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      Chelsea 3 Rennes 0 LIVE REACTION: Werner and Abraham on target for Blues as ten-man Rennes swept aside at Bridge

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      CHELSEA cruised to a Champions League victory thanks to a brace from Timo Werner and a second-half strike from Tammy Abraham.
      Final score: Chelsea 3-0 Rennes
      Follow ALL the updates below…

      GOODNIGHT FROM THE BRIDGE
      Another game, another clean sheet and another win for Chelsea.
      The Londoners were in complete control from the off against Rennes as they eased their way to a 3-0 success that keeps them at the top of Group E.
      They were given a helping hand, if not by defender Dalbert, then by German referee Felix Zwayer and his officials.
      Dalbert had already conceded one penalty – won and scored by Timo Werner – when he was adjudged to have handled Tammy Abraham’s shot.
      The decision to award another spotkick following a VAR review was harsh, and the red card that came with it for a second booking was even harsher.
      Not that Werner showed any sympathy, slamming home from 12 yards for a second time, and, when Tammy Abraham converted shortly after the break, the contest was all but over.
      Most impressively, tonight’s victory came with a fifth consecutive clean sheet for Chelsea, and a sixth in a row for their new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
      The former Rennes stopper had little to do against the club he left in September, but he stayed alert enough to show his class in denying Clement Grenier’s 84th minute effort.
      A flurry of second half substitutions gave Frank Lampard the opportunity to rest key players ahead of Saturday’s visit of Sheffield United. If his side are able to keep this form up, perhaps Champions League Group E won’t be the only table that Chelsea are troubling the top of.
      Thanks for being with us this evening and goodnight.

      FRANK TALKING
      A delighted Frank Lampard has been speaking post match about his players’ professionalism, and why Timo Werner is Chelsea’s new spotkick king.
      “I think we deserved the win in the way we played.
      “The red card and penalty at 2-0 makes it more comfortable, but I think we dealt with the early parts of the second half really well.
      “It’s not always easy against ten men when they’ve had time to talk and arrange themselves, but we kept the ball moving so the professional elements of our game were really good and against a good opposition as well.
      “We saw at 11 against 11, they’re a good, physical, technical team and we won pretty well.
      “[The new penalty taker] wasn’t an easy decision because Jorginho has been pretty faultless for us, but he’s missed two recently and Timo came in to score one.
      “I had a conversation with Jorginho and his answer was perfect for a professional. He doesn’t care who takes them, he just wants the team to score.”

      RENNES RUE REFEREE’S DECISION
      The BT Sport pundits have been discussing the controversial decision to not only award Chelsea a second first half penalty, but to show Dalbert a second yellow card.

      MEND REUNITED
      Edouard Mendy catches up with his former coach and teammates at full time.

      HOT OFF THE PRESS
      Read all about it! Dave Kidd has filed his match report following the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.

      BLUES ATTACK FROM THE BACK
      Chelsea full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James continue to prove the attacking threat they possess when patrolling their respective flanks..
      This heatmap shows just how much ground the pair covered on each wing this evening.

      IF IT’S BROKE
      Edouard Mendy it.

      Edouard Mendy has now kept six consecutive clean sheets for Chelsea across all competitions.
      ⛔️ vs. Crystal Palace⛔️ vs. Sevilla⛔️ vs. Man Utd⛔️ vs. FK Krasnodar⛔️ vs. Burnley⛔️ vs. Rennes
      You shall not pass. 🧙‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/aprS26jlAw
      — Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 4, 2020

      E-ASY DOES IT
      Chelsea and Sevilla are clear at the top of Group E after their victories this evening, and it means the pair could sew up qualification as early as matchday four with similar results later this month.
      The La Liga side recovered from 2-0 down to beat Krasnodar 3-2 in Spain tonight.

      FT: CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      A comfortable victory for Chelsea in Group E.
      Tammy Abraham’s early second half strike added to two Timo Werner penalties in the first half, and ensured the Blues hold on to top spot.
      Rennes remain bottom, having played 50 minutes with ten men after Dalbert’s ridiculously harsh red card.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      90+3. Giroud should have scored!
      Unmarked at the back stick, the Frenchman headed down Hudson-Odoi’s cross but was uncharacteristically off target with his effort.
      That could have been the biggest blue success since Michigan.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      90. There will be three minutes of added time before we can all get ourselves a cup of tea and enjoy another moan about the new handball interpretations.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      88. Yellow card alert!
      Del Castillo is the latest player cautioned for two swipes at Werner, catching him on the achilles with the second after failing to make contact with his first.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      84. Edouard Mendy is on the verge of a sixth consecutive clean sheet, and he’s finally had to work for it.
      The visitors broke quickly down the right, where the ball was pulled back perfectly for Grenier.
      The substitute has never scored for Rennes, but he met the cross well, powering a shot towards goal that the Chelsea custodian was equal to in palming away.
      The loose ball was eventually turned in by Doku, but the Rennes man was well offside when he scored.

