United made to wait after crumbling under pressure
BASEL: Vaclik, Akanji, Suchy, Balanta, Lang, Die (Fransson, 80 mins), Zuffi, Petretta, Steffen, Oberlin, Elyounoussi. Unused subs: Salvi, Ajeti, Riveros, Manzambi, Itten, Bua.
MANUTD: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Lingard (Rashford, 64 mins), Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Martial (Ibrahimovic, 74 mins), Pogba (Matic, 66 mins), Lukaku. Unused subs: Joel Pereira, Lindelof, Shaw, McTominay.
Man of the match: Paul Pogba
Match rating: 6/10
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy) THOSE who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it, so goes the saying.
It might be a well-known adage but one Jose Mourinho and his men failed to heed. Almost six years on from Manchester United’s ignominious away defeat at the hands of FC Basel, the English visitors once again found themselves downed by their plucky and spirited hosts in a 1-0 loss at St Jakob-Park.
Such a result does not spell complete disaster for Mourinho’s side, as it did for Sir Alex Ferguson and his men in December 2011. That defeat brought to an end the club’s hopes of Champions League glory, with United dumped out in the group stages.
This time there is to be no such fallout, with a place in the knockouts still within reach — the club need simply a point against CSKA Moscow next month. Nonetheless, there will be scrutiny and questions as to why United failed to walk away from this match with their qualification secured, especially given their dominance and chances in the opening 45 minutes.
But after a second half which saw the hosts spring into life, it fell to Michael Lang, meeting a driven ball across the United goalmouth, to hit the winner.
Despite lacking the same quality that saw him shine at the weekend, Paul Pogba looked eager to prove a point once again, appearing unfazed by this quagmire of a pitch, recently resurfaced after Switzerland’s World Cup play-off qualifier with Northern Ireland.
It was he who provided United with their first chance, threading through Romelu Lukaku on 12 minutes, only for the forward to shoot into the palms of Tomas Vaclik.
Marouane Fellaini’s turn was next, rising highest in the box to meet Daley Blind’s curled delivery. Manuel Akanji’s goal-line intervention ensured it wasn’t to be. The Belgian enjoyed two more headed attempts, the latter of which glanced the post.
But the second half made for a starkly different story as Basel took the game to their English counterparts. Having failed to capitalise on their chances, United were made to sweat, and eventually pay, after the break.
A probing Steffen delivery from the right; a venomous, long-range Geoffrey Serey Die strike; a Lang header onto the upright: Basel’s chances came thick and fast as United crumbled under the pressure.
Sensing danger, Mourinho threw on Marcus Rashford, Nemanja Matic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it wasn’t to be enough. With just one minute left, Lang struck to re-open the United inquisition once again.