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Manchester United's European Woes Continue: Can They Bounce Back Against Porto?

3 October, 2024 - 8:08PM
Manchester United's European Woes Continue: Can They Bounce Back Against Porto?
Credit: 9jablogsport.com.ng

The pressure is mounting on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as his misfiring side travel to Porto for this UEFA Europa League Matchday 2 clash. 

The visitors were easily beaten 3-0 on home turf by Tottenham in the Premier League at the weekend -- a hugely disappointing defeat that came on the back of United letting slip a lead in a disappointing 1-1 draw with unfancied FC Twente in their opening fixture of this tournament.

Things don't get any easier for ten Hag, as they face one of the Europa League's strongest sides, with Porto currently sitting second in the Portuguese Primeira Liga after winning seven of their nine competitive games so far this season. 

Porto take on Manchester United on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Estádio do Dragão, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. WEST local time in Portugal, which also makes it an 8 p.m. BST start in the UK. It's a 3 p.m. ET or 12 p.m. PT kick-off meanwhile in the US and Canada, while it's a 5 a.m. AEST start in Australia on Friday morning.

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world.

Under-fire Man United boss Erik ten Hag will draw encouragement from the fact that the Red Devils are currently unbeaten in their last 12 European encounters against Portuguese opposition. 

American soccer fans can stream every fixture of this season's tournament via Paramount Plus, which has exclusive live English-language broadcast rights in the US for the UEFA Europa League.

Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans in the US: Essential for $8 per month and Premium for $13 per month. Both offer coverage of the Europa League as well as the Champions League.

The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS feeds as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Newcomers to the service can take advantage of a 30-day free trial, while students may qualify for a 25% discount.

Read our Paramount Plus review.

If you find yourself unable to view Europa League matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. 

With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. 

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. 

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month with code SPECIALDEAL, which should be automatically applied.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

TNT Sports have the rights to broadcast UEFA Europa League fixtures in the UK, with this match set to be shown live today on TNT Sports 2. 

TNT Sports is the place to watch Europa League matches exclusively live this season in the UK. You can access TNT Sports in a number of ways, including via Sky Q as a TV package, or direct streaming from its range of mobile and smart TV apps. It costs £31 either way and comes in a package that includes Discovery Plus' library of documentary content.

If you want to stream Europa League games live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to the tournament this season.

A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$30 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to the Champions League, and the UEFA Conference League, plus EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.

As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Football fans Down Under can watch Europa League matches on streaming service Stan Sport, which has exclusive rights to show this tournament live in Australia this season.

Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 per month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.

A subscription will also give you access to Champions League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.

Manchester United's Injury Concerns

Erik ten Hag remains without some key players in what is a big week for Manchester United

Injury Update

  • Scott McTominay: The midfielder was substituted during the 3-0 defeat by Tottenham but trained with the squad this week and appears to be fully fit.
  • Mason Mount: Mount came on against Spurs only to be taken off again with a head injury. He sat out of training this week but it is thought to be a precautionary measure after he suffered a minor cut, rather than any concussion. He is a doubt for Porto but is likely to be available for the weekend’s trip to Aston Villa.
  • Harry Maguire: Maguire missed the Tottenham game with an unspecified knock in training, but he was back in training this week and is expected to be available.
  • Victor Lindelof: Lindelof is back in training and the Swedish defender could make his first appearance of the season in the coming weeks.
  • Luke Shaw: The full-back’s injury troubles have continued this season but he could be back later this month after progress from his calf strain.
  • Rasmus Højlund: The big-money signing is not expected to be fit until November after fracturing a foot bone. “Yes, he is doing very well,” Ten Hag said last week. “It is very pleasing that his rehab is going in the right direction and I expect him soon, but what I mean by soon, is that he is now in the right planning process.

“He is in the right spot and he will return as soon as possible into the squad and then the team training.”

  • Tyrell Malacia: The full-back missed the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury, but he was named in United’s Europa League group stage squad to suggest a return is imminent. However, Malacia has still not featured in team training so November is a likely return.

Looking Ahead: A Crucial Week for United

Manchester United face a crunch week with two away trips that could either ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag with victories or make his position increasingly precarious with defeats.

First up on Thursday night is a trip to Porto in the Europa League. Porto finished third in the Portuguese league last season and are second this time around, trailing champions Sporting by three points after seven games. They lost their opening Europa League game at Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, going down 3-2 despite their opponents being reduced to 10 men in the second half.

United endured a limp 1-1 draw with Dutch side Twente, before they were thrashed by Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend. Ten Hag desperately needs his players to respond at Porto, before Sunday’s testing Premier League trip to Aston Villa provides another stiff challenge. The Red Devils will need to show their resilience and fight to turn their fortunes around if they are to salvage their season.

Manchester United's European Woes Continue: Can They Bounce Back Against Porto?
Credit: shropshirestar.com
Tags:
Manchester United F.C. FC Porto UEFA Europa League
Elena Kowalski
Elena Kowalski

Political Analyst

Analyzing political developments and policies worldwide.

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