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Manchester United conceded three goals yet again, this time to FC Porto in the Europa League, and managed to return with only a point from Portugal thanks to a last-gasp Harry Maguire equaliser.
This was the 24th time the Red Devils have let in three goals in a game in all competitions since Erik ten Hag took over, most among any English side.
It started brightly as within the opening twenty minutes, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund gave the team the lead but things went from bad to worse after that.
They relinquished their two-goal lead in a seven-minute spell and eventually fell behind by a goal with Matthijs de Ligt, in particular, being ripped to shreds by the Porto attack.
Bruno struggling
Just when it seemed things could not get any worse, skipper Bruno Fernandes saw another red card for a high boot, following soon after the weekend’s direct red against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Spurs red card was eventually rescinded and his three-match ban lifted but UEFA are unlikely to do the same, which means he will miss the game against Fenerbahce.
The Portuguese has struggled to impact games throughout the current season and it seems petulance and frustration is getting to him.
Just like the shocking decision on Sunday, Thursday’s second yellow was also harsh as he was entitled to go for the ball and the defender certainly made it more dramatic than it was.
But the skipper needs to calm down at certain points, especially when things are not going his way. However, he has a supporter in current Portugal manager Roberto Martinez who claimed both decisions were extremely harsh.
Speaking to CNN Portugal, Martinez backed the attacking midfielder to come good and that he will use his enormous experience to bounce back sooner rather than later.
Backed to come good after couple of terrible calls
“I think Bruno Fernandes has a lot of experience, but I’ve seen a lot of football in my life, and I’ve never seen two unfair red cards in consecutive games.
“Bruno is a focused player, he has a lot of experience, he knows perfectly well that this is part of football. I don’t think he’s ever seen a red card in his career, now he’s seen two, it’s part of the experience.”
With Ten Hag’s future up in the air and a huge game against Aston Villa coming up on Sunday, his manager and the entire fanbase is desperately praying that the former Sporting star can get back to his best soon.
He has a great record against the Villans, having scored seven goals in 10 games across all competitions, and hopefully, he can kickstart his own personal season and that of the club on Sunday.
Feature image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
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2024-10-04 15:00:49
