ManchesterUnited’s miserable seasoncontinuedwith a3-2home defeat byGalatasarayasCasemiro was sent off giving away a penalty which Mauro Icardi missed before scoring the winner to leave the hosts bottom of Champions League Group A on Tuesday.
Looking to put a fourth Premier League defeat of the season against Crystal Palace on Saturday to the backs of their minds,Unitedflew out of the traps in the Manchester rain, racing into a 17th-minute lead through Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Their advantage lasted less than six minutes howeverasWilfried Zaha, playing against his former club, scooped home the equaliser after poor defending from the hosts.
After the break, Hojlund brilliantly capitalised on a slip fromGalatasaraydefender Davinson Sanchez to clipUnitedback in front in the 67th minute, only for Kerem Akturkoglu to level four minutes later and stunOldTraffordinto silence.
A mistake fromUnitedgoalkeeper Andre Onana forced Brazilian midfielder Casemiro to conceded a penalty, which saw him sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
Icardi letUnitedoff the hookashe drilled his spot kick wide but the Argentine picked himself up and slotted home a fine winner nine minutes from time to sendGalatasarayup to second in the group on four points and leaveUnitedpointless.
Bayern Munich are top on six points from two games after a2-1winatFC Copenhagen, who are third with one point.
“Our opponents are maybe not very successful on the outside but they are a good team,”Galatasaraycoach Okan Buruk said.
“We have beaten a huge opponent. It is a massive week for Turkish football and of course for us.”
Unitedcoach Erik ten Hag added: “The mental errors we make, you cannot allow thematthis level. You get punished. This is difficult to control.
“We are all in this together. We were twice up and in control of the game. We expect more together.”
DesperateUnited
Back in the Champions League after a one-year absence,Unitedwere desperate for three points after losing to Bayern in their opening Group A encounter, having suffered their worst start to a domestic league campaign since 1989-90.
In European competition, they were also out to avoid losing a third match in a row, which they had not done since 2012-13.
Hojlund’s bullet header, from a pinpoint Marcus Rashford cross, could not have got the hosts off to a better start.
Former Crystal Palace winger Zaha, who only made four appearances forUnitedbetween 2013-15, got revenge on the club who did not give him a proper chance, capitalising on hesitant defending from Diogo Dalot before finding the net.
After the break, Hojlundcontinuedhis European purple patch with a superb solo goal but,aswas the case on three occasions during their opening group match in Munich,Unitedconceded too quickly after scoring themselvesasAkturkoglu struck.
At2-2, the home supporters still believed their team could find the winner, but more woeful defending gifted the Turkish side all three points.
Icardi’s penalty was poor and gaveOldTrafforda lift, but a simple forward header from defender Sanchez, in his own half, evaded everyone in red and the Argentine forward raced clear to score his first Champions League goal since 2019.
The final whistle was greeted by wild scenes of celebrationatGalatasaray’s first Champions League awaywinin a decade.
TheUnitedsupporters left the ground wondering when their suffering will end, having seen their side lose six of their 10 matches in all competitions this season after conceding a total of 18 goals – the mostatthis stage since 1966-67.
(Published 04 October 2023, 02:36 IST)