Key events
These two sides’ first-ever European meeting came in the 1993-94 Champions League, when United let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-3 first-leg draw in Turkey.
In the second leg, “Welcome to Hell” and all that, Gala went through after a goalless draw in Istanbul. They moved on to the eight-team group stage – where they failed to win any of their six games.
“Not optimistic,” mutters Niall O’Keefe. “Amrabat at left-back again when he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. The excellent Garnacho and Pellistri again on the bench. Rashford off form. Oh dear.”
I know they have injuries, particularly in that left-back position, but it does feel like a waste of Amrabat’s abilities to be filling in there. That team looks a bit underwhelming to me – so you can expect United to be three up by half-time.
Wilfried Zaha starts for Galatasaray at his old club tonight – yes, he did play for Manchester United, but you could be forgiven if it slipped your mind. Here’s Michael Butler on why he is the danger man tonight.
Antony is on the bench tonight, after Erik ten Hag confirmed the player was available for selection on Monday. If he is brought on, this will be Antony’s first appearance for Manchester United since allegations of assault first came to light.
The Brazil winger returned to training on Sunday, following a leave of absence granted by the club after the accusations of violence were made by three different women. Antony has denied all allegations against him in an interview with Brazilian TV.
The teams
Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, Varane, Lindelöf, Amrabat; Casemiro, Mount; Mejbri, Bruno Fernandes (c), Rashford; Højlund.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Vitek, Maguire, McTominay, Eriksen, Martial, Garnacho, Antony.
Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Muslera (c); Boey, Sánchez, Bardakci, Angeliño; Torreira, Ayhan; Tetê, Akturkoglu, Zaha; Icardi.
Substitutes: Guvenc, Demirbay, Nelsson, Oliveira, Alper Yilmaz, Ndombélé, Bakambu, Mertens.
Preamble
Amid Manchester United’s many off-field issues, their problems on the pitch have almost gone under the radar. Where results like Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace would once have been the weekend’s big story, events at Molineux and Stockley Park meant that particular shock was not seismic.
Erik ten Hag will be happy to keep a relatively low profile (and this is United, so it is relative) before what could be a crunch game in Europe. After being held at arm’s length by Bayern, a home win over Galatasaray is a must to stop Champions League progress becoming a battle United could really do without.
Galatasaray, who ended a four-year wait for a Turkish title last season, pose a threat to United’s fragile disposition. They rallied to scrape a 2-2 draw at home to Copenhagen in their first game but are flying in the league, bolstered by eye-catching recruits including Mauro Icardi and former United winger Wilfried Zaha.
Injuries and a tricky fixture list are factors in United’s historically bad start to the season – but a kinder run of games is coming, with Brentford (H), Sheffield United (A) and Copenhagen (H) before the Manchester derby at the end of October. A chance to release the pressure this evening, but one they have to take.