‘Stay calm in your head’

Man Utd’s Kobbie Mainoo (left) and Bruno Fernandes during a training session yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Erik ten Hag has urged his Manchester United players to keep calm in the Galatasaray cauldron as they fight for their lives in the Champions League. United are bottom of Group A and will be eliminated if they lose in Turkey in their penultimate group fixture on Wednesday.

Even if they beat Galatasaray and defeat group winners Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in their final game, two wins for Copenhagen would send the Danish side through instead of Ten Hag's team.

Erik ten Hag

Never won at Galatasaray

United, three-time European champions, have never won at Galatasaray - drawing twice and losing once. They were famously greeted by Turkish fans in 1993 holding a banner that read "Welcome to Hell", while others threw missiles and menacingly drew their fingers across their throats.

That game finished in a 0-0 draw, which sent United crashing out of Europe on the away goals rule after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Ten Hag insisted his men would travel with confidence despite their predicament and the hostile reception awaiting them in Istanbul.

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"We know how to deal with it and I'm sure tomorrow it will be a confident team on the pitch," said the Dutch manager.

‘You have to play confident'

"You have to stay calm in your head and don't get too emotional. You need emotion but you have to control it. Don't give them anything, or the referee as well. You have to stay away from such moments. We know how to deal with it. You have to play confident and you have to make it your game so it's not that important how the opponent is playing, it's important how we are playing," he said.

Ten Hag said United had improved since their shock 2-3 defeat to Galatasaray at Old Trafford early last month.

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