BASLE FAULTY!
United’s late defeat is big jolt for Jose
A LATE strike from Basle defender Michael Lang denied Manchester United guaranteed progress into the Champions League knockout stages last night. A 1-0 defeat for Jose Mourinho’s men means they must wait until the home game with CSKA Moscow on December 5 to secure their place in the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition. United dominated the opening half when Marouane Fellaini and Marco Rojo hit the woodwork. Mourinho (left) reflected: ‘I think in the majority of the second half the feeling everybody would be okay with 0-0 but then they score a goal in the last minute.’ «
AEUROPEAN campaign that appeared to be on cruise control for Manchester United will now go to the final game against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford next month.
A late goal at St Jakob-Park last night changed the complexion of this match and the picture in Group A.
Enough for United to miss out on the knockout stage after surrendering their 100 per cent record? Unlikely. They still only need a point to qualify and will fancy their chances of getting it against a Moscow side already well beaten 4-1 in Russia.
But defeat in Switzerland wasn’t in the script. Nor was it on the cards after Jose Mourinho’s side bossed the opening 45 minutes.
But the second half was very different and it came as no surprise whatsoever that a plucky Basle side snatched victory in the 89th minute.
It started with a foul by Marcos Rojo on halfway. The freekick found its way to the impressive Renato Steffen who danced past two United players and switched play to the left where Raoul Petretta was charging upfield on the overlap.
Peteretta’s cross to the far post cut out three defenders and found Michael Lang who had lost Daley Blind and turned the ball into an empty net. The place erupted. Basle are still alive and kicking in the group. United remain favourites to go through as winners but it’s not over yet.
United’s 100 per cent record at the top of the group before kickoff had made for a very different build-up to this game than when they were last here in 2011.
A 2-1 defeat on that occasion had ended Alex Ferguson’s hopes of progressing to the knockout phase on a night when Nemanja Vidic ruptured a cruciate ligament.
Last night, it was Rojo’s turn to launch his comeback after seven months out with an ACL injury — four days after Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was again on the bench — as Mourinho felt confident enough to make seven changes to the team that beat Newcastle on Saturday.
The United manager also brought in goalkeeper Sergio Romero, Matteo Darmian, Blind, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Jesse Lingard at the start of a busy schedule that sees his team playing 13 games in 40 days going into the New Year.
‘It shows my confidence in the players,’ said Mourinho before kick-off. ‘I trust the players. Many of them deserve to play and in big matches, not just in the matches people consider easier ones.’
Paul Pogba made his second start since suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-0 win over Basle at Old Trafford in September despite the questionable state of the pitch here and, predictably, the Frenchman created United’s best chance of the first half in the 12th minute.
The pace on his pass into Romelu Lukaku enabled the Belgian to spin away from Eder Balanta and hold off his marker as he charged into the box.
If anything, Lukaku was guilty of holding onto the ball for too long, allowing goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik to rush off his line and block. The loose ball was played to Blind who crossed to Fellaini and his goalbound header was cleared off the line by Manuel Akanji.
It was one of three headers from Fellaini that could easily have given United a first-half lead.
When Blind swung in a free kick after Darmian had been fouled shortly afterwards, he flashed an effort wide of the near post. And just before half time, a more subtle attempt from Anthony Martial’s cross saw the ball brush of that mop of black hair and against the outside of the post.
Rojo also hit the woodwork during a brief United flurry before the interval when his long-range effort took a deflection off Suchy and rattled the bar. Then Martial raced clear of two defenders and tried to finish from a tight angle but was denied by Vaclik at his near post.
On the whole, though, United seemed content to control the game and limit Basle to very little in front of goal.
The pace of Michael Lang and Mohamed Elyounoussi gave Blind some problems down the right at times. But the home side’s only real sight of goal came from Dimitri Oberlin’s 25-yard free kick which was blasted high into the stands. The result they needed was never under more threat than at the start of the second half as Mourinho’s side made a sluggish start. No sooner had Lukaku headed wide from an excellent cross from Martial than Basle began to find space and opportunities in front of goal. When Fellaini headed clear from a freekick, Geoffroy Serey Die’s follow-up shot had Romero scrambling across goal as it whistled just wide.
The United keeper then had to get down quickly to his left after Renato Steffen’s effort took a nick off Oberlin, and Steffen then cut inside a static Blind before curling a shot past the far post.
Mourinho responded by sending on Marcus Rashford and Nemanja Matic for Lingard and Pogba, but the chances kept coming.
Lang headed against the bar from a difficult angle in the 67th minute and Basle then had a penalty appeal turned down by Italian referee Daniele Orsato for Rojo’s challenge on Steffen who was looking increasingly dangerous.
There was nothing wrong with the timing of the Argentine’s tackle on Oberlin soon after, however, as he slid in to make a brilliant block on the Basle No 19’s shot. The Swiss continued to press and finally got their reward. United still have work to do. BASLE (3-4-3): Vaclik 7; Akanji 6.5, Suchy 6.5, Balanta 6; Lang 7, Serey Die 6.5 (Fransson 80mins), Zuffi 6, Petretta 5.5; STEFFEN 7.5, Oberlin 6, Elyounoussi 6.5. Subs not used: Salvi, Riveros, Manzambi, Bua, Itten, Ajeti. Scorer: Lang 90. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Romero 7; Darmian 6.5, Smalling 7, Rojo 6.5, Blind 5; Fellaini 7, Herrera 6; Lingard 6 (Rashford 63, 6), Pogba 7 (Matic 66, 6), Martial 6.5 (Ibrahimovic 74, 6); Lukaku 5.5. Subs not used: Pereira, Lindelof, Shaw, Matic, McTominay. Referee: Daniele Orsato (Ita) 7. Attendance: 36,000.