Manchester United will have to wait to book their place in the
knockout rounds of the Champions League.
They arrived in Switzerland
needing just a point to guarantee top spot in Group A and the same scenario
will be in place will be the same again when CSKA Moscow visit Old Trafford on
Dec. 5 although, in truth, only a seven-goal defeat will see Jose Mourinho's
side fail to go through.
What should have been a
chance to wrap key players in cotton wool now has something riding on it,
especially as CSKA have their own qualification scrap going on after they beat
Benfica.
United were beaten last time
they were at St. Jakob-Park in 2011 and went out of the Champions League in the
process, while Mourinho also lost the last time he was here, as Chelsea manager
in 2013.
He didn't expect a repeat
and, with an eye on the Premier League game vs. Brighton on Saturday and a trip
to Watford three days later, took the chance to rest David De Gea, Antonio
Valencia and Ashley Young. Nemanja Matic was named on the bench.
The away side controlled the
first half and hit the post through Marouane Fellaini before Marcos Rojo hit
the bar from 35 yards. Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku were also denied by
goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.
It looked a matter of time
before United put the group to bed but then, after the break, the hosts took
charge. Michael Lang hit the post and Sergio Romero had to make a good save
from Serey Die.
Mourinho threw on Marcus
Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the attacking duo had little impact. It
didn't help that Paul Pogba, United's best player, only lasted 65 minutes as he
continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.
And, in the 89th minute,
Basel's Raoul Petretta fizzed a low cross across the box for Lang to tap in at
the far post. It means United will have to wait to be sure of their place in the
next round and that shouldn't have been the case.
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