Manchester United were infamously ‘welcomed to Hell’ by Galatasaray in the 90s… and the Turkish champions will offer a stern test again now with old boy Wilfried Zaha plus hotshot Mauro Icardi eager to deepen Erik ten Hag’s problems

• Manchester United and Galatasaray are set to renew their European rivalry 
• Turkish side have more than enough to trouble a United side who look brittle 
• CLICK HERE to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ 

The short intake of breath that greets a particularly spicy or intriguing Champions League match-up was certainly in evidence when Manchester United were paired with Galatasaray.

It’s not one of the classic European rivalries, but there’s plenty of history here – and it’s a history for the most part of naked hostility.

The ‘Welcome to Hell’ greeting United received when they first went to Istanbul in 1993 has gone down in infamy – made even worse by the humiliating European exit that followed.

The two teams met again the following season, with the Turks helping to block United’s passage through the Champions League group stage.

More recently and less memorably, they met in the 2012-13 group stages, playing out two tight games with honours even.

Manchester United were infamously ‘welcome to Hell’ by Galatasaray fans at Istanbul Airport during their first visit there in the 1993-94 Champions League

United are always assured of a hot reception whenever they face Turkey’s leading team

The current Galatasaray side are hoping to upset United once again in this season’s group

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The rivalry will be renewed at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. It’s a game Erik ten Hag’s side should win but given all their recent problems, absolutely nothing is guaranteed.

Galatasaray are the champions of Turkey, after all, and a quick glance at their teamsheet reveals quite a few familiar names.

Here’s our ultimate guide to the big game.

So, Galatasaray are Turkey’s best team again?

Yes, and by their standards it had actually been a bit of a wait. Having won their 24th Turkish league title in 2019, they saw Istanbul Basaksehir, Besiktas and Trabzonspor all lift the trophy before claiming No 25 last season.

It was a sweet success for the club, who finished a commanding eight points clear of bitter rivals Fenerbahce and 10 ahead of Besiktas.

It put them only three shy of Fenerbahce’s 28 title successes in the all-time leaderboard in Turkey.

But they still had to pre-qualify for the Champions League?

Just a bit. Turkey’s UEFA coefficient has taken a bit of a battering and so Galatasaray had to battle through three qualifying rounds to make the group stage.

They beat Lithuanian team Zalgiris 3-2 on aggregate, then Slovenians Olimpija Ljubljana 4-0 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s old team Molde 5-3.

That landed them in this demanding group with United, Bayern Munich and Copenhagen but they’re determined to do a little better than just slugging it out for third spot and Europa League football after Christmas.

Mauro Icardi celebrates after scoring against Norwegians Molde in the play-off round

Galatasaray came back from two-down to draw with Copenhagen in their first group match

How did their first game go?

While United were going down 4-3 to Bayern, Galatasaray and Copenhagen played out a 2-2 draw in Istanbul that certainly didn’t lack drama.

Galatasaray created chance after chance but couldn’t score, while the Danes packed their shooting boots to go 2-0 ahead through Moi Elyounoussi and Diogo Goncalves.

But the momentum shifted when Copenhagen’s Elias Jelert was shown a second yellow with 17 minutes to play.

The hosts needed until the 86th minute to score, however, through Sacha Boey and then two minutes later, Tete volleyed home Wilfried Zaha’s cross to steal Galatasaray a point.

What about league form?

In contrast to United’s stuttering start, Galatasaray are in good touch. They have an almost-perfect league record of six wins and one draw so far and they sit behind only Fenerbahce, who have won all seven of their games.

Saturday saw them beat MKE Ankaragucu 2-1 at RAMS Park, with Zaha getting his first goal for the club since joining in the summer.

Ah Zaha… there’s a ghost of United past!

Indeed. It’s hard to believe it’s over 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson made Zaha, then a 20-year-old whippersnapper, his final signing as United boss.

Unfortunately, David Moyes didn’t really like the look of his welcome gift and probably hoped United had kept the receipt for the £15million winger.

Zaha played a mere 167 minutes of first-team football for United, across four games, before Moyes sent him on loan to Cardiff.

Wilfried Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson’s final signing as Manchester United manager in January 2013 – but the winger was left unloved and unwanted by David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Zaha certainly didn’t express any regrets at how his time with United turned out as he prepares to face them with Galatasaray on Tuesday night 

His successor, Louis van Gaal, basically took one look at Zaha and decided ‘nah’ so the youngster was soon heading back to Crystal Palace, where he built a very good career.

Now 30, he left Palace when his contract ran out and opted to join Galatasaray for a fresh challenge.

And judging by his comments at the press conference ahead of this game, he has absolutely zero regrets about his time at Old Trafford.

Zaha has scored three goals against United for Palace, notably two at Old Trafford in their 3-1 win early in the 2020-21 season.

He seems to be one of several familiar names in their squad

Certainly for Premier League fans. You’ve got Hakim Ziyech, surplus to requirement at Chelsea and a very decent loan capture for Galatasaray.

However, he won’t come up against his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag because of a minor injury.

