Thoughts on the match between Fenerbahce and Manchester United as Erik ten Hag tries to get his team’s European quest back on track

With a win over Brentford in the Premier League, the team now turns its attention to a game at Fenerbahce in the Europa League.

The meeting with Jose Mourinho is, of course, the story of the game. Fred and Sofyan Amrabat are also on the Turkish club’s roster.

After two frustrating draws, Erik ten Hag needs to tune out all the noise and focus on getting his team ready for their first win in the Europa League.

Two games have been played, and Fenerbahce has won one and lost the other. They are two points ahead of Manchester United, so the race to finish in the top eight is very close.

Here is my prediction and analysis for the Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United match, which comes as the season starts to get better after a rough start.

Breaking down and analyzing tactics

In recent years, Mourinho has been called a “footballing dinosaur” because many people think that he is out of touch with modern football.

He was the talk of the town when he first came on the scene with his famous swagger and great defense, but after 20 years, those methods are just annoying for the fans and old-fashioned for the players and the board.

That’s what’s been happening this season as the heat on Mourinho at Fenerbahce has grown.

The offense hasn’t looked very good, and the lost points make them look like they’re already out of the title race.

Ten Hag will, however, know that Mourinho can always set up his team to win a one-off game, especially if he has a story to back it up.

Mourinho will do what he usually does. He will set up his team in a low block and close off the areas between the lines to make things hard for United. One of Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho will be man-marked, and while defending, he will be on the edge of what’s allowed.

Youssef En-Nesyri could be picked over Edin Dzeko because of how well he played against United with Sevilla in this competition. Allan Saint-Maximin will be used on transitions after sitting on the bench over the weekend to keep him fresh.

United is tired, so Dzeko should come off the bench to hold the ball and play.

Amad could be the best player for United in this game because he does well in small places and doesn’t need a lot of room in front of him to get behind the defense, which Fenerbahce won’t give him.

Fernandes could make things happen out of nothing, which will be missed a lot. Without him, it will be important to try to make chances with layoffs, link-ups, one-touch passing, and moves without the ball.

Ten Hag can’t let this game turn into one like the one between Mourinho’s United and Bosz’s Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final. United can’t have a dull possession game against Fenerbahce, who are deadly in movement.

Pick for Fenerbahce vs. Manchester United

If this game had been on the schedule, United probably would have been happy with a tie. But their recent results have been so bad that they feel they need to win.

It’s not good enough to have two draws in two games, but an away game in Turkey isn’t exactly the place to put on a show.

United should do that right away. To start, they need to get off to a fast start to calm down the typically crazy Turkish fans who will be excited for this big game.

They should get at least one point here, if not two, even if they don’t score right away. That’s because they need to keep probing without getting scared.

Don’t let the game get out of hand; instead, play it safely and take the chances that come your way. You can keep Fenerbahce quiet by handling transitions well. This is the most important test for United’s Europe mindset, which has been too weak.

If the game ends in a tie, Ten Hag will likely be pleased. The next five games in Europe will be important in the bigger picture.

United in Focus says Fenerbahce will beat Manchester United 1-1.