United v Istanbul Basaksehir: Match preview
Manchester United host Turkish Champions Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday night, in our fourth game of this season’s Champions League.
The Reds currently sit top of Group H on six points, level with RB Leipzig and three points clear of last season’s tournament runners-up Paris Saint-Germain. A win against Okan Buruk’s side would hugely improve United’s chances of gaining a spot in the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.
As for the visitors, having picked up three points from the first three games in the group, Tuesday’s clash will offer them an opportunity to cut the gap to the sides at the top of the four-team league.
Ahead of the match, we’ve rounded up all the need-to-know information…
As for the visitors, having picked up three points from the first three games in the group, Tuesday’s clash will offer them an opportunity to cut the gap to the sides at the top of the four-team league.
Ahead of the match, we’ve rounded up all the need-to-know information…
United v Basaksehir: Press conference Video
United v Basaksehir: Press conference
See what Ole said when he faced the media ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game...
ESSENTIAL INFO
Tuesday’s game at Old Trafford kicks off at 20:00 GMT and will be shown live in the UK on BT Sport. Supporters can view pre-match build-up from 18:55 GMT on MUTV, while our official TV channel will also bring you all the must-see reaction upon the game’s conclusion. Fans all over the world can also follow our rolling updates on ManUtd.com and in our Official App.
FORM GUIDE
United head into this one on the back of successive Premier League wins against Everton and West Bromwich Albion. We’ve also impressed in the Champions League this term and have beaten PSG and RB Leipzig, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side did fall to a 2-1 defeat when we last met Basaksehir earlier this month. The Istanbul outfit warmed up for Tuesday’s game with a 3-2 loss to Besiktas at the weekend, their second in a row in the Turkish Super Lig. Basaksehir are currently sixth in the league, having picked up 13 points from nine matches in 2020/21.
Tuesday’s game at Old Trafford kicks off at 20:00 GMT and will be shown live in the UK on BT Sport. Supporters can view pre-match build-up from 18:55 GMT on MUTV, while our official TV channel will also bring you all the must-see reaction upon the game’s conclusion. Fans all over the world can also follow our rolling updates on ManUtd.com and in our Official App.
FORM GUIDE
United head into this one on the back of successive Premier League wins against Everton and West Bromwich Albion. We’ve also impressed in the Champions League this term and have beaten PSG and RB Leipzig, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side did fall to a 2-1 defeat when we last met Basaksehir earlier this month. The Istanbul outfit warmed up for Tuesday’s game with a 3-2 loss to Besiktas at the weekend, their second in a row in the Turkish Super Lig. Basaksehir are currently sixth in the league, having picked up 13 points from nine matches in 2020/21.
TEAM NEWS
Ole confirmed in Monday’s pre-match press conference that Paul Pogba could be fit for the Champions League encounter. The Frenchman was unavailable for the victory over West Brom at the weekend, but may have recovered in time for the midweek game. However, the boss also confirmed that Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones remain absent, while he failed to be drawn on which of David De Gea or Dean Henderson will start between the sticks. As for Basaksehir, long-term absentees Junior Caicara and Enzo Crivelli will miss out, while Mahmut Tekdemir and Nacer Chadli could return to the starting line-up.
OUR RECORD V TURKISH SIDES
Basaksehir will be the fifth side from Turkey to play at Old Trafford, after Bursaspor, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. Overall, we’ve hosted Turkish sides on eight occasions, winning five of those encounters, drawing once and losing twice. Perhaps our most memorable Old Trafford outing against Turkish opponents came in the 2004/05 campaign, when the Theatre of Dreams bore witness to one of Wayne Rooney’s most sublime performances. The then-18-year-old scored a sensational hat-trick on his United debut, as we ran out 6-2 winners.
Ole confirmed in Monday’s pre-match press conference that Paul Pogba could be fit for the Champions League encounter. The Frenchman was unavailable for the victory over West Brom at the weekend, but may have recovered in time for the midweek game. However, the boss also confirmed that Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones remain absent, while he failed to be drawn on which of David De Gea or Dean Henderson will start between the sticks. As for Basaksehir, long-term absentees Junior Caicara and Enzo Crivelli will miss out, while Mahmut Tekdemir and Nacer Chadli could return to the starting line-up.
