Manchester United Held to Draw in Europa League Opener Against FC Twente

Manchester United were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the Europa League against FC Twente, a match overshadowed by an error from Christian Eriksen. The Danish midfielder’s earlier stunning goal was eclipsed by a misstep that allowed Twente to equalize in the second half at Old Trafford.

The match marked a sentimental return for United’s coach Erik ten Hag, who spent significant periods of his career at FC Twente, both as a player and a coach. Ten Hag reflected before the match, “It’s not nice to have to hurt something you love.”

United took the lead in the 35th minute through Eriksen, who delivered a remarkable strike. However, the visitors, ranked the lowest in UEFA’s coefficient for the league phase, responded with tenacity. FC Twente’s Sam Lammers capitalized on Eriksen’s mistake to draw level in the second half, beating United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana.

Post-match, Ten Hag expressed his disappointment, stating, “99 percent is not enough. You have to give 100 percent. You have to kill the game.” He emphasized the importance of performance and mentality, noting United’s failure to capitalize on their 18 attempts at goal.

In other Europa League matches on the same night, Bodo/Glimt stunned FC Porto with a 3-2 victory, and AZ Alkmaar achieved the same scoreline against Sweden’s Elfsborg. Lazio secured a 3-0 triumph over Dynamo Kyiv, while other matches resulted in draws or narrow victories for the competing teams.

The Europa League has adopted a new format this season, with 36 teams participating in a league system to replace the traditional group stage. Each team will face eight different opponents across the competition’s duration.

Before the match, a special presentation celebrated Steve McClaren’s contributions to both Manchester United and FC Twente. Former United coach Sir Alex Ferguson and Twente’s Wout Brama presented the honors.

For United, their domestic focus now returns to the Premier League as they prepare to host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Changes to the squad included recalls for Marcus Rashford, Manuel Ugarte, and Harry Maguire, who replaced Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Matthijs de Ligt in the starting lineup.