Manchester United’s 100 per cent record in the UEFA Champions League came to an end on Wednesday as the Red Devils went down 1-0 to FC Basel and United manager Jose Mourinho felt his side paid the price for missing a number of gilt-edged chances in the first-half.
“The first half was a perfect half without the goals. It was difficult to repeat in the second half, we knew the opponent would try a different reaction,” Mourinho said at the post-match press conference.
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Romelu Lukaku had a one-on-one saved early on by Basel keeper Tomas Vaclik before Marouane Fellaini would miss a trio of headed chances and the sides went into the interval deadlocked.
Mourinho brought on the likes of Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the second-half but much to the chagrin of the United tactician, Basel snuck in a late winner courtesy of Michael Lang.
“We lost because in the first half we should be 5-0 up but we could not score one goal after being so dominant. It looked for many periods in the first half that it was impossible not to win. I think the majority of the second half the feeling of everyone was okay, it will be 0-0, but they got the late goal,” Mourinho added.
United are still in pole position to top their group and need only avoid a defeat in their final game, a home tie with CSKA Moscow on December 5, to secure top spot.
“I cannot complain or blame the players. I think we play a match like this 10 times and nine times we win comfortably but the one was now. I lost here with Chelsea also in the last minute, we had one shot on target and played really bad, but that wasn’t the case today. I think we were really, really good in the first half,” the 54-year-old Portuguese was quoted as saying by BT Sport.
The Red Devils now turn their attentions to the Premier League, where they trail arch-rivals Manchester City by eight points. United will be looking to bounce back from their mid-week loss by securing a routine home win against promoted side Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.