2 months ago
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MANCHESTER UNITED have drawn up plans for the ‘Battle of Britain’ three months ahead of the fixture.
And the Red Devils are desperate to avoid a repeat of the ticketing fiasco from when they faced Galatasaray.
GettyUnited were pitted against Scottish giants Rangers in this season’s Europa League.
The two sides will face off at Old Trafford on January 23.
But the hosts are already figuring out who will be able to attend.
Last season, approximately 2,000 Galatasaray fans managed to buy tickets in the home end of Old Trafford to cheer on their Turkish heroes in the Champions League.
And not only would a repeat of the embarrassing scenes be humiliating for United – but could also pose a serious safety risk if rival fans clash in the stands.
As a result, United have taken drastic measures to ensure only their genuine fans are in the seats reserved for home supporters.
According to the Daily Mail, the club will only make tickets available to purchase to those who were registered members before the Europa League draw was made.
The fixture has been categorised as “high risk”.
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And that will also see the club in constant communication with local authorities on how to police the game.
United’s clash with Rangers is their penultimate of the new league phase in Europe this term – finishing with a trip to Romania to face Steaua Bucuresti on January 30.
Ten Hag: Mourinho is the example
By NEIL CUSTIS
ERIK TEN HAG has hailed Jose Mourinho as an example for managers as he prepares to face him in Istanbul in the Europa League on Thursday.
Mourinho, now manager of Fenerbahce, added to his already impressive trophy haul with the League Cup and Europe League in his time at Manchester United.
Indeed that triumph in Stockholm in 2017 over Ajax was the last trophy United won back in 2017 until Ten Hag took charge and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last two seasons.
Now the pair clash in Istanbul and United boss Ten Hag was full of praise for one of his predecessors at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag said: “It’s a big game for both of us.
“I really enjoy facing him and playing against him. He has always good teams, he is a winner – he has won so many trophies – I think he is an example for many, many managers.”
Ten Hag has been the most successful manager alongside Mourinho since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Still, he remains under pressure with United sitting below mid-table.
Ten Hag acknowledges that what happens now is all important.
He said: “It is football, you have to live for now.
“What happened is in the past, you have to prove yourself every day, you have to prove yourself every season so we have to go for it.
“We are in the start of the season and we will see where we end but our target is to win a trophy again.”
The pressure was eased on Ten Hag with a comeback victory against Brentford on Saturday with 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund grabbing the second-half winner.
Ten Hag said: “He will always score. What is important is he is keeping fit.
“He picked up so many injuries in the first season and when he stays fit, he will score goals because that is proved in his stats.”
Erik ten Hag’s struggles in European football have continued this term.
They kicked off this season’s campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to FC Twente.
They then needed an injury-time Harry Maguire header to salvage a 3-3 stalemate at Porto – despite leading 2-0 after just 20 minutes.
United head to the hostile Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Thursday where they take on Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho.
The Turkish side beat Union Saint-Gilloise in their opener before also being forced to settle for a point with a 1-1 result against Twente.
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