UCL: Shambolic Manchester United hands Instanbul first-ever champions league victory
Manchester United produced a woeful display as they slipped to a 2-1 Champions League defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir in their group H encounter on Wednesday, handing the Turkish side their first-ever champions league victory.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, struggling badly in the Premier League, failed to reproduce the zest and intensity they showed in impressive wins against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig last month.
United started on the front foot in the early minutes of the game, with no sign of the defensive chaos to come in front of a small but vocal crowd.
Luke Shaw fizzed a ball past the far post with his left foot but United, with Marcus Rashford and Martial up front, lacked a decisive final touch.
The home side were ahead in the 12th minute after a long clearance found the unmarshalled Ba, who collected the ball just inside his own half and raced through to beat goalkeeper Dean Henderson, making his European debut in place of David de Gea.
In the 39th minute, Turuc robbed Juan Mata of possession down the left and raced forward, sending over a cross that Ba stepped over and Visca smashed home.
United gave themselves hope when they reduced the deficit shortly before half-time through an Anthony Martial header.
But despite multiple second-half changes, Solskjaer’s men could not find a way past the determined Basaksehir defence.
Solskjaer threw on Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba in place of Mata and Donny van de Beek to add impetus to the attack but United struggled to create clear chances.
Mason Greenwood came on for Rashford as United continued to search for a way through.
They went agonisingly close to an equaliser in stoppage time when a header was cleared off the line but they could not rescue a point and the three-time European champions saw their impressive start to the competition discontinued.
Leipzig 2 – 1 PSG
Meanwhile in Germany, a devastated Paris Saint-Germain had two men sent off as they were beaten 2-1 by RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night.
The French champions sit third in Group H with three points, while Manchester United and Leipzig are tied with 6 points each.
