SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, (THEWILL) – Regular goal-scoring playmaker Bruno Fernandes was on the scoresheet for Manchester United yet again as he netted a double in Tuesday’s 4-1 UEFA Champions League win over Turkish Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir. This significant win takes the English Premier League side a step closer to the last 16.
The Red Devils had endured a stunning 2-1 defeat in the first leg of this fixture in Turkey prior to the international break. The loss provided Group H rivals RB Leipzig (Bundesliga) and Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) with a fighting chance of qualifying ahead of the Red Devils. Then, on Tuesday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men bounced back at Old Trafford.
Seven minutes was all it took for United to start the count. Fernandes lashed a ferocious half-volley in off the crossbar from just outside the box after Basaksehir partially cleared a corner. It was a Champions League special deserving of constant replays.
For the second time, 12 minutes later, the Portugal star was in the right place at the right time to tap in, from close range this time, when Fehmi Mert Gunok in goal for Basaksehir, inexplicably spilled a routine cross his way.
Then, an opportunity came for a hattrick with a penalty awarded to United following a foul by Boli Bolingoli on Marcus Rashford just past the half-hour mark. But, Fernandes allowed Rashford, who earlier had an effort disallowed for offside, to take the spot kick. He dispatched it calmly sending the keeper the wrong way.
There was a sore point in United’s victory: the loss of centre back Victor Lindelof to an apparent injury at the break.
When play resumed, Basaksehir quickly looked to put a bit of pressure on the hosts. Winger Edin Visca forced United goalie David de Gea to tip a fine effort around the post.
Basaksehir piled on more pressure late on as the time ran down. Deniz Turuc’s free-kick in the 75th minute crossed the line despite the United keeper’s best efforts. The goal carried the significance of making Turuc the first player to score direct from a set-piece in the Champions League against the Red Devils since March 2010.
Visca then rattled the bar from distance as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges began to flag. However, their comeback attempts were smothered with substitute Daniel James scoring to certify the win in injury time as Mason Greenwood set him up for a simple finish.
United now lead Group H on nine points with the win. Three points behind them are both Paris Saint-Germain, who beat RB Leipzig by a lone goal in Paris on Tuesday as well, and Leipzig themselves. At the bottom of the group is Basaksehir on three points. With two games left, it is too close to call who goes through from the group at this point.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