      SHUTTING UP SHOP
      The last five minutes show that the Chelsea players have both eyes on the weekend’s game with Sheffield United.
      This game has been over for a long time so let the ten men play with the ball.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      79. If it’s not a substitution to report, it’s a yellow card.
      Kovacic goes into the book for waving an arm in the face of Grenier.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      76. That miss brings about another two – and thankfully final – substitutions.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi, fresh from his goal at Krasnodar, is on for Ziyech.
      Guirassy hasn’t had a sniff for Rennes all night, and he’s replaced by Adrien Hunou.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      74. That said, that was a golden opportunity for Olivier Giroud to make it four.
      The substitute was sent clear by Ziyech, but his attempted dink over Gomis was cut out by the Rennes goalkeeper.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      72. It’s the visiting side that are tidily keeping possession at the moment, which makes you think both sides have settled for 3-0.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      68. For heaven’s sake, it’s another substitute.
      Antonio Rudiger – remember him? – is on for Thiago Silva.
      These multiple subs are worse than the mess they’ve made of the handball rule.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      67. This must be the hat-trick for Werner… No!
      A brilliant move from Chelsea starts with Thiago Silva’s wonderful 40-yard pass into the path of Reece James.
      The full-back is on to it like a flash, and delivers another pass on the plate across the face of Gomis’ goal.
      Coming on to it at the far post, Werner looks a certainty to net but fails to make contact after a desperate defensive lunge at the last.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      65. Jorginho goes into the book for bringing down Del Castillo.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      63. Both sides make triple changes..
      Clement Grenier, Jeremy Doku and Romain Del Castillo are on for Rennes with Martin Terrier, Steven Nzonzi and Yann Gboho going off.
      Meanwhile, Frank Lampard throws on Emerson, Mateo Kovacic and Olivier Giroud, and gives N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell and Tammy Abraham a rest.
      That was like a testimonial game.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      59. Chilwell comfortably heads away a Rennes corner at the near post.
      When you’re 3-0 down and a man light, the last thing you want to do is send a rare set-piece into the first man.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      57. It has the feel of a training game now as Chelsea make use of their one-man advantage.
      On the touchline, a whole host of home substitutes are warming up, hoping to get in on the action.

      CHELSEA 3-0 RENNES
      53. Some rare respite for the Rennes defenders as one – Nayef Aguerd – gets on the end of a free-kick to head over Mendy’s crossbar.
      It will be back to desperately tracking Chelsea forwards shortly for the centre-back, and you fear that the home side could rack up as many as they like this evening.

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      VAR under spotlight again as Chelsea cruise past Rennes with help from officials

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      THROUGHOUT the season there are always going to be moments where teams get the swing of the pendulum in terms of VAR decisions – and other games when it will go against them.
      In Chelsea’s Champions League win over Rennes, the pendulum swung heavily in the direction of Frank Lampard’s side.

      ⚠️ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Chelsea could thank a major VAR decision going their way in the 3-0 win over RennesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The Blues were narrowly winning the Group E tie thanks to Timo Werner’s tenth-minute penalty after he was fouled in the box by Rennes defender Dalbert.
      Chelsea were not playing badly by any stretch, but after the goal Rennes started to get back into the game and actually edged Chelsea slightly in terms of possession.
      The game had a feel of being on a knife’s edge and Rennes looked like threatening the Chelsea goal as things went on.

      But Lampard’s side were about to be handed the game on a plate before the half-time whistle sounded.
      Dalbert was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, which was picked up by VAR.
      The German referee Felix Zwayer then checked the monitor at the side of the pitch and gave the penalty to Chelsea, and duly sent Dalbert off for an early shower.
      Werner scored his second penalty of the night for Chelsea and put them two goals clear, with one extra man on the pitch.

      Chelsea didn’t even need to get out of second gear and were very much gifted a massive Champions League victory in what looked like a pair of very harsh decisions from tonight’s officials.

