UEFA Champions League - 2020/21 SeasonMatch press kits

Manchester United are still well placed in Group H despite a surprise defeat at İstanbul Başakşehir, who come to England looking to improve on their European away record.

• The Turkish champions claimed their first win in the UEFA Champions League group stage at United's expense in their most recent fixture, all three goals coming in the first half. Demba Ba (13) and Edin Višća (40) gave the home side a cushion and, though Anthony Martial quickly halved United's deficit, İstanbul Başakşehir held on for their first points in the competition.

• İstanbul Başakşehir are therefore level with 2019/20 runners-up Paris Saint-Germain on three points with United and Leipzig – beaten by Paris in last season's semi-finals – both three better off.

Form guide
Manchester United
• United were making smooth progress through Group H prior to defeat in Turkey, overcoming last season's runners-up Paris 2-1 away on Matchday 1 before a hat-trick from Marcus Rashford – who had also scored the winner in France – helped secure a 5-0 home win against Leipzig.

• This is United's 23rd UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, more than any other English side and fewer only than Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 25) and Porto and Bayern München (both 24) overall. They have qualified for the knockout phase on 18 occasions, also an English record.

• The three-time European champions' most recent appearance in the competition came in 2018/19, when they lost to Barcelona in the quarter-finals after a spectacular round of 16 comeback against Paris.

• Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in 2019/20, losing to eventual champions Sevilla in the last four. They had finished first in their section on 13 points before comfortable aggregate wins against Club Brugge (6-1) and LASK (7-1) in the round of 32 and 16 respectively and a 1-0 extra-time defeat of Copenhagen in the one-off quarter-final. Sevilla proved too strong in the semis, however, United going down 2-1 in Cologne.

• United have finished first in their UEFA Champions League section 15 times, although only once since 2013/14.

• The Manchester club finished third in the Premier League in 2019/20.

• European Cup winners in 1968, United lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy in 1999 and 2008, also reaching the final in 2009 and 2011 – the latter four all under Sir Alex Ferguson.

• Before beating Leipzig on Matchday 2, United had lost their previous two home UEFA Champions League matches; they have still been beaten in four of the last seven (W2 D1), although they won all five games at Old Trafford in the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League, scoring 15 goals and conceding only one.

• The Red Devils have lost two of their eight home matches against Turkish clubs (W5 D1) although they have won the last three, most recently beating Fenerbahçe 4-1 in the group stage of their victorious 2016/17 UEFA Europa League campaign with Paul Pogba scoring twice and Martial and Jesse Lingard once apiece.

• Fenerbahçe's 1-0 win in Manchester in the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League group stage was United's first European defeat at Old Trafford.

İstanbul Başakşehir
• İstanbul Başakşehir lost both of their first two games in the UEFA Champions League group stage 2-0, at Leipzig and at home to Paris.

• İstanbul Başakşehir secured their first UEFA Champions League group stage appearance by last season becoming only the sixth club to lift the Turkish Süper Lig title.

• The Turkish team have twice featured in UEFA Champions League qualifying, losing to Sevilla in the 2017/18 play-offs having beaten Club Brugge in the previous round, and going out to Olympiacos in the 2019/20 play-offs.

• İstanbul Başakşehir have won only one of their six matches in UEFA Champions League qualifying (D2 L3).

• İstanbul Başakşehir made their European debut in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League and have featured in every season since.

• In 2019/20, after losing both legs against Olympiacos (0-1 h, 0-2 a), İstanbul Başakşehir went on to finish first in their UEFA Europa League section, picking up ten points to come out on top ahead of Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Wolfsberg. They then produced a memorable comeback against Sporting CP in the round of 32 (1-3 a, 4-1 h aet), but were beaten in the last 16 by Copenhagen (1-0 h, 0-3 a).

• İstanbul Başakşehir are the sixth Turkish club to appear in the UEFA Champions League group stage, after Galatasaray (16 appearances), Beşiktaş (7), Fenerbahçe (6), Bursaspor and Trabzonspor (both 1).

• The Owls are one of four teams making their group stage debut in 2020/21; Midtjylland (Group D), Krasnodar and Rennes (both E) are the others.

