Manchester United 3-3 FC Porto Player Ratings: Maguire rescues 10-man Reds and Ten Hag
10-man Manchester United came away with a point in an enthralling 3-3 draw in the most dramatic of circumstances after Harry Maguire headed home late on. The English defender perhaps kept Ten Hag in the job for at least a trip to Aston Villa with an excellent finish after Bruno Fernandes had been sent off.
The Red Devils made the perfect start when Christian Eriksen found Marcus Rashford on the left flank. The English attacker surged forward and gave a one-two with the Danish midfielder before firing past Diogo Costa in the seventh minute. The Porto goalkeeper hung his head in shame and perhaps should have done better.
It got even better for United 13 minutes later and they looked a completely side to the one that were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend. This time Rashford turned provider, playing Rasmus Hojlund through on goal and the Danish striker's strike beat Costa at his near post.
Manchester United's defensive vulnerabilities have been on display throughout the season and that was the case again in the 27th minute. They failed to clear their lines and Andre Onana did superbly to deny Noussair Mazraoui's unintentional header but Pepe followed up to give his side a lifeline.
There was more calamity at the back that allowed Porto to level in the 34th minute through the in-form Samu Omorodion. The Reds' defence again struggled to deal with the hosts attackers and Joao Mario's floating cross was powerfully headed home by the former Atletico Madrid striker.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was furious on the touchline and he was handed a yellow card for remonstrating. Ten Hag sat glum, shaking his head on the bench as his side had capitulated yet again. The Dutch coach had a huge halftime team talk to give his troops after throwing away a two-goal lead.
Porto turned the game on its head in the 50th minute, and Samu grabbed a brace with an accomplished finish. United were so open as Porto broke forward, and they crumbled just five minutes into the second half.
Alejandro Garnacho came on for the injured Rashford at halftime. He looked the most lively attacker in Red, trying to spark the visitors back into life. As Ten Hag's men pushed for the equalizer they left themselves exposed at the back. Samu nearly hit a hat-trick when De Ligt fluffed a clearance and the Porto striker's effort was well saved by Onana.
Manchester United's season went from bad to worse in the 81st minute when Bruno Fernandes recieved his second red card in as many games. The Red Devils captain was given a second yellow for a high boot although the replays show he didn't make contact with Nehuen Perez.
Harry Maguire was United's hero on the night after coming off the bench in the second half. The English defender rose highest to head home a vital equalizer in the 90+1st minute to grab a point at the Estadio do Dragao.
Manchester United vs Porto Player Ratings
Andre Onana - 7/10
The Cameroonian has arguably been Manchester United's most important player this season, and he was unfortunate to concede Pepe's goal after a brilliant stop to deny Mazraoui's inadvertent header. He could do nothing about Samu's second, with the Spanish striker thumping past him. He did superbly to keep Galeno late on with the Reds down to 10 men.
Noussair Mazraoui - 6/10
The Moroccan started the season brightly but has come off the boil recently and pushed up far too high at times. Porto rarely threatened down the left channel which meant he didn't have too much defending to do but his positional awareness has come into question.
Matthijs de Ligt - 5/10
De Ligt was beaten to the ball by Samu for Porto's leveller and cut a frustrated figure at the Estadio do Dragao. It's been a difficult start for the Dutchman since joining from Bayern Munich and he made some sloppy decisions tonight and couldn't handle the hosts' frontman.
Lisandro Martinez - 4/10
Martinez has encountered a surprising dip in form this season and looked vulnerable at the back against Porto. He was slow to react when Pepe pounced to get Porto back into the game and looked indecisive. The Argentine has arguably been more composed on the ball and helping his side break forward with his ball-playing abilities.
Diogo Dalot - 6/10
It feels unfair to criticize Dalot, given that he's playing as a makeshift left-back, but his unfamiliarity with the position has been telling lately. The Portuguese full-back was beaten on several occasions by Pepe but did show determination to keep United ticking when going forward, pulling into midfield.
Casemiro - 6/10
Casemiro came into the United starting lineup and looked much more comfortable than Manuel Ugarte did against Spurs last weekend. The veteran Brazilian tried getting forward and his aerial ability was useful on set pieces. He's lacking that yard of pace required to anchor the side.
Christian Eriksen - 6/10
The Dane has made a promising start to the season after lacking game time in the 2023-24 campaign and he was bright tonight. He tried picking his man out with long-ball attempts but his lack of pace was evident when Porto went on the counter.
Bruno Fernandes - 6/10
Fernandes showed vast improvement from his recent disappointing outings, trying to carve open Porto's defence with his creativity. That was until he was giving his marching orders for a second bookable offence, a perceived high boot that didn't make contact with the Porto defender.
Marcus Rashford - 8/10
An excellent display from Rashford, including a superb goal and assist in the first 20 minutes. He gave Mario a torrid time on the left flank, cutting through Porto's defence with ease and looking like he's back playing confidently. It was frustrating to see him forced off at halftime due to 'rotation' a bizarre decision made by the manager.
Rasmus Hojlund - 7/10
Hojlund was handed his first start of the season and took his opportunity with aplomb by getting on the scoresheet. He ran the channels well, using his strength and pace to give Porto problems. It bodes well for the Dane, who will be looking to continue as the Reds' main outlet.
Amad Diallo - 5/10
The Ivorian winger had a quiet night on the right wing, rarely threatening Porto's Francisco Moura. He was more of a threat when Garnacho came on, with the young duo linking up well, but still, a lack of end product was glaring. He came off for Antony in the 69th minute.
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Alejandro Garnacho - 7/10
Garnacho came on for Rashford at halftime and looked a threat on the left, but perhaps not at the same level as the Englishman. The Argentine teenager tried linking up with Fernandes and Hojlund several times and went close with one effort in particular but was off balance when striking.
Joshua Zirkzee - 5/10
Whether Ten Hag opted to bring Hojlund off to manage the Danish forward's workload remains to be seen. Zirkzee was ineffective up top, rarely getting a foothold in the game.
Harry Maguire - 8/10 (Man of the Match)
Ten Hag sent Harry Maguire on to bring composure to a shaky United defence and it proved the right decision with the former Red Devils captain coming to the fore. His header was superb, giving Costa no chance and perhaps keeping Ten Hag in the job.
Jonny Evans - 6/10
The veteran northern Irish defender looked much more comfortable than De Ligt and Martinez on the night. He didn't really influence proceedings as he entered the fray with the visitors chasing the game.
What next for Manchester United after FC Porto draw?
Manchester United turn their attention to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday (October 6) and it could be make or break for Ten Hag's reign. It's perhaps the toughest challenge for the Red Devils so far this season, away to a Villa side who are purring after a 1-0 win over Bayern in the Champions League.
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