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Harry Maguire’s injury-time header rescued Manchester United from what would have been a disastrous defeat at Porto in the Europa League. The 10-man Red Devils, who had surrendered a two-goal lead and saw Bruno Fernandes sent off, managed to escape with a 3-3 draw thanks to Maguire’s late intervention.
Under-pressure manager Erik ten Hag was on the verge of seeing his side fall to their fourth defeat in just 10 games this season. But Maguire’s towering header from Christian Eriksen’s corner in the first of five added minutes may have eased some of the tension surrounding the club.
The match began promisingly for United, with Marcus Rashford opening the scoring in the seventh minute, driving into the box before his low shot crept past Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Rasmus Hojlund doubled United’s lead 13 minutes later, finishing off a swift counterattack to put the visitors in control.
However, Porto mounted a strong comeback. Brazil’s Pepe nodded in a rebound after a Joao Mario cross nearly resulted in an own goal, cutting United’s lead in half. Moments later, Samu Omorodion headed home Mario’s cross to bring the hosts level.
Omorodion completed the turnaround five minutes after the break, smashing in Pepe’s cutback for a 3-2 lead. United’s response was stunted when captain Fernandes received a second yellow card for a high boot with nine minutes remaining, leaving the visitors to chase the game with 10 men.
Despite being outnumbered, United pressed forward and were rewarded when Maguire’s header secured a valuable point. Ten Hag will take some solace in the fight shown by his team, but with only three wins in 10 games this season, questions about United’s defensive frailties and the manager’s future persist.
