SOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, GROUP B Manchester Utd 0 Besiktas 1MANCHESTER UNITED'S record of having not lost a Champions League group game on their own ground for eight years is no more. The damage is superficial, with a place in the knock-out phase already assured, but this was still a bad night for Alex Ferguson's experimental side and another difficult experience for Ben Foster, their struggling goalkeeper.
As has happened more times than he would care to remember this season, Foster’s reliability will come under intense scrutiny, having being beaten by a speculative shot from Rodrigo Tello for the game’s decisive goal.
United had three-quarters of the match to save their 23-game unbeaten run at home in this competition but had neither the wit or gumption to do it. This time there was no late comeback, no feat of escapology. It was their first Champions League defeat at home since losing 1-0 to Milan in February 2005 and, in the group stage, the first time an away side has won here since a 3-2 victory for Deportivo La Coruna in 2001.
The oddity is United have coasted through Group B but have found themselves losing in all three of their home matches. They recovered against Wolfsburg to win 2-1 in September and scored twice in the final six minutes to salvage a 3-3 draw against CSKA Moscow earlier this month. But it is a bad habit to have developed and, in the 19th minute, the same sense of mild disbelief descended on Old Trafford.
Foster has made so many mistakes this season he is increasingly finding himself under intense scrutiny and, again, he will wince when he sees the replays of Tello’s goal. In fairness, Tello’s diagonal left-foot shot was not only struck with power and swerve but aided by a slight deflection off Rafael da Silva’s shoulder. Nonetheless, there is a rule among goalkeepers they should not be beaten by a shot from nearly 30 yards. It would be harsh to apportion all the blame in his direction but Foster’s starting position was dubious at best.
In total, there were eight changes from the side that had beaten Everton 3-0 at the weekend. Ferguson’s logic was understandable, leaving out the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs for more important assignments, but the problem when there are that many changes is it affects rhythm and fluency.
Had Michael Fink, the Besiktas midfielder, been more accurate with the outstanding chance of the opening half United could have gone into the interval trailing by two. Fink’s shot flicked off the outside of Foster’s left-hand post.
United flickered only sporadically during that first half. Gabriel Obertan, the new signing from Bordeaux, is a player who will frustrate the Old Trafford crowd at times, be it by misplacing crosses or running the ball into touch. But the Frenchman is also keen to attack his marker and he supplied many of United’s better moments.
Federico Macheda and particularly Daniel Welbeck were keen to run at the Besiktas defence and demonstrate their status as reliable understudies. Darron Gibson would be a regular at most Premier League clubs and Rafael fitted seamlessly in at left back, but it was a disjointed, occasionally listless performance. An improvement was demanded and, around the hour mark, United started to play with a greater sense of urgency. It was a strange atmosphere, though. The prize of qualification was sealed three weeks ago and it was surprising to see how long it took before the home side finally worked up a head of steam.
Michael Owen came on, then shortly afterwards Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra, but there was no significant improvement. Besiktas are a team in form but they are poor travellers in the Champions League, and it must have been alarming for Ferguson how his team looked so devoid of ideas. Evra had a reasonable argument for a penalty during a late flurry and Rustu Recber saved stoppage-time headers from Macheda and Wes Brown but it was a display that went against United’s traditions of being the side who never accept defeat.
GuardianService
MAN UTD: Foster, Neville, Vidic, Brown, Rafael Da Silva (Evra 73), Obertan, Gibson (Carrick 73),Anderson, Park (Owen 68), Macheda, Welbeck. Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Nani, Scholes, Fletcher.
BESIKTAS: Recber, Kas, Ferrari, Toraman (Guven 67), Uzulmez,Fink, Ernst, Dag, Tello (Inceman 75), Koybasi, Bobo (Karadeniz 84). Subs Not Used: Celikay, Rodrigo Tabata, Yusuf Simsek, Zengin. Booked: Karadeniz, Recber.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy).
