Jose Mourinho has conceded bringing off Paul Pogba did affect Manchester United against Basel, however he thought replacing him with Nemanja Matic would shore up his side’s midfield. Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away to Basel in the Champions League. A Michael Lang goal proved to be the difference between the two sides. Basel have a tradition of claiming big scalps in Europe, having previously beaten Chelsea and Liverpool.
The result means they are currently top of Group A, however they failed to guarantee qualification for the knockout stages. Pogba was substituted after 66 minutes, with Matic coming on his place. Mourinho detected signs of tiredness in the Frenchman, and the Portuguese tactician admits it had a bigger impact than he originally imagined. “Did Pogba coming off have an impact on the team?,” Mourinho said.
“I think it did have an impact, we were not such a good team after Paul came off but it had to be with the levels of fatigue after 65 minutes. “I brought to the pitch an experienced player like [Nemanja] Matic and thought it couldn’t affect the game. “I bring Marcus [Rashford] to give us more speed, more problems to them, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] to hold the ball and the approach was good.”
Manchester United dominated for 45 minutes and then allowed Basel to do the same for the next 45 minutes. The only difference was that one side took their chances. United’s defeat in Switzerland keeps the pressure on right until the final group game despite Jose Mourinho’s side only needing a solitary point to progress as group winners.
The last time – and the only time before Wednesday night – that Pogba pulled on the captain’s armband for Manchester United, he barely lasted 20 minutes and spent the next seven weeks nursing a hamstring injury. But United suffered just as badly as he did that night as they turned turgid and stale and looked a shadow of the side that were steamrolling teams 4-0.
But now he is back and straight back with the armband, showing how much he really does mean to this squad, and to Mourinho. He adds an extra fluidity, an extra importance and a much-needed presence to a midfield that without him looks forlorn and desolate. He is United’s Kevin De Bruyne and while City have replacements for their Belgian, the Red Devils don’t for Pogba. His presence was missed when he was substituted and United lost their rhythm and ultimately the match.
United, who face CSKA Moscow in their final group game on December 5, resume Premier League duties at home to Brighton on Saturday (3pm).