      German referee Felix Zwayer penalised Dalbert for his handball after the ball bounced up off his legCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      He also showed the Rennes defender a second yellow card to send him for an early bathCredit: Reuters

      They went on to score their third goal despite not really playing amazingly well, but Lampard’s team did the job and came away with yet another clean sheet – their fifth in a row, the first time they have done this since 2010.
      Edouard Mendy now has six shoutouts in his first seven games for Chelsea, another incredible stat, and Chelsea have gone seven-and-a-half hours now without conceding.
      But Rennes can feel aggrieved, Chelsea will take that with open arms knowing full well that it has been before, and will be again, themselves on the back of some poor VAR decisions and officiating.
      It also begs the question once more, is VAR really helping or hindering the game?
      Many have their strong views on the subject and it always manages to split opinions, but when you see decisions like this tonight, it really does throw VAR under the bus.
      Many believe it is ruining the beautiful game but Chelsea will take it.
      It’s put them in a fine position to qualify for the knockout stages of Europe’s most prestigious competition.
      Chelsea fans certainly won’t mind and a chance to see their team advance in the competition once more is a big appeal.
      To do it without their players hardly having to put their foot on the gas at all can only be a good thing.
      But we shall sign out with the words of Rio Ferdinand at half-time when describing the penalty and sending off incident: “It’s a disgrace, it’s ruining football.”

      The definition of putting it on a plate 🍽Reece James with the perfect assist for Tammy Abraham! 👌Chelsea are in control at the Bridge… pic.twitter.com/2wwh0ImqMD
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 4, 2020

      Seven stars who quit Chelsea and became world class including Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah and Tiago More

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      Man Utd boss Solskjaer refuses to comment on future after ‘unforgivable’ defending in Istanbul humbling

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      OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER refused to say if he feared for his job after a defensive horror show in Turkey saw Manchester United go down 2-1 to Istanbul Basaksehir.
      That is their second consecutive defeat after losing a third home league game on Sunday to Arsenal, which left them 15th in the Premier League.

      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rued Manchester United’s defending on Wednesday nightCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Demba Ba popped up to strike a surprise opener in IstanbulCredit: Reuters
      When asked about his position, Solskjaer said: “I decline to comment.
      “It is early and opinions are out there all the time.
      “I have got to stay strong. I am employed by the club to do a job and will do it to the best of my ability.”

      Solskjaer described his team’s defending as ‘unforgiveable’ as they went behind to Demba Ba’s 12th minute opener having left the veteran striker completely free on the break.
      Edin Visca added a second on 40 minutes before Anthony Martial got one back three minutes later – but United had only one more effort on target.
      Manager Solskjaer said: “The performance was not good enough against a team that worked and ran.

      “The first goal when you play a short corner and forget about the man up top, that is unforgivable.

      “We have not done our duties there and it is my responsibility. We have played a short corner but forgot our defensive duties.
      “For the second one we were not very organised to counter press.
      “They were two soft goals we gave away and then there was not enough to come back in the second-half.”
      Solskjaer now has to pick his team up for a lunchtime kick-off away to Everton on Saturday.
      He said: “Of course the last two results have been a punch in the stomach.

      “The only way I know to respond, and I hope the players do as well, is to get your act together together for the Everton game.
      “I am glad we have got a game already on Saturday.”
      It was United’s first defeat in Group H after victories over Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

      Man Utd legends van Persie and Scholes tears into the defence during Istanbul Basaksehir Champions League tie More

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      Chelsea 3 Rennes 0: New taker Timo Werner scores twice from the spot as Blues ease past ten-man French side

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      THERE may have been a serious level of assistance from a haplessBrazilian defender and an over-zealous German referee.
      But Frank Lampard’s new-look Chelsea are gelling, they are clicking,and they are starting to swagger.

      ⚠️ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Timo Werner scored two penalties as Chelsea beat Rennes 3-0Credit: Reuters

      Dalbert was sent off after giving away the second penaltyCredit: EPA
      Rennes defender Dalbert was harshly sent off by ref Felix Zwayer aftergiving away two penalties before half-time – both converted by TimoWerner.
      Tammy Abraham added a third soon after the break as the Blues werepropelled towards the Champions League knock-out stage.
      Chelsea have done well out of Rennes in recent weeks – signing theirkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has now kept six clean sheets in a row, inplace of the bullet-ridden Kepa Arrizabalaga.

