It was another uninspiring performance from Manchester United against FC Twente of the Netherlands in their Europa League opener on Wednesday night. Erik ten Hag’s side were rather limp, in truth, and they could only stutter to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were lacklustre in front of goal. United managed 19 shots, but could only test the goalkeeper on five occasions, with seven of their shots missing the target altogether, as per Sofascore.
A superb finish from Christian Eriksen gave United the lead 35 minutes into the game, but they could only muster an expected goals tally of 1.27xG. It was the Dane’s error that led to Twente’s goal, with Sam Lammers equalising after 68 minutes. The visitors applied some pressure thereafter on the United goal and managed to stand firm, not allowing Ten Hag’s men to breach their steadfast defence.
Late subs could not swing the result in United’s favour, and it is another disappointing result in Europe. The Red Devils have won just one of their last nine continental affairs, as per Andy Mitten. There were certainly some poor performances on the night once again.
Eriksen’s stats vs. FC Twente
One of those players was Danish international midfielder Eriksen. Despite his goal, the former Inter man struggled at times off the ball, and it was his costly mistake that led to the Dutch side’s equaliser.
It is worth mentioning his superb strike just past the 30-minute mark. He got on the end of a loose ball in the penalty box, simply running onto it and lashing it into the top corner of the Twente goal, a great finish.
However, his lack of control of the ball led to Twente nabbing possession from United and running through to equalise. His mistake probably weighed in on the 6/10 rating from The Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, although he did praise him for being ‘prudent with the ball’.
His stats from the game reflected the mixed evening, too. Whilst the Dane retained the ball well for the majority of the match, with a pass accuracy of 93%, and created three chances, he was poor off the ball. He failed to win his sole tackle, won just one from three duels and lost the ball for their goal.
With that being said, it was an even more disappointing night for Bruno Fernandes, who once again looked off the boil.
Fernandes’ stats vs. FC Twente
Last Saturday’s trip to Selhurst Park was not Fernandes’ best game, struggling against a good Crystal Palace side as he lost possession on 34 occasions. Frustratingly, the 30-year-old could not get back on track against the Dutch side at Old Trafford.
The United skipper was wasteful in possession once again, and, ever the spark for his side, could not find the shot or pass which made a difference. He did come close late in the second half, but his shot from range was always bending away from goal.
His stats were reflective of such a frustrating evening for the United captain. He managed to complete just 75% of his passes and lost the ball a frustrating 19 times. He also struggled out of possession, winning just five from ten ground duels.
Stat
Number
Passes completed
39/52
Pass accuracy
75%
Touches
76
Ground duels won
5/10
Number of times possession lost
19
Number of times dribbled past
2
Key passes
1
Fernandes’ performance earned him a 4/10 rating from Luckhurst, who explained that the United skipper was ‘sloppy again with the ball’, as he had been at Palace. It was a scathing review from the journalist, who claimed the Portugal star got ‘worse in the second half’.
That viewpoint was echoed by a certain Mark Goldbridge, who dubbed the playmaker as “dreadful” and questioned the decision not to withdraw him in the second half.
The Red Devils’ number eight, along with his teammates, have a chance to get back to winning ways this weekend at Old Trafford, where they host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
Whether Fernandes should be involved from the start in that clash is another matter, however, with it looking as if Ten Hag may need to boldly drop his skipper on the evidence of his recent displays.
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