• The Istanbul club have conceded eight goals in losing their last three European away games, and have lost ten of their 16 away matches in Europe overall (W3 D3). A 3-0 win at Austrian club Wolfsberg in last season's UEFA Europa League is their sole away clean sheet; they have conceded 33 goals in those 16 away fixtures.

• İstanbul Başakşehir's only other experience of English opponents came in the third qualifying round of the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League, a goalless draw at home to Burnley preceding a 1-0 extra-time loss in north-west England.

Links and trivia
• Rafael made 170 appearances for United between 2008 and 2015, playing alongside his twin Fábio until 2014. He won three Premier League titles and was an unused substitute in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final defeat by Barcelona.

• İstanbul Başakşehir coach Okan Buruk twice faced England as a player in UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying, a 2-0 away defeat in April 2003 and a goalless draw at home six months later. He missed both legs of Galatasaray's away goals victory against United in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League second round as he was sidelined with a broken tibia.

• Hasan Ali Kaldırım twice faced United with Fenerbahçe in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage, providing an assist in the Turkish team's 2-1 home win having also played 90 minutes in United's 4-1 victory at Old Trafford. His İstanbul Başakşehir team-mates Martin Škrtel and Mehmet Topal also played in both games. 

• Have played in England:
Martin Škrtel (Liverpool 2008–16)
Nacer Chadli (Tottenham 2013–16, West Brom 2016–18)
Demba Ba (West Ham 2010/11, Newcastle 2011–13, Chelsea 2013–14)

• Has played in Turkey:
Alex Telles (Galatasaray 2014–2015)

• Have played together:
David De Gea & Rafael (Manchester United 2011–15)
Paul Pogba & Rafael (Manchester United 2011/12)
Luke Shaw, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard & Rafael (Manchester United 2014/15)
Nemanja Matić & Demba Ba (Chelsea, 2013/14)

• International team-mates:
Nemanja Matić & Danijel Aleksić (Serbia)

Latest news

Manchester United
• Paul Pogba's next appearance in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, will be his 50th.

• Edinson Cavani's next goal in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

• United were 1-0 winners against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday, top scorer Bruno Fernandes getting the only goal from the penalty spot to make it six in the Premier League this season.

• United failed to win any of their first four home league matches for the first time since 1972/73, losing three. Crystal Palace were 3-1 winners there on 9 September; then, on 4 October, Tottenham inflicted a 6-1 loss on United, their heaviest home defeat since losing by the same scoreline to Manchester City in October 2011. On 1 November they were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal, a result that ended United's four-match unbeaten run, home and away, in all competitions.

• That defeat by Spurs was the third time United have conceded six goals in a Premier League match; they trailed 4-1 at half-time, the first time they had conceded four goals in the first half of a league match since November 1957.

• The win in Paris was United's tenth consecutive away victory in all competitions, a new club record. The defeat at İstanbul Başakşehir was their first away loss since a 2-0 reverse at Liverpool in the Premier League on 19 January, since when their record had been W15 D3; United returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Everton on 7 November.

• Cavani scored his first United goal at Everton.

• United conceded 11 goals in their first three league games, their worst total since 1930/31, when they conceded 13 in a season that ended in relegation.

• Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side were unbeaten in 14 Premier League matches (W9 D5) before losing to Palace in their opening game of the campaign.

• After 3-0 wins away to Luton and Brighton, United will travel to Everton again in the English League Cup quarter-finals on 23 December.

• Scott McTominay converted a penalty in the shoot-out as Scotland won 5-4 on spot kicks in Serbia on 12 November to book their place at UEFA EURO 2020; the game had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.

• Donny van de Beek scored the Netherlands' goal in a 1-1 friendly draw against Spain on 11 November, his second in successive internationals.

• Daniel James scored one goal and set up another as Wales beat Finland 3-1 on 18 November to clinch promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League.

• Dean Henderson made his international debut as a half-time substitute in England's 3-0 friendly victory against the Republic of Ireland on 12 November; Harry Maguire, who captained the side for the first time, scored England's opening goal.

• Cavani was sent off in Uruguay's 2-0 home defeat against Brazil in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying on 17 November. He had opened the scoring in the 3-0 win away to Colombia four days earlier.

• Marcus Rashford missed England's recent internationals with a shoulder injury but recovered to play in United's game at the weekend. He is the joint leading scorer in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League with four goals.