      A lockdown and a blue wall. Chelsea are seriously topical right now.
      Despite the scoreline, Rennes will feel majorly aggrieved about theofficiating after they’d held their own until Dalbert’s dismissal.
      But as central London thronged with drinkers in last-chase saloons,Chelsea had been ahead of the game when it came to pulling down theshutters – seven and a half hours have now passed since they lastconceded.

      Tammy Abraham swept Chelsea into a 3-0 leadCredit: EPA

      The Blues are top of Group E at the halfway stageCredit: EPA
      The past eight days have brought ten goals too – albeit againstBurnley, the Russians of Krasnodar and now these French ChampionsLeague rookies.

      It is tough to make too many hard and fast judgements about that run offixtures but Chelsea are now getting it right at both ends of thepitch, a balance they had struggled to strike in the early weeks ofthe season.
      Lampard had to do without Kai Havertz, after the German testedpositive for coronavirus, meaning he will still be in isolation forSaturday’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United.
      Yet the other five of Chelsea’s summer signings all started and theyhad been improving – vastly so in defence.

      Chelsea’s new-look strikeforce did the business this eveningCredit: EPA

      The Blues had been largely unconvincing in the Champions League underLampard, squeezing through their group last year, only to be gubbed byBayern Munich in the last 16 and held here by Sevilla in their opener.
      Indeed, Chelsea have failed to make the quarter-finals of thiscompetition in the last six seasons. But they are close to gettinganother stab at making there, after this.
      Rennes had a loud but unconvincing penalty appeal for handball againstKurt Zouma turned down before Chelsea won their spot-kick.
      As Werner turned, his heel was clipped by Dalbert, and the German -who has taken over penalty responsibilities from Jorginho – drilledhome his sixth goal in eight games.
      Jorginho had missed twice this season, having been flawless from thespot last term, but Werner is unlikely to give up the job any timesoon.
      And besides, Lampard is old enough to remember the days when Germanefficiency from the penalty spot was a cast-iron certainty.

      Edouard Mendy offered a reliable presence in goal for the Blues against his former clubCredit: AFP or llicensors AFP or Licensors
      Rennes were dominating possession but failing to test their old mateMendy – although when Hakim Ziyech was booked for a foul on Dalbert,Benjamin Bourigeaud whipped a free-kick narrowly wide across goal.
      But then came the decisive moment as Tammy Abraham had a shot blockedby Dalbert, with his arms raised.
      Some time later, VAR intervened and Zwayer had a peek at the pitchsidemonitor before he pointed at the spot and showed poor old Dalbert themeanest of second yellows.
      Werner did the business from 12 yards once more and the Blues wentinto the break with big cigars on.
      Chelsea began the second half in overdrive, Ziyech firing over fromclose range before Reece James whipped in a cross to the near postwhich Abraham spanked home first time.
      Abraham soon made way for Olivier Giroud, who was denied by Renneskeeper Alfred Gomis.
      Rennes refused to capsize, and they forced a comfortable of saves fromMendy – routine saves, yet even that variety had seemed beyond Kepabefore he was put out of his misery.
      Late on, Mendy made a very good stop to thwart Clement Grenier beforea follow-up effort was disallowed for offside.
      Lampard’s side will not always benefit from such generous defending orrefereeing and they remain a work in progress.
      But progress has been swift of late and, after £220million was spent,the promise is suitably rich.

      Chelsea star Kai Havertz tests positive for coronavirus and will miss Champions League clash with Rennes More

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      Man Utd player ratings: Sub McTominay a rare bright spark but Tuanzebe endures nightmare game in loss

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      ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR were supposed to be the whipping boys in Group H.
      But the Turkish outfit scored their first Champions League goals and recorded their first victory in the competition in a shock 2-1 defeat of Manchester United.

      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Manchester United fell to a 2-1 defeat away at Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on a miserable night in TurkeyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Demba Ba set the hosts on their way by racing clear to score the opening goalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Ex-West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba opened the scoring after 12 minutes in baffling fashion as United committed everyone forward for an early corner.
      Edin Visca slammed in Basaksehir’s second before Anthony Martial headed in three minutes later to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hope going into half-time.
      But a flat and dreary display at both ends of the pitch meant United travelled back from Turkey with defeat.

      SunSport’s Joshua Jones assesses the Red Devils players’ performances…
      Dean Henderson – 6/10
      Solskjaer deemed the academy graduate ‘mature’ enough to hand Henderson his European debut in place of David De Gea.
      The ex-Sheffield United loanee was left horribly exposed for Ba’s opener – he was the only player within 60 yards of the Red Devils goal when the Senegal star was played in.
      And Visca’s strike flew past him before he could move to make it 2-0. The stats will show he conceded two but he was not to blame with either – instead he was let down by his defenders.

      Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6
      The £50million right-back really struggled to deal with Deniz Turuc as the winger caused havoc down the left early on.
      Wan-Bissaka’s low cross was intercepted as the hosts launched the simplest of counter-attacks to open the scoring and then was caught upfield again when the second went in.
      However, made a number of trademark tackles to somehow wrap his legs around opponents and win the ball back.

      Axel Tuanzebe – 3
      After his stellar performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the first group game, the youngster was brought back in again – but not for long.
      He picked up an early yellow card for pulling back Ba – who wanted a different colour – and was hooked off at the break for Scott McTominay. Was he meant to have stayed back for the opener?
      He will be gutted not to have taken his chance with both hands as Victor Lindelof looks on course to reclaim his spot.
      Harry Maguire – 5
      Roy Keane blasted United’s lack of leadership but Maguire fired back in his pre-match press conference.
      But after talking the talk, he did not walk the walk as the captain watched on helplessly with United falling behind then beaten all ends up by Ba’s dummy.
      Luke Shaw – 6
      Was nowhere to be seen when his man Visca blasted home Istanbul’s second with acres of space.
      Made amends somewhat by digging out a pinpoint cross on Martial’s head for the striker to pull one back and got forward well by putting in a couple more dangerous deliveries.
      Nemanja Matic – 6
      The Serb was left as the one man ‘back’ from the short corner which undid United, so when the ball was played over the top he had no chance of catching the veteran striker.
      Dropped back into a centre-back position at half-time and arguably looked more comfortable there than Maguire or Tuanzebe.
      Donny van de Beek – 5
      Operated in a slightly more defensive role behind the attacking quartet.
      But struggled to stamp his authority on the game by getting on the ball and getting it forwards so was understandably withdrawn for Paul Pogba on the hour mark.

      Axel Tuanzebe will be bitterly disappointed with his 45-minute display which included a yellow cardCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Juan Mata – 5
      Started ahead of the likes of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood and Daniel James.
      However, was dispossessed too easily for the second goal and could not recover in time to prevent the finish.
      Got into the game more in the second half but, just as he was doing so, was dragged off along with Van de Beek.
      Bruno Fernandes – 4
      A relatively quiet opening 55 minutes for the Portuguese before he won a controversial free-kick 25 yards out when Rafael put in a crunching tackle.
      The January signing stepped up to smash in an equaliser but it was too tame and too central to cause any harm.
      Felt as though he was trying too hard at times to make something happen, especially with needless flicks and Hollywood passes when chasing the game.
      Marcus Rashford – 4
      Huffed and puffed but could not replicate his heroics from a week ago when he scored a 17-minute hat-trick.
      A frustrating evening for the England forward, who played across the front line to very little effect.
      Anthony Martial – 7
      Solskjaer will be delighted to have his No9 available again in the Premier League come Saturday lunchtime.
      Out of nothing, the Frenchman hauled his side back into the game with an unorthodox, unconventional header – but, crucially, a header that found the bottom corner.
      United’s brightest spark going forward but was pushed out from the middle to the left to cater for Edinson Cavani’s introduction.

      Anthony Martial scored a header which looked as thought it could get United back into the gameCredit: Rex Features

      SUBS
      Scott McTominay (for Tuanzebe, HT) – 7
      Made an immediate impact by shoring up the midfield, snuffing out danger and winning the ball back to break up Basaksehir attacks.
      Did his best to push United forward, both literally and psychologically and, along with Martial, was United’s best player. Even ended up putting in a shift on the right wing before the end.
      Paul Pogba (for Van de Beek, 61 mins) – 5
      Solskjaer turned to his record signing but once again he was unable to deliver when his side needed him.
      Had plenty of the touches but none of them caused any harm.
      Edinson Cavani (for Mata, 61 mins) – 5
      Given half an hour to try and find his first United goal as he was put up top with Martial and Rashford either side.
      Got on the ball a few times early on but did not have much of a look in.
      Timothy Fosu-Mensah (for Wan-Bissaka, 76 mins) – 6
      Brought on for his Champions League debut to replace Wan-Bissaka at right-back.
      Misjudged a ball through but recovered well to win back possession and prevent Fredrik Gulbrandsen scoring a third.
      Mason Greenwood (for Rashford, 76 mins) – 5
      Was certainly not Rashford’s night as Solskjaer turned to the youngster for something fresh.
      He summed up United’s night when he picked up the ball in the box but a heavy touch saw the ball run out for a goal kick and kill precious seconds.

