Manchester United cannot seem to stay away from setting new records – for all the wrong reasons – this season and Wednesday night in Turkey was no different.
Erik ten Hag‘s side threw away another two-goal lead in Europe to finish with a 3-3 draw in a rain-soaked Istanbul.
That result, coupled with throwing away leads against Galatasaray at home and away to FC Copenhagen, means United are bottom of Group A with one round of games remaining.
They still have a remote chance of reaching the knockout stages but the evidence seen so far suggests otherwise.
It has been a historically bad night and Champions League campaign for United so far, as these damning stats show…
Manchester United’s miserable Champions League campaign took another turn in Turkey
Andre Onana made two costly errors as Galatasaray came back from 2-0 down to draw 3-3LEAKIEST DEFENCE IN 61 YEARS
You read that right.
This is Manchester United’s leakiest start to a campaign in. all competitions since they shipped 43 goals from their first 20 games in the 1962-63 season.
Much has been made of Harry Maguire’s turnaround at Old Trafford but United’s defence continues to leave a lot to be desired.
There has been plenty of chopping and changing due to injuries this season but in the Champions League alone they have shipped three goals or more in four of the five matches.
United aren’t going anywhere if they are so easy to score against… and part of that falls on the shoulders of goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Manchester United’s defence is now the leakiest it has been in 61 years across all competitions
ERROR-PRONE ONANA IN LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
With two errors gifting Hakim Ziyech a brace on Wednesday night, Onana has now made seven errors which have led to goals in the Champions League since 2018-19.
Onana, who was hailed as one of the tournament’s best goalkeepers last season with Inter Milan en route to the final, has made costly mistakes against Bayern Munich this season, as well as home and away to Galatasaray.
At the end of this one Onana could only rip off his gloves, throw them to the floor and look around for someone to console him.
Ten Hag unsurprisingly came out and defended his goalkeeper, and the goalkeeping core as a group, but this has been an. excruciating start to life at Manchester United for the Cameroonian, particularly in Europe.
Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, for comparison, has. three errors since 2018-19 having played three fewer games, while former Villarreal and now Ajax goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has three errors from 12 appearances.
Onana is in a league of his own when it comes to errors leading to goals in the last five years
A NEW RECORD (AND NOT A GOOD ONE!)
Kerem Akturkoglu’s stunning finish to secure honours even in Istanbul meant that Manchester United made history.
Wednesday’s 3-3 draw meant that United have become the first team to concede 14 goals in only five games in a Champions League campaign.
At a rate of 2.8 goals conceded a game, United have been historically bad defensively, despite being top scorers in Group A with 12 goals scored.
It’s a long flight home for those defenders…
WORST IN CLASS
United’s 14 goals shipped means they have conceded the most goals of any English team through five games in a Champions League… beating their own previous record.
Not to be outdone by the 11 they conceded during the 1994-95 campaign, United now occupy spots 1 and 2 on this deeply unfavourable podium.
United also occupy fourth place with their 10 goals shipped in 1998-99, only better than the 11 Tottenham conceded in their first five games in the 2019-20 season.
NOW THE SUPERCOMPUTER SPEAKS…
We aren’t even at the start of December and Opta’s Supercomputer has already calculated that Manchester City are more likely to go on and repeat their success of last season and win tournament than Man United are to make the last-16.
The supercomputer is giving Ten Hag’s side a paltry 12.1 per cent chance of progress ahead of a final round showdown with Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.
United need to win that and hope FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw over in Denmark in order to go through.
Meanwhile City, who have won their group with a game to spare after their 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, are tipped at 28.9 per cent to go back-to-back in Europe’s premier club competition.
Manchester City are seen as more likely to win it all than United are to reach the last-16 now
