The pressure is 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.
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.
Erik ten Hag remains without some key players in what is a big week for Manchester United
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.
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.
Lindelof is back in training and the Swedish defender could make his first appearance of the season in the coming weeks.
The full-back’s injury troubles have continued this season but he could be back later this month after progress from his calf strain.
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.”
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.
Erik ten Hag will be desperate for a win as Manchester United head to face Porto in the Europa League tonight.
The Dutchman’s Old Trafford position has once again been subject to severe scrutiny after a disappointing start to his third season at the helm was compounded by back-to-back miserable 3-0 home Premier League losses at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham.
With another tough trip to high-flying Aston Villa coming up in the top-flight this weekend before an international break, Ten Hag could really use a victory against Porto to calm some of the intense mounting pressure - though he is believed to retain the support of United’s hierarchy as things stand.
Kobbie Mainoo has shaken off an injury scare to make the trip to Portugal - but doesn’t start - but Mason Mount misses out after picking up a head injury against Tottenham, meaning Ten Hag plumps for Casemiro in the centre.
Captain Bruno Fernandes starts again, with his ban for a red card against Tottenham restricted to English competitions and now overturned on appeal anyway, and Amad Diallo gets the nod over Alejandro Garnacho. Rasmus Hojlund is back in the line-up after injury.
Manchester United XI (4-2-3-1): Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes: Rashford, Hojlund, Amad
Subs: Bayindir, Heaton, Evans, Lindelof, Maguire, Collyer, Gore, Ugarte, Antony, Garnacho, Zirkzee
Injured: Mount, Yoro, Shaw, Malacia
Porto FC head coach Vitor Bruno has invited Erik ten Hag to share a glass of wine after Thursday’s Europa League meeting as he offered his understanding to a fellow head coach under scrutiny.
Ten Hag’s position as United boss came under further pressure following a 3-0 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, his side’s second successive Premier League loss at Old Trafford of such nature after September’s defeat to Liverpool.
Bruno, meanwhile, was the subject of messages written in black ink on the walls near the Dragao Stadium on Tuesday calling for his sacking and the return of former manager Sergio Conceicao. Newly elected Porto president Andre Villas-Boas promoted Bruno from assistant to head coach this summer following the long-serving Conceicao’s departure.
“I am too (under scrutiny),” Bruno interjected. “Everyone is.”
When asked if he had sympathy for the United manager, Bruno said: “I don’t know him, I haven’t met him yet but I’d love to. There is a coach in Portugal called Carlos Carvalhal, now he is in Braga. He worked in the Premier League and the Championship (with Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City). He said at the end of the match, they go together, drink a glass of wine.
“If Ten Hag wants tomorrow, the dressing room is open for him. A lot of respect. It’s our life. Mine also.
“I don’t know if you know all the news in Portugal but once you lose one match, you are almost dead.”
Porto host United at the Dragao Stadium in the second round of the Europa League ‘league phase’ on Thursday. Both teams are looking for their first win in the competition after United drew 1-1 with FC Twente at Old Trafford last week while Porto lost to 10-man Bodo/Glimt 3-2.
Despite winning just two of their last seven in all competitions, Bruno has maintained that Manchester United are always a “threat”.
Asked whether this is the best time to play United, Bruno said: “Exactly the opposite. We always see them as a threat, not as a good point to take them on. We just have to be ourselves and have to look at them with respect, a lot of respect, a lot of individuals, as a team also performing… I know what you mean talking about their last match, but we must see the old (results and performances), not (just) this one.”
Can Erik ten Hag's out-of-form Red Devils claim a much needed win in Portugal?
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
A win for either side in the new look Europa League competition could prove crucial to progressing to the knockout stages.
