Erik ten Hag bemoaned the number of goals Manchester United have conceded in the Champions League this season but refused to lay the blame at the door of the goalkeeper, André Onana, despite his two errors that cost victory in the 3-3 draw against Galatasaray.
United have now conceded 14 goals in five matches to leave them bottom of Group A with only a slim chance of reaching the last 16. Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay scored for United on a night of hostility in Turkey but they could muster only a draw after Onana misjudged two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks to hand Galatasaray a route back into the match before Kerem Akturkoglu’s ferocious equaliser.
“He is OK,” Ten Hag said of Onana. “It is not about an individual. Individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it, but it is always about the team.
“We scored quickly after each other. It’s about the point when you are 2-0 up and you have to manage the game. It is not so easy when we give free-kicks away and we have to defend the free‑kicks better. Hakim is brilliant, I know that, and he is extraordinary.
“It is always about incidents and details and we can do better. We have to learn from it because as a team we are conceding too many goals and it is unnecessary and avoidable. I am sure our team is experienced and capable enough to manage this and we will do better.”
On a hectic night, United were the better team in tough conditions and had 17 shots but only four on target. It is the third time they have scored three away goals in a European match this season, although that has resulted in winning a solitary point on their travels.
Fernandes said: “We concede really bad goals. We had too many chances, far too many chances to score another goal and have the game closed. And we are not clinical enough.
“We have to control our games. It’s not the first game we have like this. Even Copenhagen, we had 3-2, you have to be smart enough and manage the game better. Everyone has to step up and take responsibility for their own mistakes.”
United had an anxious wait to learn if they would be knocked out of the competition by a Copenhagen victory away against Bayern Munich in Group A’s later kick-off. That game ended 0-0, however, meaning United can still qualify for the last 16 – but only if they defeat Bayern at home in the last group game on 12 December and Copenhagen draw at home against Galatasaray.