• Victor Lindelöf was substituted in the second half of Sweden's 4-2 UEFA Nations League defeat in France on 17 November with a back injury; Anthony Martial was an unused substitute for the home side having also suffered a back problem in a 1-0 win in Portugal three days earlier; both played 90 minutes for United on Saturday.

• Pogba suffered an ankle injury in that game against Sweden and sat out United's win at the weekend.

• Luke Shaw picked up a hamstring injury at Everton that is expected to sideline him for a month.

• Eric Bailly was an unused substitute in a 4-1 win at Newcastle on 17 October but has not featured since due to a muscle injury.

• Jesse Lingard's last appearance came on 30 September; he is currently sidelined.

• Rashford was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's birthday honours list on 10 October.

• Former United striker Albert Quixall, who scored 56 goals in 184 appearances for the club between 1958 and 1964, winning the FA Cup in 1963, died aged 87 on 12 November.

İstanbul Başakşehir
• İstanbul Başakşehir's five-match unbeaten league run (W4 D1) was ended on Saturday by a 3-2 loss at city rivals Beşiktaş despite Fredrik Gulbrandsen's two goals in the last nine minutes.

• İstanbul Başakşehir had won their previous four Süper Lig matches, coming from behind to defeat Gençlerbirligi 2-1 on 8 November thanks to goals in the final ten minutes from Gulbrandsen and Mehmet Topal.

• The Turkish champions now have six wins in their last 16 matches in all competitions (D1 L9).

• İstanbul Başakşehir's title defence kicked off with three successive 2-0 defeats, before a goalless draw at home to Göztepe on 3 October got their first point on the board.

• İrfan Can Kahveci's 32nd-minute opener at Trabzonspor thus ended a run of four games without a goal for İstanbul Başakşehir; they had not scored for 402 minutes in the league, going back to the final game of 2019/20.

• Having lost 3-0 at Copenhagen in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg on 5 August, their final fixture of the campaign, İstanbul Başakşehir were five games without a goal in all competitions before getting two on 17 October.

• İstanbul Başakşehir also lost their first two league games in their title-winning campaign last season, although their third defeat did not arrive until their 19th fixture.

• The Turkish champions lost 3-1 to second-tier İstanbulspor in a friendly during the international break. Giuliano scored Başakşehir's only goal from the penalty spot. 

• Nacer Chadli marked his club debut after injury with two assists against Gençlerbirliği.

• Deniz Türüç scored Turkey's second goal in a 3-3 friendly draw against Croatia on 11 November.

• Edin Višća set up Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal in the 3-1 UEFA Nations League defeat against the Netherlands on 15 November.  

• Júnior Caiçara tore an achilles tendon on Matchday 1 and is expected to be sidelined for several months after undergoing surgery.

• Enzo Crivelli has not played since being replaced early in the 2-1 win at Konyaspor on 1 November due to a hamstring injury.

• Mahmut Tekdemir, who suffered a groin injury against Antalyaspor on 24 October, returned to action as a late substitute in Turkey's UEFA Nations League game against Russia on 15 November (3-2); he started the 2-0 defeat in Hungary three days later.

UEFA Champions League: Did you know?

Overall records
• Chelsea in 2012/13 are the only defending champions to fail to get through a group stage since the UEFA Champions League began. (This record, like the others, includes the seasons between 1999/2000 and 2002/03 that featured a second group stage). In 1992/93, Barcelona were the reigning European Champion Clubs' Cup holders and lost 4-3 on aggregate in the second round to CSKA Moskva.

• In 2016/17 Real Madrid became the first team to successfully defend the UEFA Champions League trophy, with AC Milan (1989, 1990) the previous club to win consecutive European Cups. Milan (1994, 1995), Ajax (1995, 1996), Juventus (1996, 1997) and Manchester United (2008, 2009) all returned to the UEFA Champions League final as holders only to lose.

• Real Madrid then made it three wins in a row in 2017/18, becoming the fourth club to win three or more successive titles in European Cup history, and the first to do it twice.

• Only two teams have ever won the UEFA Champions League on home soil: Borussia Dortmund (1997, final in Munich) and Juventus (1996, final in Rome), while Manchester United lost the 2011 final in London and 12 months later Bayern München were beaten in the showpiece in their own stadium, the Fußball Arena München.

