Mourinho Adds to Ten Hag’s Troubles

Manchester United threw away the lead once again in the UEFA Europa League, as José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe held them to a 1-1 draw.

October 24, 2024
9:06 pm

For the third time this season in the UEFA Europa League (UEL), Manchester United let a lead slip, ending in a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahçe at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. Now, United has only won one of their last 11 European matches, and the pressure is really piling up on Erik ten Hag.

José Mourinho, who famously led Manchester United to UEL glory in 2017, was back in the spotlight as Fenerbahçe’s manager, needing a win just as much as Ten Hag. Fenerbahçe came out strong, putting United under immediate pressure. Ten Hag’s squad seemed ready to absorb it, and it paid off around the 15-minute mark. After winning the ball in midfield, Manuel Ugarte kicked off a move that found Alejandro Garnacho on the left wing. His perfect cutback landed at the feet of Noussair Mazraoui, who set up Joshua Zirkzee to pass to Christian Eriksen for a stunning strike into the top corner.

United almost doubled their lead with Marcus Rashford, whose curling shot just missed the target after cutting in from the right. But Fenerbahçe quickly took control again, and it took a heroic block from Ugarte to deny Dušan Tadić, followed by an amazing double save from André Onana, who kept out two powerful headers from Youssef En-Nesyri.

The equalizer came just minutes into the second half. En-Nesyri met a perfect cross from Allan Saint-Maximin, heading it past Onana and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Fenerbahçe fans were further upset when a penalty appeal for a challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel was waved away, leading to furious protests from Mourinho, who was promptly shown a red card for his outburst.

United had a chance to retake the lead when Diogo Dalot broke free down the right, but his overhit cross wasted the opportunity, leaving three teammates waiting in vain for a tap-in. As the clock ticked down, Garnacho posed the biggest threat for United, forcing a save from Dominik Livaković. However, any momentum was halted when Antony was stretchered off, causing a lengthy delay that took the intensity out of the closing stages.

The draw extends United’s winless run in Europe to 12 months, leaving Ten Hag under serious pressure as his side struggles to find form. Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe kept their unbeaten run in the UEL, although Mourinho’s frustrating record against former clubs now stands at just two wins from 18 matches.