A dramatic draw for Manchester United! Long down to Port, Maguire scores in the set-up

Manchester United took on FC Porto in a thrilling Europa League match, where the crowd watched six goals and turnovers on both sides. Although United entered the match brilliantly, Porto recovered quickly and in the end the Red Devils had to save a point thanks to Harry Maguire’s header.

• Manchester scored two quick goals through Rashford and Hojlund but Porto quickly got back into the game

• Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card, complicating matters for the visitors

• In the last minute of the game, Harry Maguire equalised with a header after a corner kick from Christian Eriksen

Manchester United entered the match at a high tempo and took a two-goal lead in the first half. The first scorer was Marcus Rashford, who capitalised on a pass from Christian Eriksen and shot past Diogo Costa. A few minutes later, Rasmus Hojlund followed up Rashford’s activity to make it 2-0.

Porto, however, were able to respond to this lead. Pepe reduced it to 2:1 before half-time when he headed the ball into the net after a save from goalkeeper Onana. Shortly afterwards, Samu Omorodion equalised to make it 2:2, and the game went into the dressing room tied

In the second half, Samu Omorodion was again a key player for Porto, and in the 50th minute he increased the score to 3:2 for Porto. United’s game began to falter and the situation was further complicated by the sending off of Bruno Fernandes, who received a second yellow card in the 81st minute.

Maguire in the role of saviour

Just when it looked like Porto were heading for a win, Manchester United responded once more. Harry Maguire, who came off the bench, converted Eriksen’s corner kick in the 91st minute and sent the ball into the net with his head to secure a 3-3 draw. The match exposed the weaknesses in Manchester’s defensive line, which under coach Erik ten Hague are still not being addressed. Under coach Erik ten Hag, United have struggled to keep a clean sheet, which was evident against Porto.

The defence was poorly organised and failed to respond adequately to the opposition’s pressure at several key moments. This led to FC Porto not only managing to reduce the deficit, but also to equalise, and even threatened to turn the match completely around. United conceded three goals, confirming their problems in maintaining their lead. Moreover, this result is their third draw in a row in European competitions, leaving fans in suspense.

Although Maguire rescued a point, United remain in a difficult situation. After two Europa League group games, they have just two points and their defensive statistics are alarming. The Old Trafford team has conceded more than three goals in 24 games since the arrival of Erik ten Hag.

Key players? Definitely Onana and Maguire

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has been one of the best players on the pitch. Despite conceding three goals, he saved United from even more trouble on several occasions, with his second-half intervention against Omorodion being the decisive one. Harry Maguire also played a vital role, scoring a crucial equaliser late in the game. His 91st minute header was a great relief for United fans as it prevented another defeat in the European Cups.

While United are struggling to find stability and consistency, this draw provided them with only partial relief. The team especially needs to improve defensively and turn promising chances into goals. Coach Erik ten Hag will have to think about how to improve the results in order to secure a more stable position in the Europa League. If there is no improvement, the pressure on the players and the coach will continue to increase.

Source: UEFA