      Scott McTominay was a decent performer for the Red Devils after coming on at the breakCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Robin van Persie tears into the Man Utd defence at half time of Istanbul Basaksehir Champions League game More

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      Istanbul Basaksehir 2 Man Utd 1 LIVE REACTION: Demba Ba on scoresheet as Red Devils stunned in Champions League defeat

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      MANCHESTER UNITED crashed to Champions League defeat in Turkey as Demba Ba found the net for Basaksehir.
      Final score: Instanbul Basaksehir 2-1 Man Utd
      Follow ALL the reaction with our blog below…

      THAT’S ALL FROM ME
      Man United have been beaten in Istanbul, making it two losses in a row.
      Coverage of the United game ends now, but there’s still plenty of footy being covered here at SunSport!
      Chelsea are currently taking on Rennes, they’re 1-0 up thanks to Timo Werner.
      CHELSEA 1-0 RENNES LIVE BLOG
      GOODNIGHT!

      SOLSKJAER’S REACTION
      Speaking after his side’s disappointing 2-1 loss to Turkish side Basaksehir, he said: “The performance wasn’t good enough against a team that worked and ran and hit us on the break.
      “They scored two goals that teams do when you don’t defend well. We played a short corner and forgot about the man up front and that’s unforgivable. Two soft goals.
      “And then we didn’t have enough to come back in the second half. We threw everything at it but couldn’t break them down.”

      TABLE CHECK
      Man United sit top and PSG in second, the Parisians are currently beating RB Leipzig 1-0 thanks to a goal from Di Maria.
      Basaksehir could move up to third tonight depending on the goal difference in the other game in the group.

      BEST BA NONE
      Tonight’s match report is live!
      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED MATCH REPORT

      CONFUSING
      Man United are one of the most baffling sides to watch.
      How can you got from beating PSG and smashing RB Leipzig, to losing the third group game to a team you’d expect them to beat?

      FULL-TIME STATS
      United dominated the ball from minute one, but it’s no good holding onto the ball if you’re not going to do anything with it!
      Basaksehir were very clinical with the very little possession they had, and as a result of it, they scored two fantastic goals.

      Look at the heat maps of the two sides! Basaksehir (left) barely entered United’s penalty area, but come out on top pulling off a historic win.

      UNDER THE LIGHTS
      Famous win for Basaksehir!

      “A famous night, a famous win!”
      Istanbul Basaksehir, in their first season in the Champions League, have beaten Man Utd 👊 pic.twitter.com/7RZkUtD7ZV
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 4, 2020

      FT: BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      Massive shock result in Istanbul!
      Man United couldn’t find a way through the solid Basaksehir backline in the second half, what a result.
      It is Basaksehir’s debut season in the Champions League and they’ve claimed the scalp of one of Europe’s elites.
      United’s best chance to rescue a point came in the dying minutes through Martial.
      The ball bounced around side the penalty area, it bounced up right for Martial and he guided it towards the far corner.
      Epurean got back in time to clear the ball off the line.
      Well deserved result for the home side.

      PEEEEEEP!
      THAT’S FULL-TIME!

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      GOAL LINE CLEARANCE!
      90+1. The ball bounces around inside the penalty area, Martial gets his head on the ball guiding it into the far corner.
      The ball looks set to cross the line but NO! Epurean clears the ball off the line!
      Game defining moment, it’s Basaksehir’s night tonight.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      90. Three additional minutes to play and Basaksehir are about to claim a massive scalp in their debut Champions League campaign!

