Manchester United host Galatasaray on Tuesday night, where they will look to kickstart their UCL campaign. The two clubs last met in the UCL in 2012, where the hosts won 1-0 apiece.
Man Utd
The Red Devils go into this game off the back of an extremely disappointing 1-0 defeat at Home to Crystal Palace, which puts Ten Hag’s side in tenth place after seven games with a points tally of nine. Man United have suffered at both ends of the field this season and their home form has been poor, especially considering they only lost once at Old Trafford in the entirety of last season. injuries and players being unavailable have been the main cause of this downfall but they will be desperate to get back on track with a win on Tuesday.
Last time out in the Champions League, United travelled to Bayern Munich where they suffered a 4-3 defeat. Two goals either side of the half hour mark gave the hosts a 2-0 lead, but their new signing, Rasmus Hojlund, scored his first goal for the club after the break. Christian Eriksen conceded a controversial penalty moments later which halted any form of momentum. The tie was 3-1 to Bayern Munich within minutes of the ninety, but a Casemiro brace either side of a Mathys Tel goal wasn’t enough to claim any points for the travelling reds.
Galatasaray
Galatasaray were very active in the transfer market over the summer and their signings have been having an instant impact on results. The likes of Wilfried Zaha, Hakim Ziyech, Lucas Torreira and Angelino all joined Okan Buruk’s side and they are currently unbeaten in the Turkish Super Lig. Galatasaray have been very solid In defence, conceding only four goals in seven games, whilst also scoring an average of two goals per game.
Their UCL opener saw them face FC Copenhagen at home and they will be disappointed to have walked away with only one point, with the game ending 2-2. The hosts were 2-0 down by the hour mark, before Elias Jelert was handed his second yellow card in the 75th minute. The extra man and Galatasaray’s depth paid off eventually, as they scored two goals in three minutes, but they were unable to complete the comeback.
Verdict?
This tie should see goals with both sides prioritising attacking football. I don’t expect Galatasaray to change their approach for United and they will look to take advantage of the vulnerable back line. The Red Devils should have enough quality to pull through but predicting them recently has become an impossible task.
The final prediction is Manchester United 2-1 Galatasaray.
