Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand couldn’t hide his disappointment after a roller-coaster first half for Erik ten Hag’s side against FC Porto in the Europa League. The match was a test for United and their under-pressure manager, who has been fighting to regain his team’s form amidst growing criticism.
United started brightly, with Marcus Rashford cutting inside from the left to score past Diogo Costa at his near post. The early strike seemed to signal a change in United’s fortunes, and the visitors soon doubled their lead. Rasmus Hojlund found the net in the 20th minute, again beating Costa at the near post, much to the frustration of the home crowd.
With United brimming with confidence, the match took an unexpected turn. Despite an excellent close-range save by Andre Onana, Porto managed to pull one back when Pepe caught Lisandro Martinez off guard, calmly slotting in the rebound. The goal rattled United, setting the stage for more first-half drama.
Only 34 minutes into the match, Porto leveled the score. A cross from the right found Samu Omorodion, who outmuscled Matthijs de Ligt to power a header into the net. The quick change in momentum left United fans and Rio Ferdinand stunned. The former England international, who had celebrated Hojlund’s goal on social media with a simple “Get in there!” was forced to change his tone just minutes later. Quoting his earlier celebratory post, Ferdinand simply tweeted, “Ffs [For f**** sake].”
The clash in Portugal was pivotal for Erik ten Hag as he battles to stabilize his tenure at Old Trafford. A crushing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend had sparked speculation about his future, though reports suggest he will remain in charge for the time being, regardless of the outcome against Porto.
The match eventually ended in a 3-3 draw after a thrilling and tense second half. Harry Maguire grabbed a dramatic last-minute equalizer to salvage a point for United, but questions over the team’s defensive frailties and inconsistency remain. The draw did little to ease the pressure on Ten Hag, who now faces the task of turning United’s season around while holding onto his job.
