Manchester United needed a injury-time Harry Maguire header to rescue a 3-3 draw away to Porto in the Europa League on a night that saw Bruno Fernandes sent off again, and the same old problems for Erik ten Hag.
United started the game with arguably their best 20 minutes of the season, scoring twice to, at that stage, silence the home crowd.
Marcus Rashford, who was in fine form prior to being withdrawn at half-time, got the first in the seventh minute. He sliced through the Porto defence from the left, and saw his shot trickle under Diogo Costa and into the net.
The Porto keeper was at fault again for United’s second, as Rashford turned provider to Rasmus Hojlund. He slipped the Danish striker in on the left, and his shot just went over the line after a weak hand from Costa.
However, as has been the case so many times under ten Hag, and notably twice in the Champions League last season, United surrendered a two-goal lead, and in very quick fashion.
Both came as a result of a failure to deal with crosses. Pepe nodded home in the 27th minute from close range after Andre Onana saved well from Noussair Mazraoui’s forced header backwards. Just seven minutes later, it was 2-2, Samu Omorodion powering home from inside the six-yard box.
The second half started with United all at sea, and Omorodion got his second and Porto’s third on the 50-minute mark, capping a brilliant night for the 20-year-old striker.
United’s night went from bad to worse late on, as Fernandes was dismissed after receiving a second yellow for a high boot. It was his second red in a week, and summed up the chaos which engulfed United once again.
Maguire popped up with a brilliant late header to earn a point, but for Ten Hag, it might not be enough.
