellent performance, being a constant threat and scoring two classy goals. He sees the match against Brentford in the eighth round of the Premier League on October 7 as an opportunity for Man Utd to regain their motivation and return to winning streak.
Hong Duy
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