They also have Tanguy Ndombele, the French midfielder, on loan from Tottenham for the season with an option to buy for about £12m afterwards. Ex-Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez is also there.

But the main dangerman United need to be wary of is Mauro Icardi, who already has 10 goals to his credit this season.

Icardi has scored 10 goals already this season and will pose United some problems

Dries Mertens shoots during the opening group match against Copenhagen last month

The former Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain striker shone during a loan spell there last season, scoring 23 in 26, and so it was little wonder Galatasaray wanted to make that permanent.

The veteran Belgian Dries Mertens is another familiar name in their squad, while United won’t be enamoured to see left-back Angelino facing them.

The Spaniard, who is on loan from RB Leipzig, is formerly of Manchester City and scored against United for the German club to knock them out of the Champions League in 2020.

Who’s the manager?

Even Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has a backstory with United.

He was in charge of Istanbul Basaksehir when they stunned Solskjaer’s United 2-1 in the 2020-21 group stage.

Do you remember the goal United conceded when Demba Ba was basically given the freedom of Istanbul to run clear and score? The one Paul Scholes labelled as ‘under-10s defending’?

It was that game and although United thrashed Basaksehir 4-1 at Old Trafford in the next game, they’d soon be crashing out of Europe’s top competition after losses to PSG and Leipzig.

Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk guided Istanbul Basaksehir to a win over United in 2020

Tell us about this fiery history with Galatasaray then

Back in 1993, Premier League champions United were paired with Galatasaray in the second round of the then-fledgling Champions League.

Expected to breeze through, Alex Ferguson’s team were left astonished when Galatasaray came away from the first leg at Old Trafford with a 3-3 draw.

With three away goals, it meant the Turkish side only had to draw at their hostile Ali Sami Yen stadium to progress.

After the first leg, Galatasaray manager Reiner Hollmann warned: ‘They’ll be waiting for you. At the airport.’

He meant the famously passionate Galatasaray fans, hundreds of them crowding the arrivals area to greet United players with signs reading ‘Welcome to Hell’ and ‘this is your last 48 hours.’

Sensing his players might be rattled by the reception party, Ferguson joked at the pre-match press conference: ‘You’ve obviously never seen a Glasgow wedding.’

Eric Cantona gets a police escort after being sent off in 1993 – moments before the mass brawl

Cantona wasn’t likely to back down from an argument after United crashed out on away goals

Previous encounters 

1993-1994 Champions League second round

First leg – Manchester United 3-3 Galatasaray

Second leg – Galatasaray 0-0 Manchester United

(3-3 on aggregate; Galatasaray won on away goals)

1994-1995 Champions League group stage

Matchday Two – Galatasaray 0-0 Manchester United

Matchday Six – Manchester United 4-0 Galatasaray

2012-2013 Champions League group stage

Matchday One – Manchester United 1-0 Galatasaray

Matchday Five – Galatasaray 1-0 Manchester United

United arrived at the stadium the following night to be greeted by a cacophony of noise and a pall of smoke from red flares, the fans gathering inside hours before kick-off.

The Ali Sami Yen was known as ‘The Hell’ and certainly lived up to that nickname that night as a goalless draw saw United crash out of Europe.

At the end, Eric Cantona told referee Kurt Rothlisberger some frank opinions about his performance and was send off.

As Cantona walked towards the tunnel, he was given what he assumed was a police escort. But the policeman instead punched Cantona, leading to a tunnel brawl which saw Bryan Robson and even Ferguson himself wade in.

Steve Bruce recalled to the Daily Mail in 2016: ‘Hundreds of coppers with Rottweilers barking at you, straining on the leash. One started giving Eric some gyp, so Eric decided to give it back.

‘Now we’re all getting battered. Robson, captain of England, he’s in there. Typical Bryan, he’s swung this punch and there’s a hook on the wall and he’s ripped his arm completely open.

‘Blood everywhere. He’s screaming, and a big Turk comes in and boots him. So now we’re tearing into then, trying to fight our way out of there, and over my shoulder I see Fergie come flying back down the stairs. He’s taking his jacket off as he comes.

‘He’s over 50 years old, but he’s straight in, wades in.’

United have still never beaten Galatasaray in Turkey on three previous visits

Michael Carrick scored the one and only goal the last time the two teams met at Old Trafford

Cantona wanted to go back and ‘kill the f*****’ with the truncheon but was eventually calmed down. Shaken by that and the hail of missiles that rained down on the team bus heading back to the airport, Ferguson vowed never to come to Turkey again.

So naturally, United drew Galatasaray again the very next season. They were held goalless in Istanbul, a result that contributed to their group stage exit before IFK Gothenburg and Barcelona.

United won the return 4-0 at Old Trafford, in David Beckham’s debut, but it was no more than a dead rubber.

The teams last met in 2012-13, Ferguson’s final season. Michael Carrick’s early goal split the sides in Manchester and United were through by the time they lost 1-0 in the return.

Now the heat is very much on Erik ten Hag’s team as these two meet again.

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