London: Manchester United’s woes deepened as stunning goals by Moussa Sow and Jeremain Lens gave Fenerbahce a 2-1 Europa League win Thursday at Istanbul that left Jose Mourinho’s side facing a battle to reach the knockout stages.
Without a victory in four Premier League games, United desperately needed a morale-lifting result in Turkey but were undone by a brilliant second-minute overhead kick from Sow and a superb curling set piece by Lens before Wayne Rooney smashed home a consolation.
While Mourinho’s men are third in Group A, Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax Amsterdam, Shakhtar Donetsk and Schalke 04 have all sauntered through to the knockout rounds with two matches to spare.
What Mourinho would give for an in-form striker like Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz who became the first player to score five times in an Europa League match, his haul comprising three penalties in a 5-3 triumph over Racing Genk in Group F.
After victories in their last two group games, Europe’s second-tier competition had supplied the Red Devils with some relief from their league struggles but they were sliced apart by Fenerbahce who exposed some glaring defensive weaknesses.
The match had barely begun when Sow flung himself on the edge of the box into an overhead volley from a floated cross, smashing the ball past United keeper David De Gea and into the top corner.
Fenerbahce then took a stranglehold on the tie when Lens stepped up to nonchalantly curl a free-kick around the wall and into the corner 14 minutes after the restart, leaving De Gea rooted to the spot as the ball bulged the net.
It was United’s start, however, that most displeased Mourinho who railed at the lack of intensity in their play. “Our problems started in our global attitude. They were playing the Champions League final, we were playing a summer friendly,” he told ‘BT Sport’.
United, who suffered an injury blow when the world’s most expensive player Paul Pogba was forced off in the first half, are now a point behind group leaders Feyenoord and Fenerbahce with two games remaining.
Zenit defeated Irish side Dundalk to maintain their perfect record in Group D while Shakhtar hit five for the second time in Group H as they overcame Belgians Gent 5-3.
Ajax reached the last 32 with a 3-2 Group G win over Celta Vigo while Schalke won Group I after goals from Junior Caicara and Nabil Bentaleb secured a 2-0 victory over Krasnodar and a fourth straight triumph.
Agencies
