After receiving the dreaded backing from the board this week, many believe Erik ten Hag is on the verge of being sacked as Manchester United manager, so he surely cannot afford another defeat at Estádio do Dragão.
Porto vs Manchester United Preview
Manchester United are perennially a club in crisis, but this week feels particularly bad, so will their miserable form continue? On Sunday, the Red Devils were smashed 3-0 by Tottenham at home, a score that frankly flattered them, with many calling this the worst performance of the Erik ten Hag era which, believe you me, is an ultra-competitive category.
Having now lost three of six Premier League matches already, Man United are languishing down in 13th, with Sunday's trip to Villa Park looking extremely daunting. On matchday one of the Europa League meantime, despite taking the lead through Christian Eriksen, they were held to a very underwhelming 1-1 draw by FC Twente at Old Trafford, after which the goalscorer claimed the Dutch side "looked like they wanted it more", which is certainly alarming. With an international break to come after these trips to Porto and Villa, defeat in both would surely be terminal for ten Hag.
As for the home side, 2024 has already been a year of change in Porto. André Villas-Boas (remember him?) is the new president, victorious in a heated presidential election back in April, succeeding Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who'd held the position for a staggering 42 years. On the pitch, the Dragões' third place finish in the Primeira Liga saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2010, resulting in Sérgio Conceição's seven year stint coming to an end, replaced by assistant Vítor Bruno.
So far, Porto have began the season by winning six of seven league games, although they were beaten by reigning champions Sporting CP, before also losing their Europa League opener, defeated 3-2 by Bodø/Glimt in the Arctic Circle last Wednesday. So, this is not a side at the peek of their powers, but those inside Estádio do Dragão will fancy their chances of claiming a famous scalp.
Porto vs Manchester United Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 8
- Porto Wins: 2. Draws: 3. Manchester United Wins: 3.
Porto vs Manchester United: Last 4 Meetings
- 15 April 2009 - Porto 0-1 Manchester United
- 7 April 2009 - Manchester United 2-2 Porto
- 9 March 2004 - Manchester United 1-1 Porto
- 25 February 2004 - Porto 2-1 Manchester United
Porto Team News
Veteran centre-back Iván Marcano is sidelined, but Portugal's number one goalkeeper Diogo Costa, constantly linked to Manchester United and others, will start, donning the gloves. Galeno, who was on target against Arouca at the weekend, will be a threat from out-wide, while Fábio Vieira, on loan from Arsenal, came off the bench for his second Porto debut in that game. Stephen Eustáquio and Marko Grujić are both expected to return to midfield, after sitting out Sunday's league fixture.
Porto predicted lineup vs Manchester United: (4-2-3-1): Costa; João Mário, Pérez, Zé Pedro, Moura; Eustáquio, Grujić, Pepê, González, Galeno; Omorodion.
Porto Player to Watch vs Manchester United
Centre-forward Samu Omorodion, who very nearly joined Chelsea this summer, will lead the home side's attack. The Spanish striker has scored five times already since arriving at Porto, including bagging a brace against fierce local rivals Vitória de Guimarães, also breaking the deadlock in Northern Norway last mid-week, so will his scoring spree continue?
Manchester United Team News
Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia are sidelined, while Mason Mount is a doubt, after suffering a rather unpleasant head knock against Spurs. Given that Bruno Fernandes will now be suspended for three Premier League games, unable to feature in the league until 3 November, he'll certainly be deployed in the Europa League. Rasmus Højlund has come off the bench in each of the last three games, rebuilding his fitness, with Joshua Zirkzee set to continue from the start. Christian Eriksen and Amad were in the team to face Twente, but Erik ten Hag surely has no room to rotate, even with a trip to Villa right around the corner.
Manchester United predicted lineup vs Porto: (4-2-3-1): Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martínez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Rashford, Zirkzee.
Manchester United Player to Watch vs Porto
As a former Sporting player, Bruno Fernandes will receive a rather hostile welcome back to Portugal. Amazingly, he's never scored in ten career appearances against Porto, but has netted 20 times in the Europa League, so can he end that bizarre statistical quirk?
Porto vs Manchester United Prediction
Simply due to how badly Man United are playing just now, we're backing Porto to pick up all three points. It feels like the end of days for Erik ten Hag and, while the hosts are far from at their best just now, we can't see beyond a home win at Estádio do Dragão: Porto 2-1 Manchester United.
Porto vs Manchester United FAQs - Europa League
How to watch Porto vs Manchester United Europa League game on TV channel?
Porto vs Manchester United Europa League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 2
- USA: Paramount+, ViX, TUDN USA & UniMás.
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Porto vs Manchester United Europa League game on live streaming?
Porto vs Manchester United Europa League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: Discovery+
- USA: Paramount+.
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Porto vs Manchester United in the Europa League?
Porto vs Manchester United takes place on Thursday 3 October 2024, with kick off at 20:00 (BST), 15:00 (ET) & 12:00 (PDT).