Manchester United’s Europa League campaign began with a frustrating 1-1 draw against FC Twente, echoing the same struggles that marked their end to the previous Premier League season. Despite an aggressive start, Erik ten Hag’s men found it difficult to break down Twente, who effectively closed the spaces and stifled United’s play.
United looked threatening early on, with fluid movement keeping Twente on the back foot. Their pressure paid off when Christian Eriksen fired a powerful shot from inside the box, giving United a deserved first-half lead. Twente, however, managed to contain further damage and limited United’s opportunities for much of the half.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with United dominating possession. However, a few individual mistakes allowed Twente to launch a rapid counter-attack through the center, resulting in an equalizing goal that caught United by surprise. In response, Ten Hag made a triple substitution, hoping to regain the advantage, but United couldn’t find the winning goal, leaving them with another frustrating draw, their second in just four days.
Player performances varied, with Andre Onana receiving a rating of 5 after being caught off-guard by Lammers’ clever strike. Noussair Mazraoui impressed again, earning a 7, while Harry Maguire struggled, making a poor challenge that led to Twente’s equalizer, earning him a rating of 5.
Lisandro Martinez, rated 7, had a solid defensive showing and was composed on the ball, while Diogo Dalot’s casual mistake early on almost resulted in a goal, leading to a rating of 6. Manuel Ugarte, also rated 6, seemed out of sync at times but showed promise in his minutes with his new teammates.
Christian Eriksen, despite scoring the opener, was rated 7 due to his involvement in Twente’s equalizer, where he lost possession. Bruno Fernandes struggled again, consistently losing the ball and receiving a rating of 4.
Amad, Rashford, and Zirkzee all contributed to United’s attack, with Rashford showing signs of a return to form, earning an 8, while Amad and Zirkzee received 7 and 6.5, respectively. The substitutes, including Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo, and Mason Mount, were given varying ratings, but none were able to make a decisive impact as United settled for the draw.