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      89. Another substitution for the home side, Ponck is on for Kahveci.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      88. Maguire is playing up front with 90 seconds of the 90 minutes left the play!
      The first header he contests, he wins.
      He tries to steer his header on goal, he manages that, but it doesn’t have enough power behind it and Gunok gathers the ball comfortably.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      86. Kuruc wins a free-kick inside United’s half, he cut inside of Maguire and let Shaw clatter into him from the side.
      The break in play allows the home side to make a change, Ozcan being replaced by Topal.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      85. Poor from Greenwood, he managed to get the ball to the byline in a dangerous area.
      His touch let him down and it’s a Basaksehir goal-kick! Time is running out for United at the end of the second half.
      Just under five minutes to go.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      84. A long ball over the top of the United defence is chased down by Gulbrandsen.
      Fosu-Mensah’s pace gets him out of jail as he managed to recover and seal out the Basaksehir attacker.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      82. United are controlling the ball, patiently trying to work an opening.
      The ball is being switched from left to right and the two centre-backs are pushed up over the halfway line.
      They’re trying to squeeze Basaksehir inside their own half.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      80. TEN TO GO! United still do not look like they’re going to find a breakthrough.
      Gulbrandsen brings down a long ball well, beating Maguire.
      He managed to work some space and get a shot off but it was blocked by the United captain in the end.
      Basaksehir corner.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      78. Ba seems to have hurt himself whilst challenging Maguire, he’ll be replaced by Gulbrandsen.
      Gulbrandsen played under Solskjaer at Molde.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      76. Pogba isn’t aware of his surroundings and he loses out to Rafael on the edge of the Basaksehir penalty area.
      The counter attack is launched through Turuc, he cuts inside before playing it the the opposite flank (left).
      Visca tries to beat Fosu-Mensah but he is unsuccessful.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      74. More changes from Solskjaer, he’s bringing on Fosu-Mensah and Greenwood for Rashford and Wan-Bissaka.
      If there’s someone who can grab a goal for United, it’s Greenwood.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      72. The defending Turkish champions are putting in a resilient display, they’re proving incredibly difficult to break down and United keep on making mistakes!
      Just over 15 minutes left in the game.

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      71. Play is breaking down far too often for United, it’s disrupting their flow.
      Basaksehir are constantly in United’s faces, putting the visitors under pressure to make mistakes AND they are!

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      70. United are starting to crank up the pressure, they’re controlling the ball, passing it about trying to work an opening.
      However, when it comes to the final ball in the final third, they’re as blunt as a butter knife!

      BASAKSEHIR 2-1 MAN UNITED
      67. Wonderful build-up play by United, Martial gets to the byline and attempts to glide past Rafael but the former United man came out on top to clear the danger.
      United corner.

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      in Soccer

      Istanbul 2 Man Utd 1: Sloppy Red Devils stunned as Demba Ba pops up to end strong Champions League start

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED’S dismal Premier League form carried over into Europe as they crashed to a humiliating Champions League defeat against the Group H whipping boys.
      This was every bit as depressing as their 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal on Sunday and his latest shocker is certain to pile the pressure on United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who took a big gamble by making six changes.

      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      Demba Ba struck early to help Istanbul Basaksehir to a famous winCredit: Reuters

      Edin Visca bagged the second for his side’s first points of the group stageCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He could hardly have been expected to field an unchanged side after that dismal showing, but his line-up here still smacked of over-confidence.
      Basaksehir had hardly managed a shot, let alone a goal, in their two previous Champions League encounters, going down 2-0 to both RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain – teams United had swept aside in their opening games.
      But it took the Turkish side just 12 minutes to open their account here, with the entire United defence deserving an assist as 35-year-old Demba Ba ran half the length of the field before scoring.  

      And Edin Vasca took advantage of more non-existent defending to make it 2-0, before Antony Martial’s strike gave United false hope of saving face.
      Ba took his goal with some aplomb, although even he must have been surprised to find himself in acres of space near the halfway line, as he latched onto Visca’s long clearance from a United corner.
      Nemanja Matic was the closest player to Ba but he could not close the gap as the Senegal striker chested the ball down, cut infield, and coolly rolled it past Dean Henderson as he charged off his line.
      The United back four looked accusingly at each other as Henderson picked the ball out of the net.

      The goals against us….please tell me someone is going nuts in that changing room and people are being made accountable.The shape of the team when we lose the ball for the 1st goal 🤬😱🤯#mufc pic.twitter.com/V7aq0rvBYL
      — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) November 4, 2020

      And United could not pretend they did not know what a threat Ba can pose, even though he is in the twilight of his career.
      During his Newcastle days he scored against them in both matches of the 2011-12 season, and the following season he got the only goal when Chelsea knocked United out in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
      And who could ever forget the way he took advantage of Steven Gerrard’s slip to score the goal that denied Liverpool the Premier League title six years ago?
      With the visitors’ defence continuing to look a complete shambles – despite Harry Maguire’s pre-match insistence the squad was full of leaders – Basaksehir clearly scented blood.
      They should have been two up after 33 minutes when Boli Bolingoli was allowed to race unchallenged down the left flank, before picking out Danijel Aleksic with a pinpoint cross.
      The Serbian player had been left unmarked – surprise, surprise – just eight yards from goal, but he directed his downward header straight at a relieved Henderson.
      It proved a short-lived reprieve. Five minutes before the beak the Turkish side scored a superb second goal, and again they exploited the fact right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka seemed to have no support on his flank.
      This time it was Deniz Turuc who curled the ball in, and a lovely step-over from Ba completely flummoxed the United defence, allowing Visca to smash the ball past the despairing Henderson.

