Turkey Man Utd lost the right to decide on the Champions League round of 16, after drawing 3-3 with Galatasaray in the penultimate round of Group A.
The "Red Devils" led 2-0, then 3-1 but still let the home team equalize in the rain in Istanbul. Goalkeeper Andre Onana made the biggest mistake, when he let his former Ajax teammate Hakim Ziyech score twice from free kicks. If they win this match, Man Utd can lose to Bayern Munich in the final round, and still be able to go through. But because they only got one point from Rams Park, Erik ten Hag's team cannot guarantee a place in the round of 16 even if they beat Bayern.
Man Utd players bow their heads after midfielder Kerem Akturkoglu scores the winning goal in a 3-3 draw for Galatasaray against Man Utd, at Rams Park, Istanbul, Turkey, Group A Champions League on November 29, 2023. Photo: Reuters
This is not the first time Man Utd have dropped a win in the Champions League. In the match against Galatasaray at Old Trafford, they twice took the lead but lost. When they played Copenhagen in Denmark, the English club even took a two-goal lead but lost.
Galatasaray started the game with excitement, but Man Utd poured cold water on the home team with two beautiful goals in the first opportunities. In the 11th minute, captain Bruno Fernandes passed the ball to the left side of the penalty area for Garnacho to comfortably control the ball before shooting with his left foot into the top corner of the near post. The 19-year-old midfielder, after scoring a "bicycle kick" in the previous match against Everton, continued to score in Istanbul.
Alejandro Garnacho's opening shot. Photo: PA
Once again, Garnacho celebrated his goal in the style of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, but instead of spinning, he raised his hand to signal the home crowd to calm down. This way of celebrating made the Turkish crowd angry, and they kept throwing strange objects at Garnacho. Fernandes and striker Rasmus Hojlund had to make an apology gesture on his behalf, but the Argentine midfielder still pointed to his ear to provoke the crowd. After being reminded by referee Jose Maria Sanchez, Garnacho stopped.
Just seven minutes later, Man Utd unleashed a second "punch", this time from a long-range shot from Fernandes. After Shaw's attempt to pass the ball from the left wing into the middle, Fernandes was free to shoot from about 25 meters away, sending the ball into the near corner, high and clear of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. As Fernandes celebrated the goal, Galatasaray fans threw strange objects onto the pitch.
The home team was two goals down but the crowd was still cheering enthusiastically, partly because of Garnacho's provocation. Therefore, the home players continued to play aggressively, causing Man Utd to gradually become confused. In the 29th minute, Fernandes committed a dangerous foul about 20 meters away on the right. Ziyech took a free kick into the far corner, while Onana misjudged and moved to the near corner.
Man Utd seemed to have secured the win when Scott McTominay restored the two-goal lead in the 55th minute, tapping the ball into the near corner from Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross from the right. However, Galatasaray continued to rub salt into the "Red Devils", as did Ziyech's "grabbing" of Onana. From a tighter corner, about 30 meters away, Ziyech once again shot into the far corner, this time the Cameroon goalkeeper guessed the direction but missed and let the ball roll into the net.
McTominay increased the score to 3-1 for Man Utd in the 55th minute. Photo: PA
The one-goal gap made things even more difficult for Man Utd, before they collapsed in the 71st minute. Ziyech once again shone with a through ball for Kerem Akturkoglu to rush down the right penalty area and shoot hard into the near corner to seal the score. Onana was unable to close the angle in this situation, ending an incomplete day.
Ziyech is still on the books of Chelsea, currently on loan at Galatasaray. He and Onana were teammates and mainstays at Ajax from 2016-2020, reaching the Champions League semi-finals together in 2019.
Man Utd could only rise up when the home team was tired in the last 15 minutes, but the visitors lacked precision. Fernandes' long-range shot hit the post, McTominay's shot missed the post by a hair, and Facundo Pellistri's close-range rebound hit the goalkeeper, all of which only made the visitors' fans disappointed.
Ten Hag's men are still bottom of Group A with four points. They could be eliminated one game early if Copenhagen beat Bayern in the late game on the same day. If that happens, Man Utd will only have two competitions left this season: the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Xuan Binh
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