Manchester United are up and down this season, and serious questions are facing Ten Hag and the hierarchy at the club. Despite this, European competition could become a saviour for the year, with the Europa League offering a genuine and realistic chance of success, building on 2 trophies in the previous 2 years. If United are to become a cup team under Ten hag, then this competition should be the one to aim for.

The clash away at Porto was frantic and chaotic to say the least. With 6 goals spanning from the 7th to 91st minute, United had the game under control, threw away a lead, had their captain sent off and then bring on Maguire to equalise late into the game. A perfect European clash for neutrals, but disappointing for United fans.

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Teams

Manchester United under Ten Hag put out one of their strongest XI’s, however with more chopping and changing at the back later on, this closing partnership saw out the game and even added the late equaliser after the starting XI were all over in the first period. A strong XI scoring 3 goals away in Europe should have come away with a win, but mistakes cost United too often.

For Porto, the standout was surely Aghehowa who bagged a brace and put himself on the radar as rumours will surely begin around possible moves for the Spanish forward.

Porto: Costa, Moura, Perez, Pedro, Mario (Viera 77′), Varela (Namaso 90′), Eustaquio (Grujic 77′), Gonzalez, Galeno, Aghehowa (Gul 77′), Pepe (Fernandes 62′)

Subs: Ramos, Djalo, Mora, Sousa, Franco, Borges, Jaime

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Martinez (Maguire 78′), De Ligt (Evans 78′), Mazraoui, Eriksen, Casemiro, Rashford (Garnacho 46′), Fernandes, Amad (Antony 68′), Hojlund (Zirkzee 68′)

Subs: Baindir, Heaton, Lindelof, Gore, Ugarte, Collyer

Porto 3-3 Manchester United

Manchester United began their trip to the Estádio do Dragão in buoyant mood, racing into a 2–0 lead inside the first twenty minutes. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring early on with a composed, low finish after weaving into the box, and then Rasmus Højlund doubled the advantage, the young Dane, making his first start of the season, tucked away a sharp chance courtesy of a clever pass from Christian Eriksen. United looked slick and dominant, and for a moment it seemed like they might cruise to a comfortable European victory.

But Porto had other ideas. The hosts clawed their way back into the game through a pair of powerful headers: first Pepê poked in after a scramble in the United box, and then Samu Omorodion leapt high to nod home and restore the balance just before half-time. Moments after the restart, Omorodion struck again, his second of the night, climbing above the defence to power a header into the roof of the net and put Porto in front. United’s troubles deepened when captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card, reducing them to ten men with time running out.

Just when it seemed like Porto might snatch a famous win, United summoned one last gasp of resilience. In stoppage time, substitute Harry Maguire rose majestically at a corner to head home Christian Eriksen’s delivery and rescue a point for the red half of Manchester. It was a roller-coaster of a night, United’s attacking promise bookended by defensive lapses and discipline issues, but ultimately still earning something from a chaotic trip to Portugal.

Talking Points

This was a chaotic clash from the first whistle to the last, the sort of Europa League thriller that swung violently from one side to the other. Manchester United looked sharp and purposeful early on, carving Porto open with quick combinations and clinical finishing. But as the match wore on, the game dissolved into a breathless end-to-end contest, filled with momentum shifts, defensive lapses, and moments of individual brilliance that kept both sets of fans on edge.

For United, the overriding frustration is how completely they threw away their opportunity to win. After surging into a two-goal lead and controlling the early stages, they allowed Porto back into the contest through poor marking, shaky defending and a loss of composure. Instead of tightening their grip, United invited pressure, conceded three goals in a damaging spell, and then compounded their problems with Bruno Fernandes’ dismissal. What should have been a comfortable European win instead turned into a cautionary tale of lost focus and squandered advantage.

Then came the final ten minutes, as frantic as anything the match had produced. With United down to ten men and Porto pushing to kill the game, the visitors somehow found a late surge of defiance. Wave after wave of Porto attacks were repelled, and in stoppage time United mustered one last set-piece opportunity. Harry Maguire rose highest to power in a dramatic equaliser, salvaging a point and ending a wild night on a note of relief rather than despair.