"Throwing away leads once again!" - Rio Ferdinand reacts as Manchester United draw 3-3 with Galatasaray in UCL
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand reacted to his former side twice squandering two-goal leads in the 3-3 UEFA Champions League draw at Galatarasaray on Wednesday (November 29).
The visitors made the perfect start at RAMS Park when Alejandro Garnacho fired them in front after 11 minutes. Captain Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage seven minutes later before Hakim Ziyech reduced arrears in the 29th minute, thanks to goalkeeper Andre Onana's error.
Erik ten Hag's side restored their two-goal lead after the break through Scott McTominay in the 55th minute. However, Onana was it again, failing to keep out a Ziyech free-kick as Galatasaray made it 3-2.
Kerem Akturkoglu's superb effort off the bench restored parity on the night. While both sides had their chances to win - with Fernandes striking the upright with a shot from distance - United are no longer in control of their own destiny.
Regardless of how Ten Hag's side fare against group winners Bayern Munich on matchday six, they cannot finish in the top two if Galatasaray win at FC Copenhagen on the final day.
Reacting to the 'disappointing' result, former United defender Ferdinand tweeted:
"Wow ... What a game of football. Disppointing result. United showing glimpses but throwing away leads once again!"
With four points from five games, United are bottom of the group, trailing third-placed Copenhagen - who play Bayern Munich later in the day - on goal difference.
"We conceded really bad goals" - Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes made no qualms of the fact that the side potentially let a win slip out of their grasp, thanks to conceding 'really bad goals'.
Galatasaray's first goal came when Onana made a mess of Ziyech's rather innocuous free-kick. In the second half, the Cameroon goalkeeper made another poor clearance from a Ziyech free-kick.
In a end-to-end finish, both sides squandered scoring opportunities as a six-goal thriller ended all-square. However, the result means United need a miracle of sorts to finish second, with Galatasaray in pole position to qualify behind Bayern.
A disappointed Fernandes lamented the squandering of another winning position (TNT Sports via BBC):
"It's really hard. We conceded really bad goals. We have to take control of the situations in all of them. "We were on top of the game twice, and we had far too many chances to have the game closed. We were not clinical enough.
"I have nothing to explain. We concede the two goals, and there's nothing we can do now. Obviously we could have done better with those two goals, but it is what it is.
Manchester United return to action in the Premier League at Newcastle United on Saturday (December 2).