There was a time when a visit from Manchester United was one of the most fearsome prospects in European football.
No more. For the first time in their history, the Red Devils have lost five consecutive matches in continental competition.
Jose Mourinho’s team were defeated 2-1 by Turkish side Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday night, leaving their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League knockout stages in the balance.
And it also continued their recent misery away from Old Trafford in Europe as spectacular goals from Moussa Sow and Jeremain Lens inflicted the damage at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
They have lost six of their last seven away games in Europe, drawing the other.
United were beaten 1-0 by Dutch side Feyenoord in their opening Europa League group match back on September 15.
Last season, they dropped out of the Champions League into the Europa League when they lost 3-2 to German team Wolfsburg on December 8 last year.
And after that in Europe’s secondary competition, they were beaten 2-1 by Danish minnows Midtjylland in February and 2-0 to their old rivals Liverpool the following month.
You have to go back to the Champions League play-off round in August last year, when they beat Club Bruges 4-0, to find their last away win.
And their last away win in competition proper was the 5-0 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen during the 2013-14 season – when David Moyes was in charge.
It comes in stark contrast to United’s modern European feats under Sir Alex Ferguson, when they beat the likes of Milan, Juventus, Porto, Valencia and Roma away from home.
Mourinho and United will hope to recover from this latest setback when they travel to Swansea City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
They resume their European fixtures with a home match against Feyenoord on November 24.
UNITED’S EURO WOES
November 3, 2016 Fenerbahce 1-2 EL
September 15 Feyenoord 0-1 EL
March 10 Liverpool 0-2 EL
February 18 Midtjylland 1-2 EL
December 8, 2015Â Wolfsburg 2-3 CL
EL = Europa League
CL = Champions LeagueÂ
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