Eric Ten Hoag has been frustrated by the number of goals Manchester United have scored in the Champions League this season, but refused to lay the blame at goalkeeper Andre Onana’s door despite his two errors in the 3-3 draw against Galatasaray.
United have now conceded 14 goals in five games and have only a slim chance of making the last 16 in Group A. Alejandro Carnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay scored for United on a night of hostilities in Turkey. A draw after Onana misjudged two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks to give Galatasaray a way back before Kerem Akturkoglu’s ferocious equaliser.
„He’s fine,” Den Haag said of Onana. „It’s not about one individual. In football individual mistakes can make a difference and you can take responsibility for that, but it’s always about the team.
„We scored each other quickly. When you’re 2-0 up you have to manage the game. It’s not easy for us to give away free-kicks and we have to defend free-kicks better. Hakeem is smart, I know that, he’s extraordinary.
„It’s always about the incidents and the details and we can do better. We have to learn from that because as a team we give up a lot of goals, it’s unnecessary and unavoidable. I believe our team is experienced and capable enough to manage this, and We will do better.
On a thrilling night, United were the better team in difficult conditions and had 17 shots but only four on target. It was only the third time this season that they had scored three away goals in a European competition, although it did earn them a solitary point on their travels.
Fernandez said: „We conceded very poor goals. We had many chances, many chances to score another goal and finish the game. And we were not clinical enough.
„We have to control our games. It’s not the first game we play like this. Even in Copenhagen, we had 3-2, you have to be smart enough and manage the game well. Everyone has to take responsibility for their mistakes.
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United were anxiously waiting to see if a Copenhagen win over Bayern Munich would knock them out of the competition in Group A’s later kick-off. That game ended 0-0, however, and United can still qualify for the last 16 – but only if they beat Bayern at home in the last group game on December 12 and draw against Galatasaray at home to Copenhagen.
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