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Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic clashes with Fenerbahce’s Simon Kjaer as manager Jose Mourinho looks - on Action Images via Reuters
Manchester United’s woes deepened as stunning goals by Moussa Sow and Jeremain Lens gave Fenerbahce a 2-1 Europa League win on Thursday that left Jose Mourinho’s side facing a battle to reach the knockout stages.
Without a victory in four Premier League games, United desperately needed a morale-lifting result in Turkey but were undone by a brilliant second-minute overhead kick from Sow and a superb curling set piece by Lens before Wayne Rooney smashed home a consolation.
While Mourinho’s men are third in Group A, Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax Amsterdam, Shakhtar Donetsk and Schalke 04 have all sauntered through to the knockout rounds with two matches to spare.
What Mourinho would give for an in-form striker like Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz who became the first player to score five times in a Europa League match, his haul comprising three penalties in a 5-3 triumph over Racing Genk in Group F.
A gloomy pall has descended over Mourinho’s reign at Old Trafford with the manager under scrutiny for his team’s poor start and the disciplinary problems that have earned him a domestic one-match touchline ban.
After victories in their last two group games, Europe’s second-tier competition had supplied United with some relief from their league struggles but they were sliced apart by Fenerbahce who exposed some glaring defensive weaknesses.
Reuters: Jose Mourinho accused his Manchester United side of playing with the intensity of a summer friendly as their season suffered another setback with a 2-1 Europa League defeat at Fenerbahce on Thursday.
United have gone four Premier League games without a victory and now face a battle to reach the knockout stages of Europe’s second-tier competition after stunning goals by Moussa Sow and Jeremain Lens inflicted a second defeat in four Group A games.
Manager Mourinho would be forgiven for wanting to turn the clock back a few months given their recent poor form but he was seething after his team began the game in Turkey like a pre-season warmup.
“Our problems started in our global attitude. They were playing the Champions League final, we were playing a summer friendly,” the Portuguese told BT Sport.
“We started the game sleeping.”
Sow opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead volley after two minutes and things got worse for the visitors when Lens curled home a superb free kick in the second half.
United reduced the deficit thanks to a vicious drive from Wayne Rooney late on.
United are third in Group A, a point behind leaders Feyenoord and Fenerbahce.
