United’s Last-16 Hopes on the Brink After Thrilling Istanbul Draw
Manchester United’s chances of progressing to the Champions League knockout stages were dealt a heavy blow after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Galatasaray in Istanbul. Erik ten Hag’s side squandered two separate two-goal leads, with goalkeeper Andre Onana’s blunders proving costly in a game that now leaves their fate out of their own hands.
United, currently bottom of Group A, now face an uphill battle to qualify for the last-16. If FC Copenhagen pull off an unlikely victory against Bayern Munich, United’s hopes will be extinguished, but should they defeat Bayern at Old Trafford on December 12, they will still need Copenhagen and Galatasaray to draw in Denmark on the same night to sneak through as runners-up.
On a night of torrential rain and stormy conditions in Istanbul, which saw the Uefa Youth League game earlier in the day disrupted, Onana’s poor performance was a defining moment. The Cameroon goalkeeper made two costly mistakes, first allowing Hakim Ziyech to score from a free-kick to reduce the deficit to 2-1, and later misjudging another free-kick from the Chelsea loanee that put Galatasaray level at 3-3.
The match began with a perfect start for United, as they took a 2-0 lead through Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes in the opening 18 minutes. However, their advantage evaporated after Onana’s errors, with Galatasaray pulling one back through Ziyech’s set-piece and later equalising after a well-taken strike from substitute Kerem Akturkoglu.
Despite further chances at both ends, including a late effort from Fernandes that hit the post and a crucial save from Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to deny Facundo Pellistri, United could not manage a fourth goal. The result leaves them in a precarious position, as they head into their final group-stage game needing a miracle to secure their place in the next round.
