Erik ten Hag is about to face his biggest test as Manchester United manager

The Champions League is not a competition that has brought the best out of Manchester United so far this season. Four games into their group stage campaign, United have won just one, lost three and conceded 11 goals.

To say it has been underwhelming so far is an understatement. But despite the damage that has been caused by defeats to Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen in two of their last three European outings, United are still alive and in with a chance of progressing to the last-16. That, however, could all change this evening.

Locking horns with Galatasaray in Istanbul in their penultimate group game, United know if they lose they will exit the competition; win and it goes down to the final round of matches; draw, depending on the outcome of Copenhagen's trip to Bayern Munich, they may also bow out.

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To put the scenario in its simplest terms, it is a contest that United all but have to win. Erik ten Hag's side, who travelled to Turkey yesterday, fought tooth and nail to get back into the Champions League last season, securing a respectable third-place finish in the Premier League.

Fighting with Liverpool and Newcastle United in pursuit of the two remaining top-four spots, United recorded five wins in their last seven league matches to get the job done. The fact United are now at risk of exiting Europe's premier club competition before children have even started opening doors on their advent calendars is an alarming one. Though nothing can be taken for granted in football, United and Bayern Munich were expected to scoop the top two spots in Group A with minimal