Manchester United vs Istanbul Basaksehir result: Player ratings as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side suffer defeat

United endured a bitterly disappointing evening against the Turkish champions

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes (AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United suffered a bitterly disappointed 2-1 defeat against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League. 

Demba Ba struck on the break in the first half, left totally unmarked on the halfway line, from where the veteran striker surged in on goal and calmly slid a shot past Dean Henderson. 

Ba then played a crucial role in the second goal as Istanbul struck on the counter again, dummying Deniz Turuc’s ball and allowing Edin Visca to score with a fine finish. 

Anthony Martial pulled a goal back on the brink of half-time with a well-placed header, and United dominated the second half as they attempted to find an equaliser. However, the breakthrough never came, and although United are still on track to qualify for the knockout stages, this was another poor showing from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.  

Here are our player ratings: 

Istanbul Basaksehir

Gunok - 6: Did well when troubled, making a great save to keep out Fernandes’ free-kick. 

Rafael - 8: A dogged performance by the former United man, who made a brilliant block to deny Martial in the first half, and fought aggressively to the very end. 

Skrtel - 6: Still a rugged defender despite his age, able to stifle United’s attack impressively in periods, even if he’s lost a yard of pace. 

Epureanu - 8: Another stellar display from a veteran defender, who remained firm and composed despite United’s overwhelming pressure in the second half. A stunning goal-line clearance in injury time that ensured victory.

Bolingoli-Mbombo - 7: Neutralised the threat of Rashford and Mata well on the wing.

Aleksic - 7: Hustled well and constantly in front of defence, disrupting United’s attacks as Istanbul played almost exclusively without possession in the second half. 

Kahveci - 6: A touch wasteful with his passes at times, particularly as the game became stretched, but tackled well and belligerently in defence. 

Visca - 8: A terrific threat throughout, the heartbeat of Istanbul’s attacks, and produced a terrific strike as the Turkish side raced into a two-goal lead. 

Ozcan - 7: Linked play fluidly and fed Ba well on the counter. Tracked back to help in defence too as United’s dominance took hold. 

Turuc - 7: Thrived on the break, and assisted Visca for Istanbul’s brilliantly worked second goal on the breakaway.

Ba - 8: A goal which will have caused shivers of deja vu, breaking free on the halfway line and calmly slotting a finish past Henderson. Ba may be 35 years old, but proved his finishing instinct will be the last thing to leave him. A fine dummy for his side’s second, too. 

Manchester United

Henderson - 6: Could do little to prevent either goal, with the defence in front failing to give him adequate protection. 

Shaw - 6: One of United’s more regular performers, was dangerous going forwards, assisting Martial’s goal and almost scoring one of his own. 

Maguire - 6: Was not necessarily at fault for either of Istanbul’s goals. Was the clear leader but in an admittedly poor defence. 

Tuanzebe - 5: Struggled to handle Ba on occasion during the first half and received a yellow card after dragging the striker down. Was substituted at half time.

Wan-Bissaka - 5: Came unstuck against Istanbul’s sharp counters early on. Rarely provided an attacking threat as United chased the game.

Matic - 4: Was caught out badly by Ba for Istanbul’s opener, on the wrong side of the striker and without the pace to recover.

Van de Beek - 5: Trialled in the pivot role alongside Matic, controlled the ball and linked play well but seemed to somewhat lose his attacking impetus. Was replaced by Cavani early in the second half. 

Mata - 5: Somewhat in the shadow of Fernandes, without the pace to link up with Wan-Bissaka to great effect, and was withdrawn in the second half. 

Fernandes - 6: Attempted to dictate the tempo of United’s attacks, the clear focal point, and showed typical flashes of brilliance if not at his best. 

Rashford - 6: Not at his electric best in a game where United never kicked into gear, but was still dangerous in moments, cutting in off the wing. 

Martial - 7: Got United back into the game with a well-placed header on the brink of half time.