Home>News Center>Sports | ||
Tuncay treble sinks Man Utd hopes
A sensational hat-trick from striker Tuncay Sanli sank Manchester United's hopes of topping Champions League Group D. The Red Devils' 3-0 defeat in Fenerbahce coupled with rivals Lyon's comfortable victory over Sparta Prague means Alex Ferguson's side will draw a group leader in next week's draw for the last 16.
Tuncay scored goals of contrasting quality early in the second half and an understrength United never looked remotely like salvaging the situation.
United began with a young team and only Cristiano Ronaldo from the XI that had brushed Southampton aside in the Premiership on Saturday.
David Bellion supplied United's first attempt on goal when he pounced on a weak clearance from Phil Neville's long throw but lashed the shot wide. Marco Aurelio was the first name in the book for pulling back the escaping Quinton Fortune but Ronaldo's tame free kick struck the wall at shin height. An indifferent first period sprang to life two minutes into the second half thanks to a spectacular strike from Tuncay. There seemed little danger when a free kick was swung into the area but Tuncay swivelled and hooked a shoulder-high ball over his head and in off the underside of the bar with Tim Howard beaten. Kieran Richardson wasted United's best chance of the match five minutes later when Bellion and Djemba-Djemba combined to set him up. But he waited an age to line up his shot and then struck a weak effort into the side-netting. But United's fate was sealed after 62 minutes when Tuncay struck again. This time he had the straightforward task of heading home an Alex free kick from five yards. United introduced more youngsters including teenager Gerard Pique but conceded a third in injury-time when Tuncay finished off a lightning break. |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||