"Unforgivable performance", "Ten Hag out 100%" - Twitter erupts as Manchester United held to disastrous draw vs Galatasaray
Manchester United's hopes of reaching the UEFA Champions League last 16 are in jeopardy after they were held to an enthralling 3-3 draw by Galatasaray tonight (November 29).
Erik ten Hag's men knew defeat would spell the end of their Champions League adventure. They walked into a roaring RAMS Park in Istanbul with a mighty challenge on their hands.
However, Manchester United stunned the home fans into silence in the 11th minute when Alejandro Garnacho struck. Bruno Fernandes picked out the in-form Argentine attacker with a superb pass and he buried the ball past Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Ten Hag's troops then showed real character and found the net once again seven minutes later through Fernandes' thunderbolt. The Red Devils captain ventured forward before firing in an unstoppable 25-yard effort.
Manchester United nearly raced into a 3-0 lead in the 26th minute. Luke Shaw spurned a golden chance after some good link-up play with Rasmus Hojlund.
However, calamity then ensued in the 29th minute when Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana's howler allowed Hakim Ziyech to halve the deficit. The Moroccan winger whipped a low-drive left-footed effort that dumbfounded Onana who could only watch the ball trickle over the line.
Onana made up for his mistake in the 36th minute when he produced a fine stop to deny Turkish defender Kaan Ayhan. Galatasaray thought they'd equalized seven minutes later through Mauro Icardi.
The Argentine striker broke forward and smashed home past Onana. But, the offside flag went up and he was just marginally offside.
Manchester United came out of the gates in the second half and found a vital third goal in the 55th minute. Aaron Wan-Bissaka did brilliantly on the right flank to send a low-driven cross for Scott McTominay who daggered in his fourth goal of the season.
Ten Hag's side looked to be growing in confidence until Onana once again had a moment to forget in the 62nd minute. Another free-kick from Ziyech caused United's shot-stopper issues and he fumbled the ball into the back of his own net. It was a nightmare display from the Cameroonian who'd enjoyed an upturn in form recently.
Onana was again questionable for Galatasaray's equalizer which arrived in the 71st minute. The Red Devils goalkeeper couldn't stop Turkish winger Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu from firing his side's third of the night.
Manchester United then had several opportunities to win the game with Fernandes desperately hitting the post in the 85th minute. Somehow the ball didn't go into the Turkish outfit's net when Facundo Pellestri and Anthony Martial tried their luck in the dying embers.
It was a disastrous night for the Red Devils as their chances of reaching the Champions League last 16 are in tatters. If Copenhagen beat Bayern Munich later on they will be eliminated.
One fan hit out at Onana's shocking showing:
"This result is all on Andre Onana. It’s a unforgivable performance from him."
Another fan isn't backing the United boss amid another Champions League nightmare:
"As long as we continue entertaining these kinds of performances we'll keep falling from grace. I'm Ten Hag out 100%."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to more calamity from Ten Hag's Reds:
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Owen Hargreaves bemoans Manchester United's costly mistakes that look to have ended their UCL campaign
Manchester United have scored 12 games during their Champions League campaign and still find themselves bottom of Group A. Ten Hag's men have won just one game, conceding 14 goals.
The Red Devils' constant mistakes have plagued their entire European campaign. Owen Hargreaves alluded to this in his assessment of their latest catastrophe, telling TNT Sports:
"(Manchester United) scored three in Munich and lost, three in Copenhagen and lost and three again here and didn't win. If you had said before [those games] that you would score that amount of goals, no one would ever have believed you. They are scoring enough goals but making mistakes which are costly in the Champions League."
Manchester United need Copenhagen to fail to beat Bayern tonight and then draw with Galatasaray in the group's final game day. Ten Hag's men have to beat the Bundesliga champions as well in their final match.