As Manchester United prepare to take on Galatasaray in their penultimate Champions League group stage match, we at SportsLens are taking a look at which former Premier League stars could line-up on the opposite side.
Galatasaray Vs Manchester United Match Info
📅 Date: Wednesday, 29th November 2023
⚽️ Kick-Off: 17:45
🏟️ Venue: Rams Park Stadyumu
🎲 Odds: Galatasaray: 1/3 | Draw: 9/2 | Manchester United: 15/2
Which Former Premier League Players Could Face Man United?
Wilfried Zaha
Up first is a man who needs no introduction for Manchester United fans – it’s Wilfried Zaha.
Zaha spent two years at Old Trafford between 2013 and 2015, making just one Premier League appearance before returning to boyhood club Crystal Palace where he made over 450 appearances and scored 90 goals across three separate spells spanning over 15 years.
The Ivory Coast international notably scored in the reverse fixture to draw the Turkish champions level at the Theatre of Dreams at the start of October, before Kerem Akturkoglu and Mauro Icardi turned the game on its head late on to triumph 3-2.
Davinson Sanchez
Colombian centre-back Davinson Sanchez is the next former English top flight player who could line-up against the Red Devils on Wednesday evening, however he was forced off during the win over Alanyaspor at the weekend so he may not be risked.
The 27-year-old is best known for his six-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur which was brought to a bitter end towards the end of last season, as the defender was booed off the field by fans on numerous occasions.
Sanchez has now found a new home in Istanbul though, joining in the summer for a reported fee of €9.5 million, and has since made 11 appearances for Okan Buruk’s side.
Hakim Ziyech
Another who needs little introduction to fans of the English game is Hakim Ziyech, with the Moroccan currently on loan at Galatasaray from Chelsea with an obligation to buy at the end of the campaign.
Ziyech joined the Blues in 2020, winning the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup across 107 appearances in which he scored on 14 occasions.
Lucas Torreira
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira will likely play a holding midfield role alongside another former Premier League player on Wednesday night, with the Uruguayan boasting four starts from a possible four in Galatasaray’s Group A matches thus far.
The 27-year-old spent four years with the Gunners after joining from Sampdoria for a fee believed to be around £26 million back in 2018, spending the final two years of his time at the Emirates out on loan with Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina.
Despite only spending two full seasons with Arsenal, Torreira made a total of 63 appearances in the English top flight, winning the FA Cup and earning a Europa League runners-up medal in the process.
Tanguy Ndombele
Likely to start alongside Torreira in the hosts’ midfield is Tottenham Hotspur loanee Tanguy Ndombele, who initially joined Spurs for a club-record deal worth a reported £55.45 million plus up to £8.97 million in add-ons.
Ndombele made over 50 Premier League appearances during his first two seasons in north London, but saw his game time limited near the end of the 2020/21 campaign due to poor fitness levels and injury.
Since then, the Frenchman has been shipped out on loan three times, briefly returning to Lyon back in 2021/22 before winning the Serie A with Napoli last season, and now finds himself with Galatasaray in Istanbul, who have an option to make his loan permanent for €15 million.
Angelino
Former Manchester City defender Angelino is another who is likely to start for Galatasaray against Manchester United on Wednesday, with the Spaniard being Buruk’s clear first-choice left-back.
The 26-year-old is currently on loan from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, having made just six English top flight appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side across two spells spanning over seven years.
Tete
Brazilian winger Tete will be a household name to those in Leicester, as the 23-year-old spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at the King Power from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Tete made just 13 Premier League appearances for the Foxes, scoring just once, as the 2015/16 English champions were relegated to the second tier after finishing 18th in the table.
Halil Dervisoglu
The final former Premier League player that could face off against Manchester United in Istanbul on Wednesday is ex-Brentford forward Halil Dervisoglu.
Born in the Netherlands, Dervisoglu represents Turkey internationally, and spent three years contracted to the Bees as they rose up to the first tier from the Championship.
During his spell in London, he made just one Premier League appearance, and was sent out on loan to FC Twente, Burnley and Galatasaray twice, before the latter made his move a permanent one.
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