Manchester United U19s took on Galatasaray in a UEFA Youth League fixture.
The young Red Devils were in action before the main event tonight – as Erik ten Hag‘s side take to Turkey to play in what is a vital Champions League clash.
If Manchester United lose tonight – their European campaign will more or less be over. A win from the first-team squad is essential.
The under-19s kicked off the day in Istanbul with a UEFA Youth League clash against the same opponents. How did they get on?
Manchester United U19s lineup vs Galatasaray
Manchester United’s under-19s side played a strong side in the Turkish capital.
Elyh Harrison started between the sticks. He recently featured for England U19s alongside Kobbie Mainoo, further cementing his bright future as a keeper.
Towering centre-half Willy Kambwala started as captain, and the highly-rated Fletcher twins played as a pair in midfield with Isak Hansen-Aaroen just ahead of them.
Ethan Wheatley also played up front, coming off the back of a four-goal masterclass in the league.
How the Manchester United U19 game went
Manchester United started off lively, with a few good chances including a notable James Scanlon effort after two minutes.
Galatasaray slowly came into the tie and were rewarded after 10 minutes. A simple cutback allowed Baran Demiroglu to provide a one-touch finish to put the Turks 1-0 up.
United had a great spell from 30 minutes onwards, but the first half concluded without much else to shout about.
After the break, goalscorer Baran Demiroglu missed a great chance to put them two goals up.
As for the Red Devils, they didn’t have a sniff up until the 70th minute. Their big chance came in the form of a Kambwala header, but he couldn’t convert from a Hansen-Aaroen free-kick.
United gave it absolutely everything, but it ultimately finished 1-0 in Istanbul. However – the game was overshadowed by an external factor completely out of the academy side’s control.
- Final Score: Galatasaray U19s 1 – 0 Manchester United U19s
Manchester United U19 fixture deemed as ‘unplayable’
Particularly in the second half, it was more a game of water polo than football.
The rain must have been belting down all night and continued throughout the fixture, which led to an ‘unplayable’ pitch.
From the 70th minute onwards, the pitch was noticeably ridiculous. The ball was holding up on every pass, shot and kick from the Red Devils.
“You can’t play football in this. It’s unplayable,” the MUTV commentator said.
It’s not looking good for Manchester United U19s…
If Bayern Munich win tonight in the UEFA Youth League, sadly the Red Devils U19s are out of the competition.
This is a similar fate to Ten Hag’s side. They need a win tonight, with the Red Devils currently sitting in fourth place in their group. Can they get the job done?
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
