Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho was sent off as Man Utd held on for a 1-1 draw in Istanbul in the Europa League.
Former United boss Mourinho saw red midway through the second half as tempers flared after the hosts were denied a penalty with the game poised at 1-1 after Manuel Ugarte’s challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Referee Clement Turpin waved away the appeals before sending Mourinho to the stands, and after the game the Fenerbahce boss revealed he was given an “incredible” explanation by the referee after going to see him.
‘That’s why he’s one of the best referees in the world’
“I watched the (penalty) incident. I don’t want to speak about it.” Mourinho said.
On going to see the referee, he added: “He told me something incredible. At the same time, he could see the action in the box and my behaviour on the touch line.
“I congratulate him because he’s absolutely incredible.
“During the game, at 100 miles per hour, he had one eye on the penalty situation, and he had one eye on the bench and on my behaviour.
“That’s the explanation he gave me. That’s why he is one of the best referees in the world.”
United remain winless in Europa League
There were ferocious jeers every time United, who started with full-back Noussair Mazraoui in the no. 10 position, touched the ball in the early stages. The visitors would have expected it, and Ten Hag would have talked to his team about quietening the down the crowd.
They did just that in the 15th minute. Manuel Ugarte’s challenge launched the attack as Alejandro Garnacho broke with pace. His cross picked out Mazraoui before Zirkzee superbly teed up Christian Eriksen, who emphatically finished into the top corner to give the visitors the lead.
Rashford spurned a brilliant chance to double the advantage before Ugarte’s sensational last-ditch block to deny Dusan Tadic and Andre Onana’s magnificent double save against Youssef En-Nesyri kept United’s lead intact going into the break.
United’s lead lasted just four minutes into the second half when Youssef En-Nesyri headed Allan Saint-Maximin’s pin-point cross past Onana from close range.
The momentum was now with Fenerbahce, and they thought they should have had a penalty following Ugarte’s challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel. However, the referee waved away the appeals, much to the disgust of Mourinho, who was eventually sent to the stands for his protests.
Neither side could grab a winner as United, who had Antony stretchered off late on, remain winless in this season’s Europa League. They are now without a win in Europe for over a year as they sit 21st in the table. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce remain unbeaten in Europe so far this season after the draw and sit in 14th.
In pictures: Jose sent to the stands…
Should Fenerbahce have been awarded a penalty?
Mourinho and his staff certainly thought so.
In real time, you might have been forgiven for thinking Ugarte made contact with Osayi-Samuel but replays showed there was minimal contact, if any at all.
Jay Bothroyd, watching the game for Sky Sports News, said: “Mourinho will be fuming after the game when he sees Osayi-Samuel has dived, Ugarte barely touched him.”
Referee Clement Turpin and his colleagues, in the heat of an intense atmosphere, got their decision spot on.
As for Mourinho, you cannot keep him out of the action with his protests crossing the line for the officials as he watched the remaining 32 minutes from the stands.
Manchester United’s box office reunion with Jose Mourinho lived up to the billing.
Mourinho: A good result for Man Utd
Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho on his side’s 1-1 draw with Man Utd:
“They got a point against us, not us against them.
“We played amazing. If we play like this in the Turkish league we destroy every team because we played against a team that is at a superior level to us.
“Of course, the Premier league has more quality, more intensity, more pace and more everything.
“I think my boys did an amazing match.
“Probably in England people will speak about two or three Man Utd players that didn’t play, you don’t know how many of ours didn’t play because as a start, we have four players off the Europa League list, and then we also had injuries and had to finish the game with a centre-back playing right back and a right back playing left back.
“We had to do a crazy puzzle, but our performance was extraordinary. I couldn’t ask for anything more from the players.
“I know English media will say Manchester United didn’t play well but I think it would be fair to say we did an extraordinary match and we were better than them. A good result for Manchester United.”
Ten Hag: A good point but we want to win
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag:
“Fenerbahce are a very good club, with very good fans and some good players.
“It would be a very good final.
“We should keep the ball better in the first half. We should score more goals but to be honest they also created good chances. They gave us some problems.
“They are a good team with a good manager. It is not a bad point. But we want to win. We want to win every game.
“Two tough away games. Of course when you are taking the lead, it (drawing) shouldn’t happen, we had chances to make a second goal.
“Disappointed not to win. At Old Trafford we have to win games.”
Europa League table: Work for United to do…
Five matches to go for United to move up the standings.
