What Man Utd need to do to against Galatasaray and Bayern Munich to qualify for Champions League last 16

Manchester United are gearing up for an away fixture in Istanbul against Galatasaray and if they wish to progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League, they will need a positive result against the Turkish champions.

As the Red Devils gear up for the crunch encounter, we have looked at what the Red Devils need to do to progress in the competition. United are currently bottom of their group with just three points from four games but are just a point behind second place, a position currently occupied by Copenhagen.

What do United need to do to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League?

Despite their below-par performance in the Champions League so far, United are still in contention for a knockout spot. Nevertheless, they will need to show a marked improvement if they are to progress. With Bayern Munich sitting at the top of their table with a perfect record of four wins from four games, the Red Devils need to forget about finishing top as that position has been sewn up by the German champions. They will have to settle for second - which means they will likely get a tough draw in the round of 16.

United have two games left to play in the group stage - they will first take on Galatasaray, then Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on December 12. As such, a win over Galatasaray on Wednesday evening is paramount - lest they be left desperate for a win against one of the strongest teams in world football.

If United lose to Galatasaray, they are out, as it will move the Turkish side onto seven points and out of the Red Devils' grasp. A win would give their hopes of progressions a huge boost as they would move ahead of Galatasaray and put pressure on Copenhagen, who travel to Bayern Munich in a difficult fixture. A draw would leave them a point behind Galatasaray, who travel to Copenhagen in their final group game. It would leave United needing to beat Bayern and rely on Copenhagen to take points off the Turkish outfit next month. Of course, much of this balances on Bayern defeating Copenhagen - if the Bundesliga champions slip up, United's task becomes much more difficult. Galatasaray have also played the German champions twice, adding more importance to the game on Wednesday evening. To secure their fate, United will need to beat Galatasaray and avoid defeat against Bayern Munich. If they do this, they will progress to the next round of the 2023/24 Champions League - providing Copenhagen do not win their remaining two games.