Manchester United need to avoid a defeat on Wednesday evening to have a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League, as we make the long trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray in the penultimate round of fixtures in Group A. The Reds are currently sitting bottom with just three points although our opponents only have one more than us and are a place above us.
A win gives us a fighting chance, especially if Bayern do us a favour and Beat Copenhagen later in the evening. A draw takes it out of our hands regardless of that result.
Manchester United Team News
There are still a number of players out on the sidelines with injuries as Lisandro Martinez (foot), Casemiro (thigh), Amad Diallo (knee), Mason Mount (calf), Jonny Evans (thigh), Christian Eriksen (knee) and Tyrell Malacia (knee) will not make the trip to Istanbul.
Antony had emerged as a doubt after he picked up a knock that ruled him out of the Everton game but has made the travelling squad to Turkey. Rasmus Højlund did not feature on the weekend either but is expected to have involvement on Wednesday evening.
Still to score his first goal in the Premier League, Hojlund has netted five times in the Champions League so far and will be a welcome return with Marcus Rashford sitting out of this game due to suspension.
welcome to hell
United will be looking to avenge the 3-2 defeat by Galatasary last month at Old Trafford but will have to get on the score sheet first. We have failed to get any goals against the Turkish side in our last three away meetings.
On paper, United are by far the better side, but the atmosphere and occasion of this game simply can’t be ignored. While the ugly scenes of ’93 are unlikely to be repeated, we can expect a hostile, intimidating atmosphere both on the pitch and probably around the city. This is no walk in the park.
United’s last 2 results at Galatasaray were 0-0 and a 1-0 defeat, in ’93 and 2012 respectively
Manchester United Predicted Lineup
There was some debate in the studio as to whether Kobbie Mainoo would start his second game in a row. I fancy him to be used sparingly given his age, and would expect to see him back against Newcastle at the weekend.
Opposition Preview
Galatasaray nearly came away with a point in their last Champions League game away to Bayern Munich. After holding them for the first 80 minutes, Harry Kane scored a brace before Cedric Bakambu’s goal set up a nervy finish.
Bakambu’s goal was just a consolation in the end. The Turkish side came close to securing their place inside the top two of Group A. However, they will fight it out with United and Copenhagen to see who will progress to the knockout stages.
They are level on points with Copenhagen having an inferior goal difference to them. This round of fixtures will not determine who goes through or not.
At the weekend, Galatasary cruised to a 4-0 win against Alanyaspor with former United player Wilfred Zaha on the score sheet.
Galatasaray Team News
Davison Sanchez is out after suffering a grade two hamstring injury in the league game against Alanyaspor. Abdulkerim Bardakci had suffered an injury in training on Friday but it is expected to feature on Wednesday with reports suggesting he is winning the battle to be fit. Victor Nelsson will fulfill the role if Bardakci needs more time to recover.
Form Guide
Manchester United Champions League form: LLWL
Manchester United (all competitions): LLWLWW
Galatasaray Champions League form: WWDWLL
Galatasaray form (all competitions): LWWLLW
Prediction
United know the task at hand and must avoid defeat in Turkey to stand any chance of reaching the Champions League knockout stages. We will be brimming with confidence after the 3-0 win against Everton at the weekend. Galatasaray have the capability to cause us problems as they did at Old Trafford last month.
Galatasaray 0-1 Manchester United