OUR RECORD V TURKISH SIDES
Basaksehir will be the fifth side from Turkey to play at Old Trafford, after Bursaspor, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. Overall, we’ve hosted Turkish sides on eight occasions, winning five of those encounters, drawing once and losing twice. Perhaps our most memorable Old Trafford outing against Turkish opponents came in the 2004/05 campaign, when the Theatre of Dreams bore witness to one of Wayne Rooney’s most sublime performances. The then-18-year-old scored a sensational hat-trick on his United debut, as we ran out 6-2 winners.
Video
KEY MEN
United fans will need no introduction to former Newcastle United and Chelsea forward Demba Ba. The Senegalese striker has enjoyed life at Basaksehir since joining in January 2019, with 18 goals in 57 appearances in all competitions for the Owls, and he also netted in the Reds’ recent defeat in Istanbul. Edin Visca will be another one to watch on Tuesday night, with the Bosnia international highly regarded in Turkey for his midfield prowess and threat from the right-hand side of the pitch. Expected to captain our opponents, Visca has four goals and three assists in club competitions this season, and even grabbed an assist for his country during the recent international break in Bosnia’s 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Ovidiu Hategan
Assistants: Octavian Sovre & Sebastian Gheorghe
Fourth official: Marius Avram
VAR: Joao Pinheiro
Assistant VAR: Javier Estrada Fernandez
United fans will need no introduction to former Newcastle United and Chelsea forward Demba Ba. The Senegalese striker has enjoyed life at Basaksehir since joining in January 2019, with 18 goals in 57 appearances in all competitions for the Owls, and he also netted in the Reds’ recent defeat in Istanbul. Edin Visca will be another one to watch on Tuesday night, with the Bosnia international highly regarded in Turkey for his midfield prowess and threat from the right-hand side of the pitch. Expected to captain our opponents, Visca has four goals and three assists in club competitions this season, and even grabbed an assist for his country during the recent international break in Bosnia’s 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Ovidiu Hategan
Assistants: Octavian Sovre & Sebastian Gheorghe
Fourth official: Marius Avram
VAR: Joao Pinheiro
Assistant VAR: Javier Estrada Fernandez
RIVALS WATCH
As with all Champions League group-stage matches in 2020/21, all four English sides will feature across two nights of action. Elsewhere in Group H, PSG and RB Leipzig are set to lock horns in Paris on what could be a hugely significant game for the Reds. Here’s the full list of matches from the fourth round of Champions League fixtures…
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
Group E
Krasnodar v Sevilla (17:55 GMT)
Rennes v Chelsea (17:55 GMT)
Group F
Borussia Dortmund v Club Brugge
Lazio v Zenit St Petersburg
Group G
Dynamo Kiev v Barcelona
Juventus v Ferencvaros
Group H
Paris Sanit-Germain v RB Leipzig
UNITED v Istanbul Basaksehir
WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER
Group A
Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
Bayern Munich v RB Salzburg
Group B
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Shakhtar Donestsk (17:55 GMT)
Internazionale v Real Madrid
Group C
Olympiacos v Manchester City (17:55 GMT)
Marseille v Porto
Group D
Ajax v FC Midtjylland
Liverpool v Atalanta
*All games take place at 20:00 GMT unless stated.
As with all Champions League group-stage matches in 2020/21, all four English sides will feature across two nights of action. Elsewhere in Group H, PSG and RB Leipzig are set to lock horns in Paris on what could be a hugely significant game for the Reds. Here’s the full list of matches from the fourth round of Champions League fixtures…
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
Group E
Krasnodar v Sevilla (17:55 GMT)
Rennes v Chelsea (17:55 GMT)
Group F
Borussia Dortmund v Club Brugge
Lazio v Zenit St Petersburg
Group G
Dynamo Kiev v Barcelona
Juventus v Ferencvaros
Group H
Paris Sanit-Germain v RB Leipzig
UNITED v Istanbul Basaksehir
WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER
Group A
Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
Bayern Munich v RB Salzburg
Group B
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Shakhtar Donestsk (17:55 GMT)
Internazionale v Real Madrid
Group C
Olympiacos v Manchester City (17:55 GMT)
Marseille v Porto
Group D
Ajax v FC Midtjylland
Liverpool v Atalanta
*All games take place at 20:00 GMT unless stated.
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