PORTO, Portugal — Harry Maguire threw Erik ten Hag a lifeline as Manchester United supervisor with an equaliser in stoppage time that secured a 3-3 draw within the UEFA Europa League in opposition to FC Porto. This occurred after the Premier League facet had surrendered a two-goal lead and had captain Bruno Fernandes despatched off for a second successive recreation.
Regardless of going 2-0 forward inside 20 minutes with objectives from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund, United gave away their benefit by permitting Porto to tug themselves stage earlier than half-time by means of Pepê and Samu Omorodion.
When Omorodion put Porto forward early within the second half, it appeared as if United and Ten Hag have been heading for an additional humiliating defeat that will put the supervisor on the point of dropping his job.
Nonetheless, substitute Maguire, who had been instructed he had been dropped from the England squad earlier within the day, saved the day — and perhaps Ten Hag’s job — by heading in an equaliser within the remaining seconds. — Ogden
United conceded objectives in bursts
United have developed a horrible behavior of conceding objectives briefly bursts, significantly in Europe.
Final season they conceded two objectives in 4 minutes at Bayern Munich, two in 10 minutes in opposition to Galatasaray at residence, two in 4 minutes away to Copenhagen and two in 9 minutes away to Galatasaray as they have been dumped out of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
In opposition to Porto, Ten Hag’s workforce conceded two objectives in seven minutes to see their two-goal lead evaporate throughout a frantic first half. There is a sample underneath Ten Hag of United struggling to cope with setbacks throughout video games and this was one other instance. It suggests there is a mentality problem among the many gamers, however there are additionally structural issues.
Each Porto objectives within the first half got here from crosses into United’s penalty space which have been solely allowed as a result of the complete workforce had dropped so deep. In management up 2-0 away from residence and with the house followers quiet, there was no motive to sink in the direction of their very own aim. As an alternative, they invited strain, allowed Porto again into the sport and have been made to pay. — Dawson
Omorodion reveals what Chelsea missed
Omorodion would have been a Chelsea participant now, had it not been for a failed medical which scuppered his hopes of a £35 million transfer from Atlético Madrid to Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old confirmed he’s completely one to observe with a surprising efficiency in opposition to United.
With Chelsea pulling out of the deal, Porto stepped in and negotiated a £12.6 million payment with Atlético and took an opportunity on the Spanish centre-forward and it already seems to be like an unimaginable little bit of enterprise.
Omorodion gave United centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez a torrid night time in Estádio do Dragão with a efficiency that evoked recollections of how Liverpool’s Fernando Torres would dish out the identical therapy to United greats Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić.
He had an excessive amount of tempo and have become an excessive amount of for De Ligt and Martínez, and he additionally dominated the 2 defenders at any time when the ball was within the air. Even earlier than he scored Porto’s first-half equaliser with a robust header, Omorodion had compelled an important save from goalkeeper André Onana.
And his second aim early within the second half was an unstoppable strike on the close to submit after he had escaped the attentions of De Ligt within the 6-yard field. The Portuguese Primeira Liga is a hotbed of high quality strikers proper now. With Viktor Gyökeres additionally tearing it up for Sporting CP, Europe’s largest golf equipment will certainly be making strikes to snap up Omorodion and Gyökeres within the months forward. — Ogden
Rashford and Højlund have been positives for United
The one optimistic for United and Ten Hag was the sight of Rashford and Højlund wanting sharp. Rashford bought his fourth aim of the season with a improbable run slicing in from the left, jagging by means of two Porto defenders and taking pictures low towards the close to submit. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa ought to have carried out higher however Rashford will not care. Costa ought to have in all probability saved Højlund’s effort too.
It was the striker’s first begin of the season after choosing up a hamstring harm throughout preseason and when his shot went in, he ran to the touchline to rejoice with David Binningsley, the physio who has taken cost of his restoration. United have struggled for objectives ever since Ten Hag got here in and if the Dutchman goes to show this round, he’ll want Rashford and Højlund to begin scoring commonly, significantly with summer time signing Joshua Zirkzee nonetheless discovering his ft.
It was a blow that Rashford needed to come off at half-time whereas Højlund was changed with 20 minutes to go. He is nonetheless working his manner again to full health and with Ten Hag now desperately needing a end result in opposition to Aston Villa on Sunday, he will certainly be requested to begin at Villa Park.
Previous-school wingers show their value for Porto
Soccer is at all times evolving and the sport has seen a giant swing in the direction of inverted wingers in recent times, with coaches choosing huge gamers who lower inside and shoot quite than conventional wingers who go across the full-backs to cross the ball.
However United had no reply to the standard of crosses that have been being delivered by Vitor Bruno’s workforce on this recreation. It helps, in fact, when you’ve gotten a centre-forward pretty much as good within the air as Omorodion as a result of he received just about each ball that was despatched his manner.
However with wingers Pepê and Galeno continually whipping in penetrating crosses, Porto have been at all times a menace and so they put United underneath extreme strain. United ahead Højlund will need to have been watching on the different finish, wishing he may depend on such pinpoint service as Omorodion.
Inverted wingers have made a giant distinction to many groups — Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis for one — however maybe the Porto instance is a signpost of one other change with coaches now taking a look at how harmful a superb cross will be.
United present some kind of need
Manchester United are not less than exhibiting some battle. Shedding 3-2 and all the way down to 10 males after Fernandes’ second yellow card, it will have been simple for the gamers to throw within the towel.
They did not and have been rewarded with a stoppage-time equaliser from Maguire. There are clearly loads of issues that should be solved, however not less than Ten Hag can level to some sparkles of spirit inside the camp. Now 4 video games with no win, he’ll want it when he takes his workforce to Aston Villa on Sunday — coming off one among their most memorable European nights after beating Bayern Munich within the UEFA Champions League.
It was telling that, underneath strain coming into the sport in opposition to Porto, Ten Hag turned to a midfield of Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Fernandes — the one which served him so nicely throughout his profitable first season in cost. If he is searching for fighters in his time of want, it will be no shock to Maguire within the beginning XI at Villa Park.
Judgement day for Ten Hag at Villa on Sunday
The stakes at the moment are extremely excessive for Erik ten Hag when Manchester United journey to Aston Villa on Sunday. Regardless of salvaging a degree in Porto with Maguire’s stoppage-time equaliser, it was one other recreation that they didn’t win.
United have received simply three video games this season — in opposition to Fulham, Southampton and League One facet Barnsley within the Carabao Cup. Plus, the FA Cup triumph in opposition to Manchester Metropolis at Wembley in final Could is nothing however a distant reminiscence.
Ten Hag’s workforce have been humiliated in two 3-0 residence defeats in opposition to Liverpool and Tottenham within the Premier League, however Maguire’s aim in Portugal not less than spared them from one other painful loss.
However their issues stay. They concede manner too many objectives and have a bunch of gamers who play as if they do not know what the plan is.
That’s all on Ten Hag and he should by some means cease the rot earlier than going through an excellent Villa facet this weekend. If he would not, United can have gone 5 video games with no win going into the worldwide break and that will put his job on the road.