Harry Maguire rescues Man Utd but Erik ten Hag on brink after Porto collapse – 5 talking points

Erik ten Hag still faces serious questions after a six-goal thriller in Porto

PORTO 3-3 MAN UTD: The Premier League team was leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund. However, Porto scored three goals in the last minute of play to tie the score, and Harry Maguire equalized in stoppage time.

Harry Maguire’s late header helped Manchester United earn a point in Porto after blowing a two-goal lead.

With two early goals, the visitors put themselves up for success. Then, with Samu Omorodion appearing to have completed their comeback early in the second half, the hosts began to pick apart their opponents. However, Maguire silenced the home crowd by coming off the bench and heading home from a corner just as Porto appeared to be winning.

With pressure mounting after a 3-0 loss to Tottenham, the Dutch manager knew he needed to respond when he arrived in Porto. In just seven minutes, Marcus Rashford provided the solution to his request by finishing past Diogo Costa.

Twenty minutes in, Rasmus Hojlund gave the Premier League team the lead with his second goal, but Porto ignited the match and revealed United’s defensive weaknesses. After Andre Onana made a save, Pepe was the first to respond, tapping home.

As United began to collapse, Omorodion headed Porto’s second goal to seal their comeback prior to the half whistle. The forward, who was linked to Chelsea throughout the summer, scored another goal at the near post to give the home team the lead.

Porto had more opportunities and United’s night took a turn for the worse when their captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off with ten minutes left. However, the English team pulled through with a goal from their center-half as he headed home to salvage a point, though it won’t have silenced many critics.

These are the key points we discussed during a thrilling evening in Portugal.

1. United digs deep, but significant problems still exist
When you put yourself ahead 2-0 in a point, how ecstatic can you get? For those from Old Trafford, who had to persevere through many failures and dig deep before leaving Portugal with a piece of the spoils, that will be the question.

With a statement performance, it had appeared as though they were coasting to three points, but Porto was able to consistently cut through them to take control of the match from start to finish. United managed to secure a point with their sixth goal of the match as the goals continued to come in, but it will undoubtedly feel more like a defeat.

2. Is there a defensive shuffle?
Regarding the manager, he can be held accountable for certain things, but selection is one area in which he most definitely can. His unwillingness to alter his backline is still perplexing, especially in light of the quantity of goals they continue to score. Ten Hag selected the same back four that conceded three goals to Liverpool and Tottenham.

Since joining the team in the summer, Matthijs de Ligt hasn’t exactly had the intended impact. Omorodion beat him to the ball and headed home Porto’s second goal. They conceded a third goal as Omorodion scored another, going against their pattern after doing so twice in their last home defeats. Even after that, there were still gaps, with the backline being by far their largest problem.

3. Aston Villa is in the spotlight
Villa Park fans are still in high spirits following their historic European victory over Bayern Munich. Not even in the same league, United must be ready for a second enviable away day. There is the animosity of Porto and then the challenge of traveling to Villa.