Maguire rescues Manchester United with a late goal, salvaging a point in a chaotic 3-3 draw against Porto. This came after a night that saw Erik ten Hag’s side endure highs and devastating lows. Leading 2-0 early on, United collapsed, conceding three goals and losing Bruno Fernandes to a red card.
Despite recent struggles, Ten Hag avoided complete disaster with Harry Maguire’s heroic header. For now, his job is safe, but questions remain. United have won just one of their last 10 European games, and the pressure is mounting. Fans will look to Sunday’s match against Aston Villa to see if the Dutchman can turn things around.
United started brightly with Marcus Rashford leading the charge. Zigzagging from the left, he fired a powerful shot that slipped past Diogo Costa, giving United the lead. For the 2,500 traveling United fans, it felt like a dream start. Porto, meanwhile, were left deflated after an electric pre-match atmosphere at Estádio do Dragão.
United’s defense, however, soon began to wobble. After clearing an early corner, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez made crucial blocks to keep Porto at bay. But the pressure was mounting, and Porto’s Samu Omorodion was starting to find space.
In midfield, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, despite looking leggy, combined well. Eriksen, showing his early-season form, surged through the center, feeding Rashford, who set up Rasmus Højlund for United’s second. Højlund, making his first start of the season, beat Costa again at the near post, celebrating his return from injury.
But United’s joy was short-lived. Porto hit back quickly. Samu’s header was parried by Onana, but Pepê pounced on the rebound to pull one back. Moments later, Porto equalized. A mishit clearance by De Ligt gave João Mário the chance to chip the ball to Samu, who headed home. The Estádio do Dragão roared back to life.
De Ligt’s nightmare continued as another mistake nearly led to Porto’s third. United, desperate to regain control, pushed forward, with Højlund and Casemiro missing chances to restore the lead. Rashford, with a late first-half run, came close, but the attack fizzled out.
In the second half, Ten Hag substituted Rashford for Alejandro Garnacho, citing “rotation,” though many speculated it was due to Rashford’s defensive lapse. United’s defense continued to struggle as Porto’s Francisco Moura launched a dangerous attack down the left, forcing a save from Onana.
Porto soon found their third goal. Pepê outpaced Martínez and crossed for Samu to score again, with De Ligt unable to intervene. United were reeling, and the pressure on Ten Hag intensified.
Despite trailing and down to 10 men after Fernandes received a second yellow card for a high boot, United pushed forward. Ten Hag refrained from introducing Manuel Ugarte, citing his need for more time to integrate into the team. Garnacho, energetic on the left, looked United’s best hope for an equalizer.
Then, in the dying moments, Maguire rescued United. Rising high from a corner, he powered a header into the net, securing a crucial point. While the result wasn’t what United had hoped for, it prevented a total collapse and kept Ten Hag’s future alive for now.
Maguire rescues his team in a surreal match, but United’s journey under Ten Hag remains turbulent.
