Manchester United back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir played in Turkey’s shock win over Germany at the weekend. To make matters worse for the Germans, it was Julian Nagelsmann’s first game in charge.
Questions have been asked of Bayindir in recent days following news that Andre Onana may be a doubt for Manchester United’s trip to Goodison Park on Sunday, after the Cameroon international sustained an injury on international duty.
Onana is expected to return to Manchester this week for tests before a decision is made, but that won’t stop Turkish outlet Hurriyet from asking if Bayindir will now get a chance to make his debut for the club. They are even going a step further by asking if the Turk will feature against Galatasaray in the Champions League later this month.
If the weekend is anything to go by, United fans don’t need to fear about the prospect of Bayindir playing between the posts as he helped Turkey to a 3-2 win away at Germany.
Former Turkey assistant manager Mehmet Mzdilek praised the goalkeeper after the match amid suggestions he has improved since moving to Old Trafford, despite not getting any minutes under Erik ten Hag.
“I also liked Altay Bayindir. His adventure in England improved Altay’s goalkeeping skills. He has great feet and added value to the game.”
Mzdilek added: “If we try to explain them one by one, we may be doing an injustice to the playerws whose names we will forget. Today, there was a group of players who gave everything on the field and enjoyed the game they played. I congratulate them all wholeheartedly.”
Beating Germany is always a big result and Bayindir spoke to press after the game, saying (via Haber7): “It was a good win for us. It feels good to win after 72 years. We already felt like we were at home. Well done to our fans. We are happy! Now there is a match against Wales. We will play for the leadership match there. We will do our best. With the support of our country, we will achieve good things in the championship.
“We are a country that always has goals. Today was a friendly match, but every match is very important. We must treat every match as a life or death match. It is a different feeling to defeat such a team at home.”
Get the latest Manchester United news, opinion, interviews and exclusive features with the Stretty Newsletter – Ad Free! Kick off your afternoon with the Stretty News verdict on all matters Manchester United.
