Has Erik ten Hag lost the dressing room? BBC man weighs in after dramatic 3-3 draw against Porto

Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United were involved in a six-goal thriller against Porto on the second matchday of the Europa League.

They made a perfect start, scoring two goals early in the half to take a comfortable 2–0 lead.

However, Porto responded almost immediately, with former Real Madrid defender Pepe scoring a header and pulling one back for the home side just seven minutes later.

And not long after, Samu Omorodion completed a brilliant move with a close-range header past the Manchester United goalkeeper to make the match 2-2.

Porto completed the turnaround five minutes into the second half, with Omorodion scoring his second of the evening to make it 3–2.

Both sides continued to create chances at either end, but things went from bad to worse for United when captain Bruno Fernandes picked up a second yellow card and a subsequent red card and was given marching orders.

With ten men left in the team and less than ten minutes plus stoppage time remaining, it looked like certain defeat for United.

However, Harry Maguire, who came off the bench in the 78th minute, had other plans. In the 91st minute, the centre-back scored a thumping header from a corner, saving two crucial points for the Red Devils.

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Paul Robinson praises Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United after late battle

Former Premier League goalkeeper and BBC pundit Paul Robinson praised Manchester United for showing character and determination to come away with a point after being reduced to ten men.

He added that the fighting spirit shown by the players showed that Erik ten Hag has not lost the dressing room.

Commenting on the match for BBC Radio 5 Live, he said (via BBC Live):

“We said, ‘Why did he bring in Maguire and Evans?’ That’s why. Corner from Eriksen and Maguire rises with a powerful header – Porto have no one in the posts and they pay for it. Powerful strong header.”

“That shows spirit and a team where a manager has not lost the dressing room. Yes, they have been outplayed at times, but they have shown a lot of character and determination.”

“They put pressure with ten men and it looks like they are walking away with a point.”