• Bayern's victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final was their 11th successive win in the competition (18 September 2019 to 23 August 2020), setting a new record. Bayern themselves (2 April 2013 to 27 November 2013) and Real Madrid (23 April 2014 to 18 February 2015) jointly held the previous best with ten, one more than Barcelona's winning run between 18 September 2002 and 18 February 2003.

Group stage
• Barcelona have finished as group winners on 21 occasions, five more than Real Madrid and Bayern München and six more than Manchester United. Barça also hold the record for the most unbeaten group stage campaigns with 13, five more than Real Madrid.

• Seven teams have recorded six successive victories in a UEFA Champions League group stage: Milan (1992/93), Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95), Spartak Moskva (1995/96), Barcelona (2002/03, first group stage), Real Madrid (2011/12 and 2014/15) and Bayern (2019/20).

• Twenty-one teams have gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without picking up a single point, most recently AEK Athens in 2018/19.

• In 2017/18, Paris Saint-Germain set a new group stage record by scoring 25 goals, one more than Bayern München managed in 2019/20. Liverpool are next on the list having scored 23 in 2017/18 with Borussia Dortmund hitting 21 in 2016/17. Manchester United (1998/99), Barcelona (2011/12, 2016/17) and Real Madrid (2013/14) all managed 20.

• Only Deportivo La Coruña (2004/05), Maccabi Haifa (2009/10) and Dinamo Zagreb (2016/17) have failed to score in a group stage.

• BATE Borisov conceded 24 goals in 2014/15, a new group stage record which was matched by Legia Warszawa in 2016/17. The previous mark, 22, was held by Dinamo Zagreb (2011/12) and Nordsjælland (2012/13).

• No team has ever gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without conceding a goal. Milan (1992/93), Ajax (1995/96), Juventus (1996/97 and 2004/05), Chelsea (2005/06), Liverpool (2005/06), Villarreal (2005/06), Manchester United (2010/11), Monaco (2014/15), Paris Saint-Germain (2015/16) and Barcelona (2017/18) all let in just one.

• Matchday 6 of 2013/14 marked FCSB's 23rd successive game in the competition without a victory, surpassing the previous record of 22 set by Spartak Moskva between December 2000 and November 2006.

• Anderlecht hold the unwanted record for successive defeats in the competition, group stage to final, having lost 12 in a row between December 2003 and November 2005. Dinamo Zagreb are next with 11 consecutive losses on two occasions, from September 2011 to November 2012 and September 2015 to December 2016.

• The lowest total for a team qualifying from the group stage is six points: Zenit in 2013/14 and Roma in 2015/16. Since three points for a win was introduced in 1995/96, ten teams have made it through with seven points: Legia Warszawa (1995/96), Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000), Liverpool (2001/02, second group stage), in 2002/03 Lokomotiv Moskva (first group stage) and eventual finalists Juventus (second group stage), Rangers and Werder Bremen (2005/06), Galatasaray (2013/14), Basel (2014/15) and Atalanta (2019/20).

• Napoli failed to qualify from their group with 12 points in 2013/14, the highest total of any team not to reach the next stage when the top two in each section progressed. Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000, second group stage), Borussia Dortmund (2002/03, second group stage), PSV Eindhoven (2003/04), Olympiacos and Dynamo Kyiv (both 2004/05), Werder Bremen (2006/07), Manchester City (2011/12), Chelsea and Cluj (both 2012/13), Benfica (2013/14), Porto (2015/16) and Ajax (2019/20) all missed out with ten points.

Goalscoring records
• Lionel Messi became the first player to score five goals in a match in Barcelona's 7-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen on 7 March 2012, a feat matched by Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano at BATE Borisov on 21 October 2014. Thirteen more players, also including Messi, have scored four times in a game, most recently Josip Iličić for Atalanta in the 2019/20 round of 16 second leg against Valencia. He was the third player to score four in a game that season, all away from home, after group stage quadruples from Bayern's Serge Gnabry (Matchday 2 at Tottenham) and Robert Lewandowski (Matchday 5 at Crvena zvezda).

• Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for a UEFA Champions League group stage with 11 goals in 2015/16, Lionel Messi got ten goals in 2016/17, a figure matched by Robert Lewandowski in 2019/20; Ronaldo (2013/14, 2017/18) and Luiz Adriano (2014/15) scored nine while Zlatan Ibrahimović (2013/14), Ruud van Nistelrooy (2004/05), Filippo Inzaghi, Hernán Crespo (both 2002/03), Lewandowski (2018/19) and Erling Braut Haaland (2019/20) all managed eight.

• Messi's hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven on Matchday 1 of the 2018/19 competition was his eighth in the competition, a mark Ronaldo matched against Atlético de Madrid in that season's round of 16 second leg.

Oldest and youngest players
• Lazio goalkeeper Marco Ballotta is the oldest player to compete in the UEFA Champions League having featured against Real Madrid on Matchday 6 in 2007/08 aged 43 years and 252 days. Alessandro Costacurta is the oldest outfield player; the Milan defender was 40 years and 211 days when he played against AEK Athens in 2006/07.

• Francesco Totti is the oldest player to score in the competition, aged 38 years and 59 days, in Roma's 1-1 draw at CSKA Moskva on 25 November 2014. Ryan Giggs (37 years 290 days) was the previous record holder.

• Celestine Babayaro is the youngest player to have appeared; he was 16 years and 87 days when he started for Anderlecht against Steaua Bucureşti on 23 November 1994. He was sent off in the 37th minute.

• Ansu Fati's winner for Barcelona at Inter on Matchday 6 in 2019/20 made him the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history, at the age of 17 years 40 days. He eclipsed the previous record of Olympiacos's Peter Ofori-Quaye (17 years 195 days) that had lasted since 1 October 1997.

Manchester United FC
Formed: 1878
Nickname: The Red Devils

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• European Cup/UEFA Champions League (3): 1968, 1999, 2008, (2009), (2011)
• UEFA Europa League (1): 2017
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1991
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991, (1999), (2008), (2017)
• European/South American Cup (1): (1968), 1999

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
League title: 20 (2013)
FA Cup: 12 (2016)
League Cup: 5 (2017)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions League unless indicated otherwise)
2019/20: UEFA Europa League semi-finals
2018/19: quarter-finals
2017/18: round of 16
2016/17: UEFA Europa League winners
2015/16: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2014/15: did not take part in UEFA competition
2013/14: quarter-finals
2012/13: round of 16
2011/12: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2010/11: runners-up

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
10-0: Manchester United v Anderlecht
26/09/56, European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round second leg

• Biggest away win
0-6: Shamrock Rovers v Manchester United
25/09/57, European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round first leg

• Heaviest home defeat
0-2: Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain
12/02/19, UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg

• Heaviest away defeat
5-0: Sporting CP v Manchester United
18/03/64, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final second leg

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final only)
• Biggest home win
7-1: Manchester United v Roma
10/04/07, quarter-final second leg

• Biggest away win
0-5: Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United
27/11/13, group stage

• Heaviest home defeat
0-2: Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germain (see above)

• Heaviest away defeat
4-0: Barcelona v Manchester United
02/11/94, group stage

İstanbul Başakşehir FK
Formed: 2014
Nickname: Baykuş (The Owls)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• None

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
League title: 1 (2020)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions League unless indicated otherwise)
2019/20: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round)
2018/19: UEFA Europa League third qualifying round
2017/18: UEFA Europa League group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs)
2016/17: UEFA Europa League play-offs
2015/16: UEFA Europa League third qualifying round
2014/15: did not take part in UEFA competition
2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition
2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition
2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition
2010/11: did not take part in UEFA competition

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
4-1: İstanbul Başakşehir v Sporting CP (aet)
27/02/20, UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg

• Biggest away win
0-3: Wolfsberg v İstanbul Başakşehir
07/11/19, UEFA Europa League group stage

• Heaviest home defeat
0-3: İstanbul Başakşehir v Roma
28/11/19, UEFA Europa League group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
4-0: Roma v İstanbul Başakşehir
19/09/19, UEFA Europa League group stage

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final)
• Biggest home win
2-1: İstanbul Başakşehir v Manchester United
04/11/20, group stage

• Biggest away win
N/A

• Heaviest home defeat
0-2: İstanbul Başakşehir v Paris
28/10/20, group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
2-0: Leipzig v İstanbul Başakşehir
20/10/20, group stage