It rained all morning and it rained all afternoon and it rained all evening in Istanbul. But it did not rain enough to douse the fires of Hell. Manchester United endured the tortures of the old Ali Sami Yen stadium 30 years ago and last night they suffered the agonies of the damned in the new one.
United played some wonderful football and scored three superb goals in a stadium notorious for its intimidating atmosphere but two dreadful mistakes by their goalkeeper, Andre Onana, allowed Galatasaray to recover twice from two-goal deficits to claim a 3-3 draw that leaves Erik ten Hag’s side bottom of Group A with one game left.
Their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages of the Champions League now hang by a fraying thread. They will have to beat Bayern Munich in the final group game in Manchester in a fortnight and hope that Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen can only draw in Denmark but their destiny is now out of their hands.
High behind one of the goals, a sign had been designed to look as if it had been written in blood. ‘Your nightmare is back again,’ it read, a reference to the tumultuous goalless draw between the teams at the old stadium in 1993 that ended in Eric Cantona being sent off and United eliminate from Europe.
The sign was a prophecy. A match that promised so much for United in its early stages did indeed turn into a nightmare. United have thrown away leads throughout the group stage of the competition this season and they threw away another one here. Onana was the main culprit this time but the problem clearly runs deeper than him.
Manchester United’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League are now hanging by a thin thread
Despite taking a two-goal lead, Erik ten Hag’s side allowed Galatasaray to come back into the match, with the home side going on to secure a 3-3 draw at RAMS Park
They got off to a flying start in Istanbul with Alejandro Garnacho scoring early on in the match
United had this match in their hands. They had qualification for the knock-out phase, which should be the minimum requirement for a club of their size and their wage bill, in their hands. And they let it all slip away. A 3-3 draw in Istanbul might have happy connotations for Liverpool fans but this result will only leave bad memories for Ten Hag and his players.
The game was in doubt until an hour before kick-off because of the incessant rain that had fallen on Istanbul since before dawn but after several inspections, the pitch was passed fit to play. The sodden conditions did little to dampen the incendiary mood inside the ground.
The new Ali Sami Yen, in its current incarnation as Rams Park, might not have quite the same intimidatory atmosphere that the old one generated in its tighter, decrepit arena but a noise level of 131.76 decibels was recorded here for a derby match against Fenerbahce in 2011, the loudest roar ever recorded at a sports stadium. It still packs a punch.
It is still amongst the most fervent atmospheres in world football, too. United were warned that they would have to withstand an uncommonly hostile and angry Goodison Park last weekend and they passed that test with flying colours. The Ali Sami Yen, though, is a different level altogether.
Deafening music played as the teams walked out and the home fans held up cards that spelled out ‘Welcome to Hell’ in giant letters across the two tiers of the stand opposite the tunnel. Behind one of the goals, more cards depicted the face of a lion and the slogan: ‘Courage Roars Within You’.
United seemed unaffected by the din and the melodrama of the preamble. They came here full of confidence after their win at Everton over the weekend, a win decorated by that stunning overhead kick by Alejandro Garnacho.
In those circumstances, perhaps, it was predictable they should start brightly. Antony looked unrecognisable from the player who has struggled so hard to impress since his move to Old Trafford. He was a constant threat.
United forged the first chance of the match after five minutes when Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes played a clever 1-2 down the left and Garnacho fizzed in a cross to the near post. Hojlund stretched to meet it but scuffed his contact and the ball bounced wide.
Five minutes later, they were ahead. They swept upfield, Fernandes played a ball in to Hojlund on the edge of the box, he held it up well and played it back to Fernandes, who slipped a pass out to Garnacho. Garnacho took a touch and then rifled an unstoppable left foot shot into the roof of the net.
It was not quite as spectacular as Sunday’s overhead kick but it was still a beauty. Garnacho celebrated in front of the Galatasaray fans and when several objects rained down, Antony made a point of stooping to pick them up, enraging them further. Before play restarted, the referee appeared to speak to Fernandes about inciting the crowd.
Bruno Fernandes doubled their lead not long after with a stunning long-range effort
But former Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech lead the comeback, scoring from a free-kick in the first half before netting again in the second
The Morocco international curled an excellent free-kick around the wall to beat Andre Onana
Match Facts
Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Muslera, Boey, Bardakci, Ayhan, Angelino (Nelsson 82′), Torreira, Ndombele (Sergio Oliveira 60′), Ziyech (Baris Yilmaz 82′), Mertens (Akturkoglu 60′), Zaha (Demirbay 88′), Icardi.
