After a humbling Premier League defeat at Old Trafford, Manchester United jet off to Portugal to take on Portuguese giants FC Porto at the Estadio do Dragao in Thursday night’s Europa League showdown.
The Red Devils were obliterated on their own turf by Tottenham Hotspur, falling to a 3-0 defeat that left them languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Their next test doesn’t get any easier as they’re gearing up to go head-to-head with a Porto side that cruised to a 4-0 victory over Arouca in their most recent domestic outing.
United fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season, but they’ll still purchase Europa League tickets from Seatsnet.com to cheer the team, hoping Erik ten Hag’s troops can turn things around.
The trip to Portugal comes just three days before another daunting Premier League contest against a resurgent Aston Villa side keen to establish themselves in the upper echelons of the top flight.
United will love nothing more than to travel to Villa Park on the back of a continental triumph to lift the mood in the dressing room, but it will be far from a cakewalk for the beleaguered Red Devils.
Match Preview
United have made their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, picking up just seven points from their opening six games and suffering three defeats along the way.
They lost 3-0 to Spurs in their last outing – a result that drew fierce criticism from fans and pundits.
Former United defender Gary Neville labelled the performance “disgusting” and “one of the worst” seen under Ten Hag.
The defeat against Spurs was particularly worrisome, not only because of the lopsided scoreline but also because it revealed a worrying lack of organisation and fight from a United team that was revamped last summer.
The defeat also raised questions about Ten Hag’s tenure, with the Dutchman now overseeing ten losses by a margin of at least three goals, including two heavy defeats this season.
Bruno Fernandes’ controversial red card added to United’s woes, but their struggles began long before, as Tottenham tore through their midfield with ease.
Despite spending over £600 million on new players, United’s performances have been abysmal.
Twelve of the 16 players used in the Spurs clash were either signed by Ten Hag or promoted from the academy under his leadership.
The Red Devils’ hierarchy reportedly have no immediate plans to replace him, but with crucial away games against Porto and Villa on the horizon, Ten Hag is running out of time to salvage his job.
If performance levels do not improve quickly, then the under-fire 54-year-old could be in trouble despite only signing a new two-year contract in July.
While United are down in the dumps, Porto have made a strong start to their Primeira Liga campaign, winning six of their first seven matches with an impressive aggregate score of 16-1.
Their sole defeat came against league leaders and defending champions Sporting CP, losing 2-0 at the end of August.
Porto claimed an emphatic 4-0 victory over ten-men Arouca at home in their most recent outing, courtesy of second-half goals from Samu Omorodion, Nico Gonzalez, Galeno, and Deniz Gul.
The win solidified Porto’s second-place position in the league table.
Head coach Vitor Bruno, who took over from Sergio Conceicao in the summer, praised his team’s second-half performance and expressed hope that they can replicate their domestic form in European competitions.
Key Stats
United’s struggles have extended to Europe as well, having been held to a 1-1 draw by FC Twente in their Europa League opener.
However, they can take solace in their unbeaten record against Portuguese clubs, having gone 12 games without a loss.
United’s most recent triumph against Porto dates back to 2009, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored an iconic 40-yard goal to secure a narrow 1-0 victory at the Estadio do Dragao in the Champions League.
A win on Thursday would provide manager Ten Hag with some breathing room and help United find their footing in the Europa League before facing Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on matchday three.
Meanwhile, Porto faced a setback in their opening Europa League fixture, falling to a shocking 3-2 defeat against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, despite having a numerical advantage for much of the match.
The Dragons have now won only one of their last seven matches in the Europa League, leaving fans eager for a turnaround in their European fortunes.
Porto have faced United eight times in Europe, managing to secure victory only twice – a resounding 4-0 home win in the 1977 European Cup Winners’ Cup and a 2-1 triumph in the 2004 Champions League quarter-finals en route to claiming the title.
Both sides will head into Thursday’s promising showdown keen to emerge with maximum points, having made slow starts to the continental campaign.
United will especially be keen to get a win in Portugal to boost the morale in the dressing room ahead of a daunting trip to Villa in the Premier League next weekend.
Team news & potential line-ups
Porto are facing a defensive crisis with Zaidu Sanusi and Ivan Marcano ruled out for United’s visit as both players continue their recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Conceicao is also sweating over Otavio’s fitness. He has missed the last three games due to a muscle issue and will likely sit out Thursday’s showdown.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom on Porto’s injury front.
Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira returned from a lay-off last weekend and was handed a 20-minute cameo to get him up to speed.
He is in contention to make his start for the Dragons on Thursday for the first time since re-joining the club last summer.
Meanwhile, the injury issues that derailed United’s campaign last season appear to be rearing its ugly head once again, with the Red Devils likely to be without six first-team stars for the trip to Porto.
Summer signing Leny Yoro and left-back duo Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are long-term absentees as they grapple with foot, calf, and knee injuries, respectively.
Academy prodigy Kobbie Mainoo picked up a muscle problem towards the end of the first half against Tottenham and is a major doubt for the game against Porto. Mason Mount and Harry Maguire are also doubtful.
If Mainoo fails a late fitness test, one of Casemiro or Christian Eriksen will deputise for the England international alongside summer signing Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park.
Porto potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Rui Costa; Joao Mario, Ze Pedro, Nehuen Perez, Francisco Moura; Nico Gonzalez, Alan Varela; Pepe, Vasco Sousa, Wenderson Galeno; Samu Omorodion.
Manchester United potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Andre Onana; Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot; Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Rasmus Hojlund.
