Manchester United 4-1 Istanbul Basaksehir: 5 Talking Points as Red Devils secure second straight home win | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Three weeks after suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Istanbul Basaksehir in their previous UEFA Champions League fixture, Manchester United settled scores with their Turkish opponents as they ran out 4-1 winners when the two sides met again at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Bruno Fernandes’ brace gave Manchester United a 2-0 lead inside the first twenty minutes. The Portuguese midfielder rifled home a thunderous first-time strike in the 7th minute before a goalkeeping error allowed him to roll the ball into an empty net in the 19th minute.
Marcus Rashford then won and scored a penalty to give Manchester United a three-goal lead in the 35th minute, with the visitors carving out a couple of decent chances but failing to convert.
The Red Devils seemed to take their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing the visitors a foothold in the game. After giving the home side a couple of scares, Basaksehir managed to pull a goal back in the 75th minute as Deniz Türüç’s free-kick was adjudged to have crossed the line before being clawed away by David de Gea.
After enduring several nervy moments in which Basaksehir hit the bar, Manchester United were able to restore their three-goal cushion in added time, with Mason Greenwood squaring for Daniel James to tuck away their side's fourth at the end of a swift counter-attack.
The result sees Manchester United regain the advantage in Group H. The Red Devils now sit atop the pile on 9 points from four games, with PSG and Leipzig, who both traded victories in their head-to-head encounters, following behind on 6 points each.
Istanbul Basaksehir, on the other hand, are left needing positive results in their last two games if they are to continue in European competition beyond the group stage, as they have three defeats and a win from four matches.
On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 major talking points from Manchester United’s win over Basaksehir at Old Trafford.
#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still using Champions League to experiment with Manchester United squad
Manchester United’s season has so far been hard to call, with the Red Devils seeming equally capable of being at their sublime best and their diabolical worst, often in successive matches.
Add to that their new signings, injuries and COVID-19 restrictions, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been forced to chop and change his starting eleven fairly regularly, using the Champions League to try out new combinations and formations.
The likes of Axel Tuanzebe and Alex Telles earned praise for their performances against Paris Saint-Germain earlier on in the competition. Meanwhile, Dean Henderson and Donny van de Beek have also made their Champions League bows for the Red Devils while featuring less often in the Premier League.
Against Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday, all eyes were on new signing Edinson Cavani, who made his first start for Manchester United after having opened his account for them against Everton a couple of weeks ago.
This change saw Anthony Martial, who has struggled in the center-forward position until now, being played at left wing as the experienced Uruguayan played through the middle.
The fact that the UEFA Champions League still allows five substitutions meant that Manchester United were even able to give some game time to Mason Greenwood, Dan James, and Brandon Williams, all three of whom have hardly featured this season, while resting some of their first-team regulars.
With the latest configuration having paid dividends, it will be interesting to see if Solskjaer also attempts to replicate these choices in the Premier League, as he has done in the past with mixed results.
#2 Basaksehir’s tried and tested tactics fail to provide results
When these two sides faced off in Turkey, the game was decided by shockingly lax defending from the English outfit as they allowed their opponents vast amounts of space to move forward and score on the counter.
In reply, the Turkish champions were well-organized and resolute in defense, throwing their bodies on the line in a series of last-ditch tackles as they emerged with the three points.
At Old Trafford on Tuesday, however, the same strategy backfired for Basaksehir, as a combination of their deep-lying defense and defensive mistakes meant that Manchester United were three goals to the good with just over half an hour played.
The early success encouraged Manchester United to come forward with increasing regularity, once again leaving spaces in behind for Basaksehir to exploit.
However, a more switched-on Manchester United defense dealt much more competently with what the away side were able to muster.
Additionally, the Turkish side’s attackers were guilty of missing a few presentable chances, the conversion of which might have put a different spin on proceedings. When the goal did come, it was too late for Basaksehir to mount a comeback, with the home side capable of seeing the game out and securing the three points.