On Thursday, Manchester United played out an intense 3-3 draw with Porto, a game that saw Bruno Fernandes receive his second red card in consecutive matches. The draw was a bitter pill to swallow for United, as they squandered a two-goal lead and found themselves a man down less than ten minutes before the final whistle, while desperately pushing for an equalizer. This marked Fernandes’ second dismissal in just four days, although his previous red card from the match against Tottenham was later rescinded.
United are fortunate that Fernandes will be available for their upcoming Premier League fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday. According to UEFA rules, a red card leads to a suspension for the next match in a UEFA club competition, meaning the 30-year-old midfielder will miss United’s upcoming Europa League tie against Fenerbahce later this month.
This comes as some relief for United, as Fernandes will be able to feature in the Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Brentford before his ban takes effect for the European competition.
Fernandes was sent off against Porto for two bookable offenses. The first booking came for a high challenge, while the second was issued when he attempted to direct the ball into the net. Fortunately for United, UEFA did not classify the dismissal as a “serious offense,” meaning his suspension is limited to European competition.
As a result, he will be eligible to play in both Premier League matches before the crucial Europa League game against Fenerbahce on Thursday, October 24, where José Mourinho will be in charge of the Turkish side.
The match against Porto had started promisingly for United, with Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund both finding the back of the net, giving their team a commanding 2-0 lead at Estadio do Dragao.
However, United were unable to hold on to their advantage. Porto mounted a comeback, with Pepe Aquino leveling the score before Samu Omorodion struck twice to put the Portuguese side ahead.
Fernandes’ red card in the 81st minute seemed to trigger United’s collapse. However, a late equalizer from Harry Maguire in stoppage time salvaged a point for Erik ten Hag’s side, ending the game in a 3-3 draw.
Reflecting on the match, Ten Hag acknowledged both the positives and the frustrations, saying, “We started the game very well, dominated, and scored two excellent goals, but then we lost control.”
He added, “The start was good, the middle part of the game was poor, and the end was fantastic.” Ten Hag also noted the difficulty of playing at Porto’s ground and praised his team’s resilience in coming back to secure a draw after being 3-2 down, stating that it was a good morale boost. However, he emphasized the need for United to improve their defensive organization, particularly in the middle of the pitch.
Despite the dramatic draw, the situation remains concerning for United, as defensive lapses and Fernandes’ discipline issues have created additional challenges for Ten Hag to address as they prepare for a crucial stretch of the season.
