Champions League results

Basel 1-0 Manchester United

Swiss full-back Michael Lang scored the match opening and winning goal for Basel in the 89th minute at St Jakob Park to condemn Manchester United to a 1-0 defeat and deny manager Jose Mourinho's side qualification for the Champions League Last 16 until matchday six when United have to get one more point in order to go through.

Basel 1-0 Manchester United
Basel goal: Lang 89’ min

Lang’s surprising late winner punishes Manchester United for letting down their guard as Michael Lang scored for Basel against Manchester United with less than a minute left in normal time. Basel’s Michael Lang prodded home to earn a win that does not yet stop United qualifying before their final Champions League Group A home clash with CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford in Manchester. United must at least draw in their last game to get the required point to go on top of Group A. And their victory against giant club Manchester United keeps alive Basel’s hopes of reaching the last 16.

Basel’s Petretta sent a low ball across the face of United’s goal. Lang arrived at the back post to slot into the net! United were punished for their bad first-half finishing and lack of form in the second-half. Mourinho’s team seemed tired in the second half defeat. Mourinho was not happy to lose, keeping the pressure on his overworked side in the busy winter schedule. Mourinho made 7 changes from Saturday’s win over Newcastle United, retaining Chris Smalling, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku. Pogba had been missing with a hamstring injury and only returned to duty in United’s Premier League win in their previous clash with Newcastle. Goalie Sergio Romero who replaced veteran superstar David De Gea, gave up the goal. Marcos Rojo made his first appearance since his knee injury suffered in April. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was also injured with the same anterior crucial ligament damage as Rojo in that Europa League tie against Anderlecht. Talismanic No.10 Ibra returned from injury as a sub in United’s previous match and again started on the bench against Basel.

Swiss side Basel put heavy pressure on United from the start of the match. Mohamed Elyounoussi made a run into Romero’s area on the right before he ran out of pitch and the ball dribbled away. Mourinho’s opening 4-1-4-1 line up had Ander Herrera in the holding role. United captain Paul Pogba was in central midfield alongside Marouane Fellaini. Frenchman Pogba had inspired United against Newcastle upon his return from injury in the Previous match. Daley Blind delivered a corner to Chris Smalling’s head but the effort rolled to safety and United lost control for awhile. Jesse Lingard, Matteo Darmian, Pogba and Fellaini moved their side down the field getting and keeping control of the ball again leading to a free-kick. Blind swung the ball in on a right-left diagonal to Fellaini, but his header failed. Herrera next sent a regulation pass aimed for Lingard straight to an opponent. Raphaël Wicky’s Basel side were again got possession but were unable to score. When Basel advanced close to Romero, he stopped them. At the other end, Blind took successive corners, from left and right, but no goals were scored for United. Basel’s Geoffrey Serey Dié fouled Pogba, and United had a dead-ball position 20 yards out pointed at Tomas Vaclik’s goal. Pogba’s attempt missed. Next, Darmian's cross went high from Jesse Lingard’s reverse pass. The ball fell on Blind’s left boot and he sent the ball out when rather than to a team-mate in the area. United spent the closing moments of the goalless first half watching Oberlin waste a 30-yard free-kick, Fellaini clip Vaclik’s left post with a close-range header, Martial not score from Herrera’s long-range pass and not finish. Rojo’s 25-yarder hit Marek Suchy’s head and rebounded off the bar. In the start of the second half, Mourinho’s men went upfield. Pogba had a good chance, but he over-deliberated and the danger passed. Darmian conceded a handball on the right and Suchy’s ball in was headed out by Fellaini. Dié flashed a shot just past Romero’s left post. Elyounoussi tried from 35 yards but Romero collected easily. Steffen’s shot went straight to the goalkeeper. Romero next saved from an Oberlin flick-on but was beaten a few minutes later but Steffen’s cross-shot went wide of the right post. Renato Steffen and Dimitri Oberlin had already gone close for the hosts in the second half before Lang converted Raoul Petretta's cross at the back post. Next came a series of Basel chances starting with Lang’s header off Romero’s bar. Mourinho swapped Marcus Rashford for Lingard and Nemanja Matic for Pogba. Next Mourinho brought on Ibrahimovic for Martial, but Lang delivered the shocking goal that put Basel, along with CSKA, three points behind United.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho talked about his team selection and his choice of Romero to replace their superstar goalie David de Gea. Mourinho says his side should have been five or six goals ahead by half-time of their Champions League defeat by Basel. United dominated the first half of their penultimate group game, with Marouane Fellaini and Marcos Rojo hitting the woodwork. But, on the brink of securing the point they needed to secure their spot in the knockout stage, the visitors were undone by Michael Lang's 89th-minute goal. Going into their next Champions League match, anything better than a seven-goal defeat by CSKA Moscow in their final group fixture on December 5 would still guarantee Manchester United their place in the Last 16. “In two days we are playing Brighton in the Premier League so I need to give some players a rest and others a chance,” said Mourinho. “Last season he was amazing for us in the Europa League but this season he has not played and he deserves to. I trust my players. Basel has a certain tradition in European football to get some amazing results like they did a few weeks ago against Benfica, when they beat them 5-0. So we know it is going to be difficult. The first half was the perfect half - without the goals. I cannot complain. I cannot blame the players. I think if we play a match like this 10 times, nine we win comfortably. In one we lose - and the one was now."

Basel emerged before kick-off to the backdrop of a huge banner promising a fierce fight. In the past Basel has defeated Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Man United. However, in the first half United enjoyed 74% possession and the hosts failed to have a single shot on target. But United’s dominance did not translate to goals scored. Basel’s touches in and around the Manchester United penalty area increased noticeably in the second half. Swiss side Basel found space and little resistance in midfield in the second half and the pace of Lang, Oberlin and Mohamed Elyounoussi was an ever-increasing danger. The Basel fans increased in volume and the home side's chances increased in frequency, with Geoffroy Serey Die bringing a good save out of Sergio Romero, before Lang's decisive blow.

United's record signing Paul Pogba made a seamless return to action after nine weeks out in the weekend's win over Newcastle and was given the responsibility of the captaincy against Basel. Pogba prompted United’s most incisive attacks and showed he is in form with some extravagant plays. A wonder ball laid on the game's first clear chance, but Romelu Lukaku blasted straight at Tomas Vaclik when precision was needed. Frenchman Pogba curled a free-kick wide before the break, but faded from then. A crisp long-ranger into the gloves of Vaclik in the 65th minute was his last play before manager Jose Mourinho replace Pogba with Nemanja Matic along with Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Man of the Match is Michael Lang who was a clever, consistent danger for Basel and capped his performance with the winner. Mourinho talked about the match on a night on which Champions League favorites Paris St Germain delivered another ruthless statement of intent against Celtic. No English side has ever managed to keep a clean sheet at Basel in 14 meetings. "We played against a team that played with five defenders,” said Jose Mourinho. "We tried to play with three attacking players and that worked in the first half because they couldn't handle us. We didn't score in the second half probably because of the fact that we know one point is enough." Zlatan Ibrahimovic made history by becoming the first player to play for seven different clubs in the Champions League (Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Manchester United.