      Manchester United were left scratching their heads at the defeatCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Basaksehir became the latest Istanbul club to haunt the Red DevilsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The pressure is back on Ole Gunnar SolskjaerCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Anthony Martial’s smart header could not spark a comebackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      United needed to respond – and quickly. And that is exactly what they did, thanks to a clever bit of trickery from Luke Shaw.
      He skipped over the challenge of former United favourite Rafael – who had earlier distinguished himself with a brave block to smother an effort from Martial – and took a quick look up before delivering his cross.
      Martial had drifted between the two Basaksehir central defenders and made no mistake with a firm downward header.
      That 42nd-minute strike could not cover United’s shortcomings, and Solskjaer decided reshuffle his side at half time.
      He sent on Scott McTominay at the start of the second-half, with Nemanja Matic switching from a holding midfield role to slot in alongside Maguire in place of Axel Tuanzebe, who had looked the most nervous of the United back four.
      And there were a couple more changes just after the hour, with Paul Pogba replacing Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani on in place of the ineffective Juan Mata.
      But those changes failed to inject added impetus to the United efforts.
      Their only worthwhile attempt at goal came from a Bruno Fernandes free kick, which beat the defensive wall but arrived at a good height for Mert Gunok to fist the ball away.

      Dean Henderson was left stranded by his defence on a rare start for the goalkeeperCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      United were unable to capitalise on a strong start in Group HCredit: EPA

      It was hard to know whether Pogba was trying to shoot or cross the ball when he hooked it high over the far post – but that seemed typical of a hopelessly disjointed United display.
      There was another double change on 77 minutes with Mason Greenwood and Timothy Fosu-Mensah getting a run at the expense of Marcus Rashford and Wan-Bissaka.
      It smacked of desperation, and the closest United came to an equaliser was when Basaksehir almost conceded an own goal in stoppage time.
      But justice was done when Alexandru Epureanu hooked the ball clear before it crossed the line.

      Man Utd boss Solskjaer refuses to comment on future after ‘unforgivable’ defending in Istanbul humbling More

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      Man Utd legend Paul Scholes slams ‘Under-10s’ defending as Robin van Persie also blasts Red Devils

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Paul Scholes slammed his former side’s ‘Under-10s’ defending as they lost to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.
      Former Chelsea and Newcastle star Demba Ba opened the scoring for the Turkish champions after some horrible defending in the opening stages.

      ⚠️ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

      The Red Devils were undone by one hopeful punt downfield

      Former Chelsea star Demba Ba made the Red Devils payCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And the Senegalese poacher was handed a gift in the 12th minute.
      With United having been on the attack, it was Ba that suddenly found himself through on goal, following one hopeful punt downfield.
      The experienced forward took it on his chest perfectly, before outpacing Nemanja Matic in a race that won’t exactly go down in history as particularly scintillating.

      He then slotted past Champions League debutant Dean Henderson to give his side the lead.
      And Old Trafford favourite Scholes pulled no punches with his withering assessment on BT Sport.
      He said: “That goal is completely down to organisation. It’s like Under-10’s football.
      “What the back four were doing I have no idea, it’s embarrassing.”

      Co-commentator Martin Keown labelled it as ‘comical’, while Robin van Persie also ripped into the Red Devils.
      The Dutchman, 37, said: “I’ve never seen a goal conceded like that first goal – usually you leave two defenders at the back.”

      Scholes was scathing of his former side’s defendingCredit: PA:Empics Sport

      United’s defending for Basaksehir’s second goal was similarly farcical

      Things went from bad to worse in the 40th minute, when Edin Visca was left all alone to make it 2-0 to the home side.
      Henderson was powerless to stop the Bosnian rifling home.
      United’s defending looked farcical, as three defenders tried to scramble back onto the goal line.
      Anthony Matial hit back just before half-time as United suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to the formerly winless side.

      Three United defenders racing towards the line couldn’t stop Edin Visca’s goalCredit: Reuters

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says neither team deserved to win after Man Utd’s defeat by Arsenal More