Manchester United made a dramatic and spectacular comeback to earn a valuable point against Porto in the Europa League group stage match at the Dragao Stadium. With Harry Maguire’s decisive goal in the 90+1 minute, the Red Devils ended the match with a 3-3 draw, especially in the context of the team missing Bruno Fernandes due to a red card.
Right from the first minutes, Manchester United showed determination and impressive form. In the 7th minute, Marcus Rashford opened the scoring for the away team with a skillful dribble, ending with a tricky shot into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Diogo Costa with no chance to save. Not long after, in the 20th minute, Rasmus Hojlund increased the gap to 2-0 with a daring shot from a tight angle, bringing joy to the away team’s fans.
It seemed like Manchester United would have an easy victory, but Porto quickly proved their mettle. In the 27th minute, Pepê reduced the score to 1-2 with a close-range header after a chaotic situation in the penalty area. Just seven minutes later, Samu Omorodion made an excellent equalizer for the home team with a beautiful header, leaving goalkeeper Andre Onana helpless as the ball flew into the roof of the net.
In the second half, Porto continued to put on strong pressure and were rewarded in the 50th minute. Once again, Samu Omorodion was the one to score, this time he took advantage of Pepê’s assist to score, bringing the score to 3-2 for Porto. This goal put Manchester United in a difficult position, forcing them to put all their efforts into finding an equalizer.
The situation became worse for the Red Devils when Bruno Fernandes received a red card in the 81st minute after a dangerous tackle. The absence of this key midfielder caused Manchester United to have a difficult time, especially when they had to play with one less man in the final minutes. However, the fighting spirit of Manchester United players did not decrease.
In the 89th minute, Alejandro Garnacho almost became a hero with a beautiful shot, but goalkeeper Diogo Costa made an excellent save, preserving the advantage for Porto. But just one minute later, from the next corner kick, Harry Maguire headed the equalizer 3-3 for Manchester United, ending an emotional match.
This result not only brought a valuable point for Manchester United in the race for a ticket to the next round in the group, but also clearly reflected the strength and resilience of the team. However, coach Erik ten Hag certainly needs to make adjustments, especially in defense, when the team conceded 3 goals in this match. Bruno Fernandes’ absence in the next match will be a big loss, especially in the context of the team needing to maintain form and stability.
As for Porto, they will feel regretful for letting the victory slip away, especially when they had an advantage in the final minutes. However, this performance shows that Porto is still a formidable opponent in the Europa League, and they will certainly continue to strive to improve their results in the upcoming matches.
Line-up information:
Porto: Costa; Joao Mario, Pedro, Nehuen, Moura; Eustaquio, Varela; Pepe, Nico, Galeno; Omorodion.
MU: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Eriksen, Casemiro; Amad, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Goals: Pepe 27′, Omorodion 34′, 50′ – Rashford 7′, Hojlund 20′, Maguire 90’+1.
Red card: Bruno Fernandes 81′.
The performance of both teams promises to create many surprises in the upcoming matches, when both Manchester United and Porto have clear goals in their journey to conquer the Europa League.