Subs: Guvenc, Tete, Karatas, Bakambu.
Goals: Ziyech 29′, 62′; Akturkoglu 71′
Bookings: Boey, Ayhan
Manager: Okan Buruk
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana, Wan-Bissaka (Dalot 78′), Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw, McTominay, Amrabat (Mainoo 58′), Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho (Pellistri 78′), Hojlund (Martial 58′).
Subs: Bayindir, Reguilon, Varane, Heaton, Gore, Mejbri, Hugill.
Bookings: Fernandes, Amrabat, Shaw, Wan-Bissaka
Goals: Garnacho 11′; Fernandes 18′, Mctominay 55′
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez
Attendance: 52,280
Galatasaray nearly equalised straight away. Lucas Torreira got to a near post corner ahead of his marker and forced Andre Onana into a fine point-blank save and in the ensuing scramble, a shot appeared to hit Scott McTominay on the upper arm.
The referee waved the appeals for a penalty away and VAR confirmed his decision. It was more of a penalty than the previous night’s award against Newcastle United, although that has now been acknowledged as a mistake. United escaped.
Before 20 minutes had elapsed, United were 2-0 up. Luke Shaw set Fernandes free midway inside the Galatasaray half, Fernandes advanced on the retreating home defence and then unleashed a dipping, swerving right foot shot that hurtled past Fernando Muslera and into the roof of the net.
The crowd fell silent but the silence did not last. Galatasaray did not fold. Torreira was tripped by Fernandes on the edge of the box and when Hakim Ziyech took the kick, Onana took a step to his left, anticipating a shot over the wall. Ziyech went the other way and, with Onana wrong-footed, the ball hurtled into the net.
Kaan Ayhan volleyed a cross from Dries Mertens into the side-netting soon after the interval but United re-established their two-goal cushion when Antony played a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Wan-Bissaka crossed it to the near post and McTominay slid in to divert it into the net with his left foot.
But then United presented their opponents with another gift. Fernandes fouled Ziyech on the right of the United area and when Ziyech fizzed the ball into the area, it was more of a cross than a shot. It evaded everyone and went through to Onana but as he tried to gather it, it bounced off his right hand and trickled apologetically into the net.
In recent matches, Onana had seemed to have recovered from his early season uncertainties but his performance here was a huge setback. United cannot afford a goalkeeper who is a liability.
Mauro Icardi looked to have scored a second before half-time but his goal was ruled out for offside
After the break, Scott McTominay restored United’s two-goal lead, stretching to tap the ball in at the near post
But Ziyech would hit back again from another free-kick, which Onana fumbled into his own net
It was a tough one for the Man United shot-stopper, who failed to control the awkward ball, deflecting it into the back of his own goal
Ziyech would have a part in Galatasaray’s third goal too, playing an excellent ball into substitute Kerem Akturkoglu (pictured) who fired past Onana
It means United will now have to win their remaining group game against Bayern Munich to qualify for the knockouts
They remain bottom of Group A after Copenhagen drew with Bayern Munich in the late kick off
Onana’s error gave Galatasaray and their fans fresh hope and it did not take long for them to capitalise on it. Second half substitute Kerem Akturkoglu controlled a through ball superbly and even though he was shadowed by Kobbie Mainoo, he turned and lashed a brilliant shot high past the despairing left hand of Onana.
Galatasaray were playing with confidence and panache now but the game still switched breathlessly from end to end and McTominay whistled a fierce right-foot drive just wide before Facundo Pellistri jinked inside and lifted a shot over the bar from ten yards out and Fernandes hit the outside of the post with another effort from outside the area.
United must have thought they had won it a minute from time when a game of pinball in the Galatasaray area ended with the ball at Pellistri’s feet three yards out. Pellistri poked the ball towards goal but somehow Muslera managed to block it with his body and the ball was hacked to safety.
Wilfried Zaha, who looked almost too desperate to impress against his former club all evening, had a chance to score but hit his shot too close to Onana. The action was relentless and breathless. The result was in doubt right until the final whistle but when that whistle came, it consigned United to the familiar flames of dismay and disappointment that had consumed them once again.
