Manchester United could be knocked out the Champions League tonight, despite the fact there's another round of group fixtures to come next month.
The Red Devils are teetering over the precipice after losing three of their first four games. Qualification for the knockout rounds remains firmly within their grasp however, with both Copenhagen and Galatasaray just a point above them, but a slip-up this evening could be disastrous, particularly with Bayern Munich to come in December.
Erik ten Hag's men will be eliminated from the competition if they lose to Galatasaray, though a draw in Istanbul won't do them many favours either. Assuming Bayern beat Copenhagen tonight, United will still require a victory against the German champions in two weeks' time to progress in the event they pick up a point this evening.
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READ MORE: Erik ten Hag orders Man Utd to keep their cool in red-hot atmosphere of Istanbul
Even in that scenario, qualification for the knockouts isn't guaranteed. Should Galatasaray beat Copenhagen in the final round of fixtures they'd be a point ahead of United and claim second place. A win for Copenhagen in that game, however, would see United progress as the Manchester club have a superior head-to-head record.
In short, victory tonight is an absolute must for Ten Hag's team. Though that might be easier said than done considering United have never won at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium.
If Man Utd drop into the Europa League, could they go on and win it? Let us know in the comments section below.
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The 13-time Premier League winners have won just two of their seven encounters with the Turkish giants. The last time the two sides faced each other in Istanbul was during the 2012/13 Champions League group stage, with Galatasaray running out 1-0 winners. In their two previous visits, coming in 1993 and 1994, the games finished 0-0.
But poor record in Turkey aside, a recent upturn in United's domestic form will give them hope of potentially mood-changing victory. Ten Hag's team have won three league games on the bounce, and have six wins in their last nine games in all competitions. Can they make it seven from 10? We'll have to wait and see.
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