Read Jamie Jackson’s match report:
United cantered through first half but missed several chances but were poor in the second half, allowing Basel’s last gasp goal
Updated
Wed 22 Nov 2017 16.39 EST
First published on Wed 22 Nov 2017 13.45 EST
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Key events
Full-time: Basel 1-0 United
Unied have failed to get the point they needed to ensure they finish top of their group. For 45 minutes they were dominant but guilty of squandering chances. When Basel raised the tempo in the second half, United failed to find any answer and unravelled badly. Basel threatened to take the lead several times before finally landing the blow that keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stages very much alive. They could yet beat United to the top of the group. United now need to get at least a draw against CSKA Moscow in their final match. They should do that handily but, then again, they should have done that here, too.
90 min: There will be at least three more minutes for United to atone for throwing this match away through an undignified mixture of arrogance and conservatism, plus a weak limited midfield.
GOAL! Basel 1-0 United (Lang 89)
Basel deserve that and so do United! Matic coughed up the ball mid-way inside how own half and Basel worked it wide on the left to Petretta, who fizzed a low ball across the face of goal. Lang arrived at the back post to slot into the net! United have been punished for their bad first-half finishing and their all-round awfulness in the second-half.
88 min: When in doubt, go Route 1. That’s the United Way. Romero punts one long. Lukaku gets his head to it, and it drops for Ibrahimovic, who bogs it high and wide from 30 yards. Liquid football, as in slurry.
86 min: Elyounoussi runs into Matic’s elbow and goes down clutching his face. The ref ignores him. Quite right.
85 min: Darmian commits another oafish tackle. Zuffi sends in the freekick. Fellaini heads it out. That’s been a recurring theme throughout the second period.
83 min: Darmian booked for knocking down Petretta after being beaten for pace down the left. There’s been a doziness about United throughout this second half, as they have utterly failed to match Basel’s improvement.
81 min: Herrera is nudged off the ball with ridiculous ease by Elyounoussi in midfield. Rojo curtails the attack.
Basel substitution: Fransson on, Die off.
79 min: Die strained himself while taking that shot a moment ago, and now he’s gone down again. He’s unable to continue. That’s a real shame because he was playing very well in central midfield.
77 min: Die lets fly from over 25 yards. It’s at the perfect height for Romero to produce a very photogenic save.
75 min: Ibrahimovic has gone central since his introduction. Lukaku has peeled a little to the right. Rashford is on the left.
United substitution: Ibrahimovic on, Martial off.
73 min: Rashford, probing just outside the Basel box, rolls a pass into Lukaku and then gets it back. He then makes to curl a shot towards the far corner before dropping his shoulder and firing low towards the near one instead. But it goes into the sidenetting.
72 min: Rojo makes a superb last-gasp tackle to block Oberlin’s shot from 15 yards after United were cut open again. They really have unravelled in this second half: Basel have cranked up the tempo and United have failed to react accordingly.
70 min: Lang does brilliantly to keep the ball in play down the right and feeds Elyounoussi. Steffen then scurries into the box and past Rojo, who sticks out a leg but misses the ball ... Steffen runs into the leg and goes down, bringing howls from the crowd for a penalty! The referee takes several seconds to mull it over before deciding there was no foul. It’s probably the right decision, as the contact seemed to have been made by the attacker.
69 min: Martial embarks on a dangerous run in-field, beating two players before slipping an intended pass through to Blind, who wasn’t fast enough to keep up.
67 min: A loose pass by Rashford near half-way gives Elyounoussi a chance to mount another attack. United repel it but then Darmian gives the ball away again. Elyounoussi clips a cross over from the right. Blind fails to cut it out a few yards beyond the back post. Lang, without even needing to jump, guides a header .... off the bar and out!
United substitution: Matic on, Pogba off.
United substitution: Rashford on, Lingard off, without having earned a yellow card.
65 min: Steffen cuts in from the right and curls a shot from 16 yards ... just wide of the far post!
64 min: Fellaini heads the freekick away at the back post. Steffen retrieves the ball outside the area and has a pop. It gets a deflection off Oberlin, bringing a smart save from Romero.
63 min: Another freekick in a good crossing position for Basel, this time after Fellaini’s bumps into Zuffi. United’s carelessness is growing.
61 min: Blind is duped into conceding a freekick wide on the right. He was tricked by Steffen’s quick feet. Zuffi delivers the freekick. Blinds, at the near post, nuts it out for a corner.
58 min: Mourinho is starting to look miffed on the sideline. His team have lost the control they had been enjoying, and Basel’s dander is up.
56 min: Die outfoxes two United players with a lovely feint and burst. Suddenly Basel are running at United’s defence again. But yet again they are overwhelmed by net-fever, as Steffen fires off a hasty shot from 20 yards. Romero makes another easy save. With cooler decision-making they could have been in front by now.
54 min: Elyounoussi leads a breakaway attack by Basel, as United are a little exposed. Fortunately for the visitors, Elyounoussi ignores a team-mate to his right and decides to try to score from 25 yards. Easy save by Romero.
52 min: Basel are showing a little more gumption in this half and starting to attack in greater number. Balanta gets a bit ahead of himself, however, and tries to blem one into the net from 35 yards, with predictable consequences.
50 min: Darmian penalised for handball after Petreatta’s cross hits his arm. A nonsensical decision, as there was no way the defender could have avoided that. It gives Basel a chance to hoist in a cross from the left. They send forwar all their big men, who are all smaller than United’s big men. And no one is as big as Fellaini, who heads the delivery away at the edge of the six-yard box. Die pounces on it about 20 yards out and lashes a goo shot just wide!
48 min: Martial clips over a cross from the left. Lukaku rises to meet it near the penalty spot but heads wide.
47 min: There have been two negatives for United so far: their sloppy finishing, and the number of times that they have lost possession in midfield under modest pressure, usually from Die.
46 min: No substitution during the break. Mourinho is apparently so happy with how things are going that he stops to pose for some selfies with fans after re-emerging from the tunnel. And he’s got good reason to be confident: it’s hard to see Basel holding out for another 45 minutes.
Half-time: Basel 0-0 United
Without hitting top gear United have been dominant and should have scored at least one of the several good chances they created. Only carelessness can stop them getting the point they need to top this group; they should really head home with all three.