Manchester United vs. Istanbul Basaksehir – Champions League, November 24, 2020

Manchester United will be looking for revenge on Tuesday following Istanbul Basaksehir’s shock 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the beginning of November.

The Red Devils were widely criticized for their performance in Turkey, yet they still find themselves at the top of Group H – three points clear of bottom-club Basaksehir.

If you’re interested in wagering on Tuesday’ Champions League matchup, why not check out my Manchester United vs. Istanbul Basaksehir prediction and betting pick below?

I am baffled by the prices for this matchup. We all know that Man Utd (1.23) possesses a far stronger squad than Basaksehir (12.00). But given what happened the last time these two sides met, there is absolutely no way the odds gap should be so big here.

Granted, Basaksehir had the home advantage in the previous encounter. But with no supporters allowed inside Old Trafford on Tuesday, the Turkish side will fancy their chances of at least snatching a draw (6.50).

You don’t have to be an EPL expert to know that Man Utd has made a seriously poor start to the 2020/21 campaign. In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are languishing in mid-table after only managing to win four of their opening eight games.

Following back-to-back wins either side of the recent international break, it may seem like the Red Devils have turned a corner. But with Bruno Fernandes’ penalty proving to be the difference between them and struggling West Brom on Saturday, it is clear that Man Utd is nowhere near their best.

Prior to Matchday 3, the Champions League had offered the English side a welcome break from their domestic woes. Solskjaer’s men beat PSG 2-1 on Matchday 1, before crushing RB Leipzig 5-0. However, the manner of the defeat in Turkey underlined the team’s problems.

If the Red Devils play as poorly as they did in Istanbul, they will be punished on Tuesday.

Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1 Manchester United

Demba Ba inspires upset as #MUFC falter in Turkey#UCL report https://t.co/35UJFlf9MD

— Standard Sport (@standardsport) November 4, 2020

It’s fair to say that Basaksehir also endured a tricky start to the season, although the Turkish champions appear to have turned things around in recent weeks. After failing to win any of their opening four league games this term, Okan Buruk’s side has now won four of their last five domestic outings.

It was always going to be difficult for Basaksehir to compete with the big guns in their debut Champions League campaign. Indeed, the Turks suffered consecutive defeats to Leipzig and PSG in their first two European outings, losing 2-0 on both occasions.

Still, Buruk’s men made the most of their chances on Matchday 3, with goals from former EPL star Demba Ba and in-form Bosnian forward Edin Visca handing Basaksehir a memorable win over Man Utd.

I’m sure that the Turkish side will be confident of upsetting the odds again this time around.

In my opinion, the odds for the home win are far too low to bother with here. I mean, Man Utd hasn’t even performed well enough this season to earn the price of 1.23.

Given that Basaksehir beat Solskjaer’s side just three weeks ago, I’m backing the Turks to come away from Old Trafford with a draw on Tuesday.