UEL: Mourinho sent off as United held
Fenerbahce 1-1 Manchester United
Fenerbahce manager José Mourinho was shown a red card as Manchester United battled to secure a 1-1 draw in their Europa League clash in Istanbul.
The former United manager was dismissed midway through the second half when tensions escalated after the home side were denied a penalty following Manuel Ugarte's challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel, with the scoreline locked at 1-1.
A closer look at what happened
United had gone into the break with a lead, thanks to Christian Eriksen’s fourth goal of the season. However, four minutes into the second half, the hosts drew level when Youssef En-Nesyri slipped between United's defenders to nod in Allan Saint-Maximin’s close-range cross.
As the atmosphere intensified and the noise levels soared, Mourinho was sent off by French referee Clément Turpin just before the hour mark. The dismissal came after Mourinho led fervent appeals for a penalty when Bright Osayi-Samuel went down following a challenge from United midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Despite heated protests from the Fenerbahçe bench,
VAR supported Turpin’s decision that there was no foul play. Turpin approached the technical area and instructed Mourinho to leave, and though the Portuguese manager took his time, he eventually settled on the steps at the front of the stand, close enough to continue passing on instructions to his coaching staff.
United had their opportunities to snatch a win, but substitute Rasmus Højlund chose to go it alone rather than passing to a better-positioned Alejandro Garnacho, with his shot rolling harmlessly into the hands of Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. Shortly after, Garnacho lost control as he made his way into the box, letting another chance slip away.
The visitors also suffered a further setback, which Erik ten Hag had hoped to avoid. Brazilian winger Antony was stretchered off after landing awkwardly following an ill-advised flick near the touchline
UEFA Europa League and Conference League: 24/25
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Positive or negative night for Manchester United?
This was another mixed night for Ten Hag. A tally of three points from three games is not the standard his team should be aiming for in this revamped competition. They remain far behind the pace. However, they have completed their two hardest matches out of the eight in the first phase, so improvement could come quickly, starting with the visit of Greek side PAOK to Old Trafford in two weeks. Ultimately, the Red Devils should still qualify from the group.
