Back on track
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Oinsisted Manchester United are back on track after they avenged their humbling Champions League defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir with a 4-1 rout of the Turkish side yesterday.
Solskjaer’s team crashed to a shock 2-1 loss at the hands of the Group H outsiders in Istanbul earlier in November.
But there was never any chance of another upset as United ran Basaksehir ragged at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes was the catalyst with a stunning long-range opener early in the first half.
He doubled the lead before passing up a hattrick chance when he allowed Marcus Rashford to convert the penalty that brought United’s third goal before halftime.
Basaksehir’s Deniz Turuc netted a fine freekick but, after a late United wobble, Daniel James struck in the final moments to seal the points.
“I felt first half we saw the intent straight away, they wanted to play and they enjoyed it,” Solskjaer said.
“It’s a Champions League night at Old Trafford, you’d expect them to enjoy themselves. We scored some very nice goals, I’m pleased.”
United’s third win from four group matches means one point from their last two games against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig would secure their place in the last 16.
“We need one point, but of course we want to be top of the group but we’ll take it one game at a time,” Solskjaer said.
United’s loss in Istanbul had raised serious questions about Solskjaer’s ability to hold onto his job.
But successive Premier League wins against Everton and West Brom, followed by this emphatic success, have eased the pressure on Solskjaer a little.
Solskjaer named Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani in the starting line-up for the first time since his signing in October.
With Paul Pogba still sidelined by a swollen ankle, there was a rare start for Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek.
“The two are getting used to how we want them to play. Donny can play in different positions and Edinson is a good old fashioned No. 9. We haven’t had that for a while,” Solskjaer said.
Both Cavani, who has scored once in seven appearances for United, and Van de Beek did their chances of a more regular action no harm with solid displays, but it was Fernandes and Rashford who stole the show.
Fernandes said he passed up the chance to score a hat-trick from the penalty spot to keep Rashford feeling confident in front of goal.
Rashford had won the spot-kick after being fouled at the end of a run into the area, but while Fernandes initially stepped up to take the penalty as usual, he then passed over responsibility to the England international – who duly scored.
Speaking after the game, the January arrival said he would have loved to have netted his treble, but was putting the team first by keeping Rashford’s mindset positive as he remains among the Champions League’s highest scorers, with just Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland – with six goals – ahead of Rashford’s five this season.
“Every player wants to score a hattrick but after the weekend game I told (Rashford) the next penalty, he will take,” Fernandes said to BT Sport.
“Also because he is one of the top scorers in the Champions League, so it’s good to keep his confidence [high]. The most important is the team; if the team scores I score.”
On the game itself, Fernandes said United’s fast start proved the difference, with his brace coming inside the first 20 minutes.
And with the matches coming thick and fast at home and abroad, Fernandes urged the team to keep focusing on the next upcoming challenge before worrying about finishing the job in Europe.
“We played really well, we started the game with the right mentality. The first half [performance] was really important to get the points today.
“Now we have to think about the Premier League because we need to win the next game. We don’t have too much time, but a little bit of time before the (next) Champions League (games).” – AFP/The Independent