Manchester United’s assault shows ordered chaos and their defense is compact when they click like they did today for extended periods. Their four clean sheets this season reflect this.
This last statistic was headed for a fifth until a wretched Christian Eriksen changed from scoring hero to offender with a fumble allowing Sam Lammers to equalise on 68 minutes.
Pursuing excellence, Erik ten Hag replaced the rebuilt Marcus Rashford with Rasmus Højlund, Joshua Zirkee with Mason Mount, and Eriksen with Kobbie Mainoo. Though Harry Maguire was heading goalwards in an additional-time scramble, this last-dice throw fell short, and United’s Europa League campaign begins with a point.
The Manchester United players seem hopeless as FC Twente’s celebrates
Ten Hag notes Manchester United’s “complacent” mentality in Twente draw
Ten Hag and Eriksen were each harsh later, stating Twente just wanted it more. For upper level highly compensated professions, maximum hunger is a non-negotiable basic need. Ten Hag’s United’s mission still rests, nevertheless, in a groundhog day sandwiched between the rare good performance and the next bad one.
The later happened following a strong first half. United carried on the fine on-ball performance of the goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday, using a possession-heavy approach that, Ten Hag’s critics claim is beyond his understanding to shape.
From Manuel Ugarte, who, on full debut nudged possession away from Youri Regeer around midway in the kind of act for which he was purchased, and from Noussair Mazraoui, who swooped in along the left byline, there was spoiling too. The obstacle produced a corner Michel Vlap flashed from the left. Diigo Dalot was robbed by Bart van Rooij; the ball rolled toward the far touchline, and he fed Lammers. The No. 10 of Twente in space flicked the ball wide of the left post.
As a no-look backheel that flummoxed Twente’s rearguard and let Rashford in behind, Lining up as United’s central striker, Zirkzee’s natural game is more like the deft work of a playmaker. The cross of the latter was scuffed, but another strong United attack followed.
Then a frenzy in Twente’s territory with Dalot, Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, and an Eriksen effort blocked allowing Lars Unnerstall to gather. Lisandro Martínez headed across the six-yard box for Zirkzee, and the goalkeeper, next, had to beat away an unintentional Mees Hilgers shot with clumsy intervention.
Alejandro Garnacho’s drop to the bench benefited Rashford, a force shown by his sprint along the left and pass to Zirkzee; then a sneaky nutmeg of Ricky van Wolfswinkel elicited “oohs” from the faithful. He was also part of a three-man press involving Zirkzee and Fernandes whenever Unnerstall looked to start from the back and, also, the first to congratulate Eriksen on the opener: a bullet of a finish that sailed into the left corner.
Jens Hauge of Bodo/Glimt marks the 3-1 goal during the UEFA Europa League soccer game between Bodo/Glimt and FC Porto
The opportunity came from a reverse pass from the always smart Fernandes into Dalot, who was prowling the area and saw Eriksen take over and finish brilliantly.
Could Ten Hag’s men keep this show-through? No, even with a strong second-half start with some Rashford footwork confusing two Twente players and taking him knifing towards goal before Joseph Oosting’s side recovered.
United still floated at this point. They had to remain vigilant, but their class—or more—above their opponent was evident from Mazraoui’s lissome-legged skip ahead. Maguire chiding himself for slamming the ball right into Unnerstall’s gloves, the Moroccan’s foray resulted in a corner.
Martínez then clattered with Sem Steijn, booked, and the same player’s free-kick was a laser with André Onana dipping left to repel. Martínez enjoys doing this. Two corners followed, defended, and shortly United was galloping in Rashford looking for a second to calm a nervous last half-hour. Eriksen turned to create a corner, but Twente stayed strong.
For the Dutch next is delight. Van Rooij glided forty yards forward, dodging Rashford, Fernandes, Martínez, and Maguire—who dove clumsily. Ugarte tackled and Eriksen received but then dawdled on the ball. Lammers mugged the Dane, sprinted into United’s area, and beat Onana to the right.
United finished with a second consecutive stalemate, as the Twente support partied and although Zirkzee, Mainoo and Garnacho all threatened.
Follow the latest news on Google News