Galatasaray must beat Manchester United to fulfil Juan Mata's Champions League wish
Man United and Galatasaray are bonded by their love for attacking midfielder Juan Mata, but the playmaker has already made it clear who he wants to win the tournament this year
When Manchester United face Galatasaray this evening in the Champions League, there is guaranteed to be one very interested spectator.
Juan Mata is beloved by both sets of supporters having represented the Reds and Gala in his career. When the attacking midfielder joined from Chelsea, fans were instantly drawn to his high work ethic and considerable talent. Thinking back, it is still amazing the Stamford Bridge club let him leave to a Premier League rival.
What will have irked United fans the most from Mata's 285 appearances will be his lack of silverware to show for such dedicated performances. He managed to win the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during his stint in Manchester but for a club with the history of the Reds, this is a sadly meagre haul.
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Nevertheless, Mata left Old Trafford with the best wishes of the United fans and moved to Turkey in September 2022. While he only made 18 appearances for Galatasaray, this did not stop him writing more than 400 words on Instagram to pay tribute to the club when he departed less than a year later - the true measure of the man.
It was during this tribute Mata made a wish clear to his old teammates ahead of the forthcoming season which will halt United's ambitions if it came true. Towards the end of his lengthy statement, the 35-year-old added: "We were able to work together selflessly with the same objective and that was key to our success. I will miss you! All the best to all of you, please bring the Champions League to Nef Stadium!"
Unbelievably, albeit after one matchday, Gala are closer to completing this ambition than the Reds. An opening loss to Bayern Munich in Germany has made tonight's clash a must-win if United want to stay in touching distance with the top two.
Should the unthinkable happen and the Reds crumble to another defeat, big questions will be asked of Erik ten Hag and his squad - but the Turkish outfit will be one step closer to fulfilling Mata's wish.
United's Adidas home shirt is made up of the same colour of the city's iconic red rose and features a black collar. The collar also features a dash of both red and white, giving it a slick and modernised look.
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