Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League resumes this midweek with Matchday 2 of the group stage. Group A will have three teams looking to register their first win of the campaign. Two of them will feature at Old Trafford, with Manchester United and Galatasaray locking horns.
Manchester United returned to the UEFA Champions League with a far-from-ideal result, as Bayern Munich handed them a 4-3 defeat on Matchday 1. That was one of their five defeats thus far this season, with four of those coming in the Premier League. The latest result was also a loss, as they went down 1-0 to Crystal Palace at home.
On the other hand, Galatasaray had to pass through three qualifying rounds to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage. Okan Buruk’s men won the 2022/23 Super Lig title and have started the new campaign well. The Lions are yet to lose a game this term but are second on the table behind Fenerbahce.
Galatasaray beat Manchester United 1-0 in the last clash featuring the teams, with Burak Yilmaz scoring the only goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
We're all with you, @LisandrMartinez ❤️#MUFC || #UCL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 2, 2023
Erik ten Hag has a plethora of roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Galatasaray on Tuesday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of at least eight first-team players.
Jadon Sancho remains on the sidelines following his run-in with Erik ten Hag. With the Englishman yet to apologise, he will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martínez (foot), Luke Shaw (muscle injury), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Sergio Reguilon (knock), Kobbie Mainoo (ankle), and Amad Diallo (knee) are in the treatment room.
Antony has resumed training after returning to Manchester following his interrogation from the police. But he might not be fit and sharp enough to be available to start. So, Erik ten Hag’s options out wide remain limited.
Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes should interchange positions on the right flank and central areas. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund should retain their spots, with Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri finding themselves on the bench.
Diogo Dalot is the only natural full-back in the first-team squad. So, he will start as a right-back, with Sofyan Amrabat featuring on the left flank again. Victor Lindelof should retain his spot as Raphael Varane’s central defensive partner, with Harry Maguire missing out again. The quartet will protect Andre Onana in the goal.
As for the midfield unit, Hannibal Mejbri should return to add steel to the Manchester United midfield. The Tunisian international will join Casemiro in the middle of the park, with Dan Gore, Christian Eriksen, and Scott McTominay being options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Amrabat; Casemiro, Mejbri; Mount, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Galatasaray
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Okan Buruk barely has any injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Galatasaray manager will be without one first-team player on Tuesday, with Kazimcan Karatas recovering from a knee injury.
Fernando Muslera is an automatic pick between the sticks, with the away side lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. The backline should feature Sacha Boey, Davinson Sanchez, Abdulkerim Bardakci, and Angelino. So, Tottenham-linked Victor Nelsson misses out.
📋 TEAM NEWS 🟡🔴
✈️ Squad traveling to Manchester:#MUNvGS #UCL pic.twitter.com/hF1nMziQJ3
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) October 2, 2023
Lucas Torreira and Kerem Demirbay will likely forge a solid partnership in the double pivot in the midfield unit. So Tanguy Ndombele will find himself on the bench, leaving Buruk with decent candidates in reserves.
Meanwhile, Dries Mertens will reprise the no. 10 role, pulling the strings in the final third. Wilfried Zaha and Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu will be the two wide attackers, with Mauro Icardi being the central striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Muslera; Boey, Sanchez, Bardakci, Angelino; Torreira, Demirbay; Zaha, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi
Key Stats
- Manchester United have never lost at home to Galatasaray in three previous meetings, drawing 3-3 in October 1993 in UEFA Champions League qualifying while winning 4-0 in December 1994 and 1-0 in September 2012 in the competition’s group stage.
- Galatasaray have won just one of their six previous meetings with Manchester United (D3 L2), although it was their most recent meeting in November 2012 (1-0).
- Manchester United have suffered as many defeats in their last 13 Champions League games at Old Trafford (six) as they did in their previous 80 home fixtures in the competition.
- The most recent Turkish team to win an away match against an English opponent in the UEFA Champions League was Besiktas, who beat Manchester United 1-0 in November 2009. Since then, the Red Devils have come away with a victory in their last five UCL outings at Old Trafford, with Bursaspor (once), Galatasaray (thrice), and Istanbul Basaksehir (once) being their victims.
- Bruno Fernandes has recorded an assist on seven of his last eight UEFA Champions League appearances. Over Manchester United’s most recent two seasons in the competition (2021/22 and 2023/24), he has as many assists (seven) as the rest of their players combined.
Player to Watch
Marcus Rashford
The 2023/24 season has already been one to forget for Manchester United, with most players leaving much to be desired. But no figure has come in for criticism more than Marcus Rashford. That is particularly bizarre, considering his exploits in the 2022/23 campaign.
Rashford was the top scorer for Manchester United last season, with the Red Devils struggling for goals if he was not in his element. That is seemingly still the case this term, with Manchester United not having many candidates to consistently find the back of the net.
So, Erik ten Hag will hope Rashford rediscovers his best as soon as possible so his team’s struggles end. Overpowering a solid unit like Galatasaray might be the ideal start for him to regain his confidence and net goals by the bucketloads.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Galatasaray
There was a time when a visit to Old Trafford was a daunting proposition for most teams. Even last season, Manchester United lost only two home games, embarking on an unbeaten run that lasted 12 months. But they have already lost twice at Old Trafford in the new campaign.
So, Galatasaray will travel to Old Trafford with hope and optimism coursing through the squad. However, the return of Hannibal Mejbri might be the catalyst for Manchester United to add steel to the midfield. That will, in turn, give more freedom to the attackers, with Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund delivering the goods. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Erik ten Hag and his charges.
