manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reacts on the touchline during the
English Premier League football match between Manchester United and
Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on
November 1, 2020. Paul ELLIS / POOL / AFP
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
blasted “unforgivable” defending from his hapless side as they
slumped to an embarrassing 2-1 Champions League defeat against
Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday.
United, floundering in the lower reaches of the Premier League,
started the game as firm favourites after an impressive win against
Paris Saint-Germain and a 5-0 humbling of RB Leipzig.
But defeat in Turkey — a first-ever Champions League group-stage
win for Basaksehir — heaps the pressure on the Norwegian boss,
whose side looked short of inspiration and basic defensive nous in
Istanbul.
The three-time European champions were badly exposed on the
break as former Chelsea forward Demba Ba and Edin Visca gave the
home team a two-goal cushion.
United gave themselves hope when they reduced the deficit
shortly before half-time through an Anthony Martial header.
But despite multiple second-half changes and an array of
attacking talent, Solskjaer’s lacklustre team could not find a way
past the organised Basaksehir defence.
The result ended Manchester United’s longest away
winning run in all competitions in their history — 10 straight
victories — and was their first away defeat in 19 matches since
losing in January at Liverpool in the Premier League.
Solskjaer said the performance against the hard-working Turkish
side was not good enough.
“They scored two goals like you do in Europe when you do not
defend well enough,” he told BT Sport.
“The first one is that we play a short corner and forget about
the man up top. That is unforgivable. The second one as well, we
are not very well organised to counter the press.”
“You don’t turn up and get three points in the Champions
League,” he added. “They are a team well organised and we were not
good enough. That is it.”
Defensive chaos
United started the game in the comfort zone, 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
penetration.
The home side were ahead in the 12th minute after inexplicably
poor awareness and organisation allowed unmarshalled ex-Chelsea
forward Ba to collect a long ball and race from the halfway line to
score, trailed helplessly by Nemanja Matic.
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Axel Tuanzebe, who impressed in Paris, had a heart-stopping
moment after he pulled Ba back but escaped with a yellow card.
Basaksehir remained threatening on the break,
with United worryingly open at the back, and the visitors
were caught napping again five minutes before half time.
defender Harry Maguire (L) fights for the ball with Istanbul
Basaksehir’s Turkish midfielder Mehmet Topal during the UEFA
Champions League football match group H, between Istanbul
Basaksehir FK and Manchester United, on November 4, 2020, at the
Basaksehir Fatih Terim stadium in Istanbul. OZAN KOSE /
AFP
Deniz Turuc robbed Juan Mata of possession down the left and
raced forward, sending over a cross that Ba stepped over and Visca
smashed past Dean Henderson, making his Champions League debut in
place of David de Gea.
United crucially reduced the deficit in the 43rd minute
when Martial steered a Shaw cross home with his head.
Solskjaer hooked off Tuanzebe at the interval, with Scott
McTominay coming on and Matic dropping back to play at centre-back
alongside Harry Maguire.
United once more enjoyed territorial advantage at the start
of the second half and Bruno Fernandes had a free-kick pushed
away.
Solskjaer threw on Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba in place of
Mata and Donny van de Beek to add impetus to the attack but
ponderous 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 Alexandru Epureanu hacked off the line but they could not
rescue a point in the Group H tie.
United appeared to have turned the corner after their 6-1
mauling by Tottenham last month but they have now suffered
consecutive defeats to Arsenal and Basaksehir.
“They (two losses) have set us back a lot,” said Solskjaer,
whose team travel to Everton on Saturday. “You get a reality check
every time you play a game of football.”
AFP