Manchester United managed to salvage a draw against Porto thanks to a stoppage-time header from substitute Harry Maguire. This result has slightly eased the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, who would have faced even more scrutiny if his team had lost again after conceding three goals for the second time in five days.
At one point, it seemed like United’s 2-0 lead would silence their critics, at least until their upcoming match against Aston Villa. However, the team suffered a collapse that has become all too familiar in recent seasons and found themselves trailing 3-2. It was only Maguire’s intervention that prevented a defeat.
According to player ratings from 90min, Marcus Rashford was one of the standout performers for United. He opened the scoring with a skillful shot into the box and later set up Rasmus Hojlund for their second goal with an excellent pass. However, fans were left puzzled when Rashford did not return for the second half despite being instrumental in the first half.
Hojlund also had an impressive night, scoring his first goal of the season and causing problems for Porto’s defense with his powerful runs. His goal came from winning a header in midfield and receiving a pass from Christian Eriksen before finding Rashford for the shot.
On the defensive end, both Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt had poor performances for United. Martinez failed to anticipate danger during Porto’s first goal while De Ligt struggled with positioning and strength against Samu Omorodion.
Ten Hag eventually substituted both center-backs late in the game as he opted to bring on Maguire instead. This decision ultimately changed the outcome of the match.
it was an eventful game for Manchester United with moments of brilliance mixed with defensive lapses that need improvement moving forward.
