BASEL 1, MANCHESTER UNITED 0
Manchester United were kept waiting to confirm qualification for the knockout stage of the Champions League after going down to a late 1-0 defeat at Basel’s St Jakob Park.
They should have been out of sight after a great first half against the Swiss side in which they hit the woodwork twice and paid for their profligacy by conceding an 89th minute goal by Michael Lang which decided the game.
Even with the defeat, it would need a landslide of goals for CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford next month for United to miss out on the knockout stage – they just require a point against the Russians to top their group.
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With qualification almost certain United boss Jose Mourinho made seven changes from the side that thrashed Newcastle United on Saturday with an eye on Saturday’s Premier League game against Brighton.
Only Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, and Chris Smalling stayed in the team but the Reds created enough chances to score but for some tentative finishing from Martial and Lukaku.
Marcos Rojo made an encouraging return to action after he had sustained knee ligament damage during the Reds’ Europa League game against Anderlecht in April – the same game that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic also injure his knee ligaments.
The Argentine defender was immense on the night, snuffing out a late chance for Dimitri Oberlin while hitting the bar with a long range effort.
Marouane Fellaini was a menace and could have had a hatful of goals before the break, going closest by hitting the woodwork after a fine cross by Anthony Martial.
Basel, who had never failed to score at home against English opposition in the Champions League, improved massively in the second half as United’s intensity dropped.
It came down to Lang, then, whose header had already come off the bar during a great second half for Basel, to finish from close range after being slid in by Raoul Petretta to give the home side every chance of qualifying for the knockout stages themselves.