Man Utd 4-1 Istanbul Basaksehir: Five talking points as the hosts rage in the first half

Manchester United took revenge on Turkish champion Istanbul Basaksehir with a spectacular first-half performance.

The Red Devils were on the receiving end of a commotion several weeks ago when they fell 2-1 in Istanbul.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made his intentions clear with a wildly offensive lineup that reaped its rewards when United lost 4-1 winners.

Bruno Fernandes grabbed for a double with his first perfectly successful half volley from the edge of the area that crashed into the ceiling of the net.

He didn’t have to wait long for his second and United’s as he made Volkan Babacan pay to drop the ball at his feet with a simple touch.

The Portuguese star then rejected the possibility of a hat-trick by allowing Marcus Rashford to concede from the penalty spot.

United’s intensity dropped in the second half, threatening to halt their momentum.

Deniz Turuc pulled one back with a free kick that simply eluded David de Gea and the visitors hit the crossbar while poking fun at a late rally.

However, United held their ground and Daniel James scored a fourth in injury time while remaining atop Group H.

Here are five talking points from an entertaining night out in Manchester.

Fantastic fernandes

The stats, superlatives, and sublime performances keep coming from this man.

He scored the first two goals at Old Trafford, the first being an especially sweet goal.

Now it means that Fernandes has been involved in 34 goals in his 35 outings with United, 21 of which were goals scored by himself along with 13 assists.

The 26-year-old was all class and that was never more apparent than when he turned down the opportunity to score a hat-trick in the first half.

With United 2-0 up, they won a penalty, but Fernandes gave up his penalty duties and allowed Rashford to go ahead and concede at home.

The playmaker has been praised for his effort on the field, but far from that his influence is just as high.

Ole does his best

Certainly, there was no question of Solskjaer’s ambition when the team chips came out.

The Norwegian opted to start with his three forwards ahead of two creative midfielders, leaving only Fred to protect the four behind.

United’s Champions League group remains in the balance with three teams seeking two spots and the hosts made their intentions very clear.

They were awarded from the beginning with a goal that set the tone for the night.

There is always a lot of talk about United’s style of play and Solskjaer will be well aware of the club’s traditions.

He certainly honored them by choosing a side brimming with attacking talent.

It remains to be seen if it is the plan going forward, the lack of balance in the midfield is potentially a weakness against the best teams.

But when the opportunity presents itself, United need to assert their dominance, and their starting XI set that platform perfectly.

Cavani a central figure

At various times during the Solskjaer regime, the lack of a natural center forward has been a topic of conversation.

Yes, Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood rampaged towards the end of last season, scoring goals for fun.

But on occasion, when they were overruled, it became apparent that all three were more effective coming from wider positions.

Inevitably one of them had to occupy a central role but now that Cavani has been signed perhaps they have a remedy.

After all, the Uruguayan has spent the last few years in Paris playing central and allowing Kylian Mbappé and Neymar to work their magic around him.

Martial’s way cares

You’d think a United side in their free-flowing prime would allow Martial to thrive.

Well, think again.

Martial has only scored twice this season, which is not what is expected of a man who broke the 20 goal mark last season.

France legend Frank Leboeuf this week voiced concerns about the forward’s form after a below-average performance during the international break.

Martial is a very confident player, that’s how Solskjaer got the best out of him last season.

The quality of the striker has never been in doubt, but he seemed to be the stranger in United’s attack as he rampaged in the first half.

Donny’s discipline

It’s always a dangerous game when you ask a forward-thinking midfielder to show some discipline.

But Donny van de Beek, who got off to a rare start, was tasked with doing just that and proved his football IQ to be among the best.

Rarely did the Dutchman step into Fernandes’ run when the two were on the field together, allowing the Portuguese maestro to wander in the final third.

However, his passing, vision and ability to link defense and attack underscored his quality and allowed him to advance later in the competition.

Paul Pogba has previously been asked to play both in midfield and the consensus is that it doesn’t suit him.

Well, it shouldn’t be suitable for Van de Beek, a man who played attacking for Ajax, but perhaps he has found his way to the starting eleven.

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