Man United can take three surprising positives from Galatasaray despair

Manchester United’s draw against Galatasaray in Turkey has made their chances of qualification to the Champions League knockout stages extremely slim.

The Reds now must win in their final group fixture against Bayern Munich next month whilst also hoping that the clash between Galatasaray and Copenhagen ends all square.

Whilst there were many negatives to take from Erik ten Hag’s side performing yet another capitulation in Europe, there were also surprisingly some positives to take from the game.

And when you actually look back at the game, United were in a comfortable position until Andre Onana’s second mistake to allow Galatasaray to score their second goal.

Three positives, in particular, will be looked at below by UtdDistrict:

Antony’s performance

Now this one was a surprise to many. Antony perhaps produced his best performance in United colours, being crucial to the build-up of two goals.

He’s often able to manipulate the ball and make a fancy turn but then lacks substance and meaning afterwards. That was actually different on Wednesday evening as the Brazilian made the right passes and didn’t needlessly shoot from distance.

With Marcus Rashford out of form and Alejandro Garnacho a must on the left-wing, Antony might have grabbed a deserved start against Newcastle ahead of the English winger.

It’s a small step, however, and the 23-year-old must be able to show similar performances on a more consistent basis following a mostly disappointing start to life at Old Trafford following his big-money move.

Kobbie Mainoo’s cameo

Many wanted Kobbie Mainoo to start this clash. Personally, I thought it was the right decision for him to be on the bench, with a return to the line-up against Newcastle in mind.

However, after impressing against Everton on the weekend, the midfielder continued to stun those not so familiar with him when he came off the bench in Istanbul.

Amidst thirty minutes of absolute chaos, Mainoo was the calm and composed player that United needed more of.

Defensively astute, the 18-year-old was watching certain teammates thrust forward with desperation and had to essentially defend on his own in the midfield at times.

He dealt with the atmosphere and situation like many who are aware of his abilities expected.

Unfortunate to be on the pitch as the game slipped from United’s grasp, but there’s much more to come from Kobbie Mainoo.

Alejandro Garnacho’s goal

One of United’s biggest problems so far this season has been the lack of killer instinct from the attacking players.

But coming off the back of an unbelievable overhead kick against Everton, Alejandro Garnacho showed his confidence and swagger as he dispatched another brilliant finish early on in Turkey.

The winger looked dangerous on the wing and also was excellent in his defensive work, being brought off late on after putting everything into the game.

Yet, you would’ve put everything on Garnacho being able to finish one of the chances that fell to Facundo Pellistri in the closing minutes.

However, having at least one forward player who looks confident in front of goal right now is a big plus for the team.