Harry Maguire Saves Man United in Europe as Chelsea and Tottenham Secure Wins

Harry Maguire saved the day for Manchester United with a last-minute goal, earning them a 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. Meanwhile, Chelsea triumphed in their Conference League debut with a win at home, and Tottenham continued their flawless Europa League journey with a victory at Ferencvaros, although Roma stumbled with a loss in Sweden against Elfsborg.

Manchester United, led by Erik ten Hag, initially dominated with early goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund. However, Porto fought back, first through Pepe, then Samu Omorodion who scored twice to put Porto ahead. United’s woes compounded when Bruno Fernandes was sent off late in the game, but Maguire’s header from a corner in injury time secured a draw for United, their second in as many Europa League games this season.

Ten Hag commented on the team’s performance and outlook, emphasizing the process and development of the team rather than immediate results.

Chelsea marked their Conference League introduction with a 4-2 victory over Gent. Enzo Maresca rotated his squad heavily, leading to a dynamic match where Renato Veiga and Pedro Neto put Chelsea ahead. Despite a goal from Tsuyoshi Watanabe for Gent, further strikes from Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealed the win, although Gent managed a late consolation goal.

In another upset, Elfsborg triumphed 1-0 over Roma thanks to a penalty from Michael Baidoo, leaving Roma with just one point after two games.

Tottenham managed a 2-1 win against Ferencvaros with goals from Pape Sarr and Brennan Johnson, overcoming a spirited late goal from Barnabas Varga. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou praised the resilience and performance of his young team in a challenging away environment.

The European football evening also saw mixed fortunes for other teams: Anderlecht overcame Real Sociedad, Lazio dominated Nice, and Ajax tied with Slavia Prague. RFS rallied to a draw against Galatasaray, and Lyon convincingly defeated Rangers.

In the Conference League, Cercle Brugge overwhelmed St Gallen, Legia Warsaw edged out Real Betis, and Northern Irish team Larne fell to Molde. The New Saints of Wales, debuting in the league phase of a European competition, were defeated by Fiorentina.