Fenerbahce manager Dick Advocaat has said his team set out to provoke Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney on Thursday -- and was not surprised when the Swede reacted.
Fenerbahce won 2-1 at home against Manchester United in the Europa League meeting between the sides, leaving Jose Mourinho's men in third place in Group A. United striker Ibrahimovic grabbed Simon Kjaer by the throat but was not punished.
Advocaat said: "We had to provoke them a little. What players like him and Wayne Rooney like is to get space and time to play. So you have to irritate them when they get the ball and push them a little bit sharper.
"I wasn't at all surprised Zlatan reacted that way. I know him, and Rooney too, and that's what we needed to do. But they are still great players."
The Dutchman sensed that United could be frustrated, having watched their 0-0 home draw against Burnley the previous weekend. United had 37 shots against Burnley but Sean Dyche's men still stopped Mourinho's players from scoring.
Advocaat said: "Against Burnley, they created so many chances but, against us, not so many. It's difficult to play against us when we play how we did.
"They had to try to play through the zone. They couldn't do it and that frustrated them."
Advocaat is still backing Mourinho to deliver though, adding: "You can see how many prizes he has won at different clubs.
"So, I will gladly make a bet with everybody that he will do it again at Manchester United. But it is always difficult because he has a lot of great players and you have to find the right balance with your team to do it every week.
"I have great respect for him. He just needs time. It would be foolish to write him and United off."