Champions League Match Review: Manchester United 1 - 0 Galatasaray

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Michael Carrick of Manchester United celebrates as he scores their first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Manchester United kicked off their European campaign with a 1-0 win against Turkish side Galatasaray at Old Trafford last night. This was also Sir Alex Ferguson’s 100th Champions League victory. The scoreline was not a fair reflection of an entertaining contest filled with talking points and scoring opportunities.

The very first minute yielded one such talking point, when Galatasaray striker Umut Bulut went down under the challenge of Nemanja Vidic, but penalty appeals were waved away by referee Wolfgang Stark. Replays indicated that the home side were fortunate to get away with it. At the other end of the pitch, Manchester United were looking dangerous with Nani and Valencia. In the seventh minute, Nani had a great chance to give his side the lead, but his attempt from within the penalty area after a good exchange with Kagawa, was foiled by the Turkish side’s Uruguayan international keeper Fernando Muslera.

This was followed by a decisive move that had Carrick both at the beginning and the end of it, as the home side took the lead. Carrick who had started the move, continued his run up the pitch, broke the offside trap to meet Kagawa’s pass, turned Muslera the wrong way, maintained his balance despite a trip from the keeper and stroked the ball into the empty net. This was Carrick’s first goal in three years in this competition.

Galatasaray were not taking things lying down though and looked dangerous on the counter. In the 11th minute, midfielder Nordin Amrabat cut in from the left, went past Carrick and fired a right footed shot, which unluckily for him clipped the bar and went out of play. Galatasaray were also forced to make an early change with Johan Elmander coming in for the injured Bulut in the 16th minute.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Antonio Valencia of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Almost all of United’s attacks were now coming from the right through Valencia. One such sweeping move resulted in Valencia’s cross being fended off by the keeper, with the rebound seeming to come off the arm of Eboue but surprisingly there were no appeals from the team in red. United continued to put pressure, and after great build-up play from Carrick, Van Persie and Nani, the ball found Valencia in acres of green, but his cross was just about kneed out by the hard-working Dany Nounkeu for a corner. Kagawa then showed brilliant footwork in the visitor’s penalty area, after Nani had put him through, but Nounkeu was there again to deny the Japanese forward just as he was about take a shot on goal.

Galatasaray were looking to finish the half strongly and had an opportunity presented to them when Amrabat was fouled by Evra just outside the United penalty area. The resulting free kick was nicely worked to Altintop and he connected well with his low drive but it hit the outside of the upright.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Nani of Manchester United misses a penalty kick during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

The second half started with United gunning for their second goal. Good link-up play between Nani and Kagawa again presented the Japanese with a shooting opportunity, but the Galatasaray defense managed to get the ball away for a corner. On the breakaway, Altintop went close with a long range effort driven along the ground that beat the outstretched De Gea but also the far post. In the 53rd minute, United had a glorious opportunity to seal the game when Burak Yilmaz fouled Rafael inside the penalty area. Nani stepped up to take the penalty, but it was an awful effort easily saved by Muslera.

The game then entered an entertaining end-to-end phase. Inan went close for the visitors when his header off an Altintop cross agonizingly grazed the United upgright. Soon, Vidic saw his header go just over the bar from an Evra corner. The home side went close again in the 71st minute when Nani put Evra through but his deflected shot from an acute angle went just wide off the far post. The turkish countered quickly from the ensuing corner and had two shots on goal, the first from Elmander and the second from substitute Emre Colak, which brought about a spectacular save from De Gea.

Towards the closing stages of the game, Chicharito, who had come on for Van Persie, had a couple of great chances both created for him by Nani, but they were both wasted. There was a shout for a penalty at the other end when substitute Aydin Yilmaz was brought down by Jonny Evans but the referee was not convinced.

Manchester United held on to win their opening game, but Galatasaray certainly made them work for it. If the Turkish side had been awarded the penalty in the very first minute and had capitalized on it, who knows how the match would have unfolded.