Manchester United Escapes Disaster in Europa League Against Porto

Manchester United narrowly avoided another catastrophic night, letting a 2-0 lead slip against Porto, but the much-maligned Harry Maguire rescued a last-minute equalizer that may save Erik Ten Hag's job (3-3).

The 'Red Devils,' following their heavy defeat to Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, faced the prospect of another disappointment after allowing Porto to come back from a 2-0 deficit created by goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.

The English forward opened the scoring with a brilliant individual effort, finishing into the near post of Diogo Costa in the 7th minute. United didn’t have to wait long for their second, as Rashford assisted Hojlund, who, despite limited angle, exposed Costa’s poor attempt at a save in the 20th minute.

However, from that moment on, the night turned sour for United.

Pepe capitalized on a rebound from a spectacular save made by Onana against Mazaraoui, heading home in the 27th minute, and Samu Omorodion equalized before the halftime whistle with another header.

Barely back from the break, Porto struck again. This time, Pepe easily outpaced Lisandro Martínez and delivered a cross that allowed Omorodion to evade De Ligt and find the top corner.

The expressions on the faces of Ten Hag and Ruud Van Nistelrooy on the sidelines mirrored the despair of a lost and soulless team, with many believing the manager should have departed at the end of last season. The FA Cup had bought him some lifeline, but it is now rapidly running out.

If his dismissal isn’t imminent, it’s largely thanks to Maguire, who came on in the 79th minute and headed in a corner in the 91st minute, providing much-needed relief for the Dutch coach.

This result merely prolongs the agony for United, who haven't won in their last four matches and have drawn their first two games in Europe, against Twente and Porto. The English side currently sits in 21st place in the standings, just three points above Porto.