- Erik ten Hag expects Man United to face a hostile atmosphere
- He urged his players to keep their composure against Galatasaray on Wednesday
- Pressure easing on Man United boss Erik ten Hag: Listen up Everything begins
Erik ten Haag has warned his Manchester United players to keep cool and stay out of trouble at the Rams Stadium cauldron on Wednesday afternoon.
United will face one of the hottest atmospheres in world football when they take on Galatasaray with their Champions League hopes hanging in the balance.
Ten Hag’s side have not coped well under pressure in Group A this season, collapsing in 4-3 defeats to Bayern Munich and FC Copenhagen and 3-2 to the Turks at Old Trafford.
It does not bode well for the trip to Istanbul where United have failed to score in their previous three games here against Galatasaray.
Ten Haag believes the key lies in United’s ability to keep their composure in the face of a challenge from the home side and extreme hostility from their fans.
“Absolutely, you have to stay calm in your head and not get too emotional,” said the United boss. “Control the emotion, don’t give them anything. The umpire too — don’t give them a single moment they can.
So you should stay away from such moments. You have to make it your game. It’s not so important how the opponent plays, it’s how we play.
“We had some very hostile away games and we played really well, calm and composed. Manchester United has a long history. We have to make it our game.’
Rams Stadium will be packed to its 52,000 capacity with tickets selling for seven times their face value. United faced a warm welcome at Goodison Park on Sunday and will do so again at Newcastle this weekend, but Galatasaray are on another level.
“I think when you’re a kid you want to play in atmospheres like that,” captain Bruno Fernandes said. “You know Galatasaray away will be great, an amazing atmosphere. As a gamer, I love playing these games. I know it will come against you, but it must be a big boost to play in stadiums with people like that.’
Ten Haag was asked if he would risk playing Kobi Maino in such a hostile atmosphere after the teenager had a fine Premier League debut at Everton.
“No, we are not afraid,” he answered. “If the players are good enough they are big enough.”
The other key selection decision is whether to start Rasmus Hojlund on his return from injury, with the Dane and Antony included in the traveling squad. Hojlund is the competition’s top scorer coming into this round of fixtures, but Anthony Martial was on target against Everton to win a penalty.
Realistically, United must win to save their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, although a draw would see them go into the last game against Bayern if the Germans beat Copenhagen tonight. “The feeling is that we have to win both games to hope to go through,” added Fernandes. “We want to be in the middle of the best clubs in Europe. It’s disappointing if we don’t go through.’
History favors the Turks. In their press conference, coach Okan Buruk sat down with veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Buruk was in charge of Istanbul Basaksehir when they stunned United here in November 2020 and Muslera played in a famous Galatasaray win 11 years ago. Asked if the atmosphere could be a deciding factor, the Galatasaray captain smiled at his questioner. “Haven’t you been here before? Enjoy!’