Sweet revenge for Fenerbahce as Tuncay hat-trick destroys ManUnited

Fenerbahce's Tuncay Sanli (front) celebrates after his second goal against Manchester United during their UEFA Champions League Group D match at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul.

A hat-trick by classy Tuncay Sanli concluded the 3-0 demolition of a hapless Manchester United side in a purely symbolic group D Champion's League clash.

It was sweet revenge for the Turkish champions' 6-2 thrashing at Old Trafford on September 28, clouded only by the fact they were playing a second string team captained by Philip Neville, with only Cristiano Ronaldo on the field among the team regulars.

Whatever the outcome, Manchester were assured of going through to the next round of the Champions' League and Fenerbahce were out of it but assured of a place in the UEFA Cup.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that his youngish side would learn from the pounding they took.

"They'll know not to play like that gain," the Scot said.

"They showed a lack of strength in the second-half but had their moments in attack.

"However I have no complaints about the result," added Ferguson, who is desperate to add a second Champions League title to his CV.

Manchester United's John O'Shea (front) controls the ball ahead of Fenerbahce Istanbul's Marcio Nobre (back) during their UEFA Champions League Group D match at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul.

Ferguson was phlegmatic about the possibility of meeting anyone of AC Milan or Inter Milan in the next round having surrendered top spot in the group to Lyon.

"It doesn't matter," he said without the hint of a smile.

The youthful Turks - the team's average age is under 25 - outplayed and outclassed the equally youthful Mancunians throughout and Tuncay was the star of the night with three splendid second-half goals.

The first, a spectacular flying half-volley half-bicycle kick in the penalty box off a precise cross from captain Umit Ozat struck inside the crossbar and into the goal in the 47th minute.

Technically attractive if not always efficient, Fenerbahce kept Manchester under constant pressure in its half of Fenerbahce's Sukru Saracoglu Stadium after the goal and it paid off again in the 62nd minute.

Serkan was fouled after stealing the ball from the Manchester defense just outside the right edge of the penalty box and Tuncay soared to head in a perfect, curling free kick from Fenerbahce's Brazilian wizard Alex de Souza.

Fenerbahce Istanbul's Tuncay Sanli (L) celebrates his third goal against Manchester United with his team mate Serhat Akin (front) during their UEFA Champions League Group D match at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul.

A couple of rare forays into the Turkish half of the pitch by Ronaldo and Quintin Fortune were confidently stopped by Rustu and Tuncay came close to his hat-trick in the 82nd when his volley off a neat pass from Alex was stopped by Tim Howard.

In the first minute of extra time, replacement Serhat Akinci, brought in just one minute earlier, caught the Manchester defense off guard in a breakaway counterattack and passed to Tuncay who wrongfooted United's US goalie for his hat-trick.

It would have been four in the last seconds of extra time when Serhat fumbled a flawless occasion in the penalty area and finally managed to kick the ball past Howard only to have it cleared off the goal line.