At one point, Manchester United had held a 3-1 lead against Galatasaray, but once again defensive and goalkeeping mistakes cost them the victory.
Erik ten Hag expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance but criticised defensive lapses in Manchester United’s 3-3 draw against Galatasaray, leaving their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes uncertain.
Despite twice securing a two-goal lead at RAMS Park, the Reds could only secure a single point in the penultimate Group A match, leading to disappointment.
To advance to the knockout stage, a victory against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the upcoming matchday, along with favorable results elsewhere, is now a must if they are to stay in the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag reflected on the performance in an interview with TNT Sport: “I have to make a big compliment to the team but, in the same moment, I have to criticise the team and us: as a coaching staff and me, as a manager. We are not defending good enough.”
He added: “We will fix that [conceding too many goals] but I’m very pleased, you see the style of the team. Proactive, dynamic, brave, so it’s what I said, I’m really pleased with the performance.”
Just when it looked like Man United were about to pull out a performance when they needed it the most, leading 2-0 early on, the inevitable happened. Ten Hag’s team have struggled to avoid silly errors all season – it came back to bite them once more, and now they are found staring at the Champions League trap door.