Basaksehir v Man Utd: Champions League predictions, betting preview and free tip

Free Champions League tips, best bets and analysis for Istanbul Basaksehir v Manchester United.

Where to watch

BT Sport 3, 5.55pm Wednesday

Best bet

Istanbul Basaksehir +1 on Asian handicap
1pt 5-4 bet365

Team news

Istanbul Basaksehir
Demba Ba has returned to training and could replace Enzo Crivelli (hamstring). Nacer Chadli is doubtful, while defender Junior Caicara is out.

Manchester United
Alex Telles, Eric Bailly and Jesse Lingard haven't travelled with the rest of the squad.

Match preview

The challenge of second-guessing which Manchester United is going to turn up on any given day is looking harder than ever after a roller-coaster of a month but one thing is clear - they make precious little appeal at odds-on in Istanbul.

On the face of it, United's visit to Turkey to take on Istanbul Basaksehir should be chalked down as an away banker.

After all, Okan Buruk's side have played two and lost two in Group H and are yet to score a goal.

United, in contrast, have won both their matches, 2-1 in France against last season's runners-up Paris Saint-Germain and then producing a late blitz to batter Leipzig 5-0.

But United watchers know that nothing is simple when considering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side who have redefined the word inconsistency, and 4-9 about them winning looks way too short.

Form figures of WDWL – Worldies, Dire, Worldies, Lamentable – illustrate the problem for punters. Broken down further, they've played eight league and European matches this season and been decent in three of them.

The pressure is being ratcheted up on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the bottom line is they are so hard to trust at short odds.

Basaksehir are no great shakes at this level but they have improved since the last international break, winning all three of their Super Lig matches. They have a better chance than the prices would have you believe.

Coach Buruk has altered his system and settled on a back four built around ex-United right-back Rafael and former Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel. Top scorer Edin Visca is a threat out wide and they are much better organised.

They played okay on their group-stage debut at Leipzig where they lost 2-0. And they were the better side at home to PSG until Moise Kean broke the deadlock after the hour. The Parisians went on to win 2-0.

Over the first two rounds of matches - and, therefore, against the same opponents - Basaksehir have seen more of the ball than United, completed more passes, delivered more crosses and have unloaded just a few shots fewer. With a bit of luck in front of goal the table could look very different.

They are certainly no also-rans and, as we have seen, there is no guarantee that United's players who ran riot against Leipzig last week will be anywhere near as good this time.

They are 15th in the Premier League and have an early Saturday showdown at Everton to further occupy Solskjaer's thoughts.

There is speculation that Dean Henderson and Edinson Cavani could get starts while Axel Tuanzebe and Donny van de Beek would also be unlucky to be omitted.

Solskajer doesn't know his best team or best shape and he knows the stakes are massive. Avoiding defeat would do him fine but that cannot be guaranteed.

Key stat

Ten of United's 16 goals in the Premier and Champions Leagues have been scored in the 74^th minute or later.

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