Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was visibly concerned after Alejandro Garnacho celebrated the opening goal against Galatasaray by shushing the home fans
Bruno Fernandes was seen angrily remonstrating with Alejandro Garnacho after the Manchester United forward goaded Galatasaray fans after scoring in Wednesday night’s enthralling 3-3 draw.
Fresh off scoring a wondergoal at the weekend, Garnacho broke the deadlock in a must-win match for United in the 11th minute, lashing a left-footed strike beyond Fernando Muslera. He celebrated by putting a finger to his lips to silence the boisterous home support – but the gesture did not go down well with Fernandes.
Fernandes could be seen trying to stop Garnacho from shushing the crowd before he and other players put their hands up to apologise.
The gesture did not appease Muslera, who ran forward to confront the United winger. Fernandes was then spoken to by referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez as he tried to prevent things from boiling over.
Fernandes shrugged off any concerns to double United’s lead just minutes later with a thunderous strike from range after taking a neat flicked pass from Luke Shaw in his stride. Former Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech halved United’s advantage from a free-kick shortly before the half-time interval.
United headed into the match in Turkey knowing that a win was needed to prevent their Champions League campaign from coming to an early end. The Red Devils had previously lost three of their four previous European matches.
Scott McTominay restored Manchester United’s two-goal cushion early in the second-half, only for Galatasaray to respond through Ziyech, whose second goal of the night came courtesy of a blunder from Andre Onana.
The drama continued shortly after as Galatasaray drew level through Kerem Akturkoglu – leaving Erik ten Hag stunned on the touchline. Fernandes and Facundo Pellistri went close late on for United, but the Red Devils were unable to find a late winner – leaving them on the brink of elimination from the Champions League.
Reacting to the disappointment, Ten Hag said: “We were winning and then we’re losing it. We should have taken three points, that’s clear. We did this in other games. I was pleased with how we played but at the same time I have to criticise the team because the defending is not good enough. We are leading 3-1 and we cannot afford mistakes as it makes a difference.
TNT Sports gives you access to games across the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and many more. You can also watch the biggest clashes in boxing, UFC, WWE and the get exclusive action from MLB all for one payment every month. You can watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
£29.99 a month and get access to discovery+ Premium at no extra cost
TNT Sports
“Every goal has its own story. Whether it’s a transition moment and we don’t block the middle or the second goal which is a free-kick and the third goal we are organised but have an overload. That cannot happen. We have to learn from that.
“I am very pleased because you see the style of this team which is pro-active, dynamic and brave. I was pleased with the performance because we created so many chances but at the same time we have to win this game.”
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.