Manchester United failed to hold on to their one goal lead at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul, drawing 1-1 with Fenerbahçe in a meeting with former boss José Mourinho.
Christian Eriksen gave the visitors the lead in the first half, finishing off a great team move with a fantastic finish.
The hosts were desperately unlucky not to equalise before half-time, but come the second half they would find parity through a guided Youssef En-Nesyri header.
Following the goal, neither side were able to create a glorious chance, both settling for a disappointing share of the spoils come full time.
As it happened
Some stories just write themselves. Manchester United’s clash with Fenerbahçe wasn’t just a trip to Istanbul; it was a reunion with the special one. José Mourinho’s relationship with the club would of course go on to sour, and while he was Tottenham boss, he’d sever all ties with a 6-1 demolition job at Old Trafford. There were old scores to settle here. There was more on the line than just three points: there was pride.
Of course, this was a struggling Manchester United, too. On paper, it was a showdown between the club’s most successful two managers since Sir Alex Ferguson, but Erik ten Hag’s side were winless in the Europa League and 12th in the Premier League. A win at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium felt a necessity.
But in accordance with their recent form, they started slowly. The first chances of the game all fell to the hosts, with Bright Osayi-Samuel squandering a glorious crossing position with an ill-advised shot and Fred smashing a hopeful half-volley wildly over the bar. It was one way traffic until the 15th minute.
Luckily for United, the change of pace in the 15th minute meant their opening goal. It was a chance on the break, their first of the game; Alejandro Garnacho sprinted down the left and broke into the box. His first ball found Noussair Mazraoui, who then found Joshau Zirkze, the Dutchman proceeding to lay the ball off to an onrushing Christian Eriksen. The Dane wasted no time dispatching a shot, hitting it first time into the top left corner. Dominik Livaković didn’t even move.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe goal really was out of the blue. Fenerbahçe had dominated, and once they went behind, United continued to allow them to do so.
It was a miracle they couldn’t score before half-time. Dušan Tadić would hit two efforts goalwards, first a hopeful strike from 30 yards which caused no issue for the André Onana and then one which required extra help to stay out.
Sebastian Szymański’s cross into the area squirmed into the six yard box, the United goalkeeper well-beaten. The Serbian had an empty goal to aim for, and he would’ve found it had Manuel Ugarte not slid in at the perfect moment to block the shot.
It was a brilliant bit of defending, but it wasn’t even Ten Hag’s side’s most hair-raising moment. Right at the end of the half, another Szymański ball into the area found the head of Youssef En-Nesyri, stooping to guide a header goalwards. Onana had to react in an instant to meet the shot, but his parry flew back into the area, where the Moroccan striker was ready for round two. This time, his header was looping, but the keeper was equal to it again, tipping it over the bar – much to the bewilderment of Mourinho on the sidelines.
Half time couldn’t come soon enough for the visitors, their lead not quite hanging by a thread, but certainly under threat. Come the second half, it would be gone all together.
Only four minutes into the half, Allan Saint-Maximin sent a hopeful ball from deep into the area, where En-Nesyri was making a move. Third time lucky. Outmuscling both Victor Lindelöf and Lisandro Martínez, he latched onto the ball and powered his header low into the ground. Onana, this time, had no chance, and Fenerbahçe were deservedly level.
Embed from Getty ImagesJust as they were looking to build, disaster struck for the home side – or, rather, for their manager.
Typical José; always the pantomime villain. In the 57th minute, Osayi-Samuel went down in the area under the challenge of Ugarte, the home fans making their opinions of the situation known. But the referee Clemént Turpin waved the claims away; and a certain someone in the dugout was not happy. One overzealous reaction later, he was shown red in typical Mourinho fashion. On an occasion like this, there was always going to be drama.
From then on out, United were the brighter of the two sides. Both Marcus Rashford and substitute Rasmus Højlund squandered big chances, the former firing a Dalot cutback wide and the latter firing a tame effort from a glorious position, which Livaković may as well have prayed for.
The final big chance of the game fell to Garnacho, the Argentine weaving into the area once more before firing an effort towards the near post, the Croatian keeper getting down quickly enough to make the save.
This is another disappointing result for a Manchester United side who can’t seem to buy a win in Europe at the moment. Three draws in three Europa League games will be far from what Erik ten Hag expected at the start of the season, his job under ever more scrutiny. It leaves them 21st in the table, their qualification to the knockout rounds very much up in the air.
On the other hand, it’s not even a remarkable point for Fenerbahçe, themselves sat on five points in 14th place. That said, they seemed relatively content with a draw, failing to take a shot past the 56th minute.
As ever, though, the star of the show wasn’t the match. It was the Mourinho show once again, the Portuguese boss always the talking point, always the centre of attention. The only downside for him? He might miss his side’s next game with AZ. The price of fame.
The lineups
FEN: Livaković; Müldür, Dijku, Söyüncü, Osayi-Samuel; Amrabat, Fred; Saint-Maximin, Szymański, Tadić; En-Nesyri
MUN: Onana; Martínez, De Ligt, Lindelöf, Dalot; Ugarte, Eriksen; Rashford, Mazraoui, Garnacho; Zirkzee
