NEW DELHI: Manchester United's troubled season took another hit as they suffered a 3-2 home defeat against Galatasaray in the Champions League, leaving them at the bottom of Group A. The match was filled with drama and saw Casemiro sent off for a foul that led to a penalty, which Galatasaray missed but ultimately converted for the winning goal.
United got off to a strong start, taking a 17th-minute lead through Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund. However, their advantage was short-lived as Wilfried Zaha, playing against his former club, equalized for Galatasaray just six minutes later following defensive errors by the hosts.
In the second half, Hojlund restored United's lead in the 67th minute with a well-taken goal after a mistake by Galatasaray defender Davinson Sanchez. Nevertheless, Galatasaray quickly responded, with Kerem Akturkoglu leveling the score just four minutes later, silencing Old Trafford.
A pivotal moment came when United's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, made a mistake that forced Casemiro to concede a penalty, resulting in his second yellow card and subsequent sending off. Mauro Icardi had a chance to put United in a difficult spot, but he missed the penalty. However, Icardi redeemed himself by scoring the winning goal for Galatasaray nine minutes from time.
The defeat left Manchester United without any points in the group stage and in a precarious position. In contrast, Galatasaray climbed to second place in the group with four points.
For Manchester United, the loss added to their struggles this season, having lost six of their 10 matches in all competitions. They have conceded a total of 18 goals during this period, their worst start to a domestic league campaign since 1989-90. The club's fans are left wondering when their team's woes will come to an end.
(With Reuters inputs)
