Porto vs Man United: preview, predictions, line-up
Manchester United will be hoping to ease their woes when they visit Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night after Sunday’s disastrous defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Erik ten Hag cycle is currently in full swing, with United enduring another lull after a brief period of optimism. The Red Devils opened the league at home to FC Twente, but had a disastrous result at the weekend, losing 3-0 to Tottenham.
United still look like a poorly managed team lacking inspiration and identity, with Ten Hag potentially having to hold on to his job again until the October international break, which is just two games away. He took a detour to Villa Park on Sunday after returning from Portugal.
Porto have a new team following the departure of coach Sérgio Conceição this summer, with long-time assistant Vitor Bruno taking his place. A 2-0 defeat away to champions Sporting CP is the only blemish on Bruno’s domestic record so far, although Porto also lost to Bodo/Glimt in their league opener last week.
Here’s a 90-minute guide to this Europa League fixture:
Porto vs Man United H2H record (last 5 matches)
Current form (all competitions)
How to watch Porto vs Manchester United on TV or live stream
porto team news
Porto will once again be without long-term absentees Ivan Marcano and Zaidu Sanusi on Thursday night. However, both are in the late stages of recovery from torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
Otavio is another injury concern for the home side, with the centre-back suffering a muscular injury that could see him miss a fourth consecutive game.
Fabio Vieira, on loan from Arsenal, could be fit to start after returning from injury at the weekend, while Sam Omorodion, signed by Chelsea in the summer and eventually joining the Portuguese club, could be fit to start. will lead the line.
Expected line-up for Porto vs. Manchester United
Porto’s predicted line-up against Man United (4-2-3-1): Costa. Mario, Pedro, Perez, Maura. Gonzalez, Barrera. Pepe, Vieira, Galeno. Omorodion.
manchester united team news
The visiting team suffered a few more injuries during their disastrous defeat to Tottenham at the weekend.
Coby Mainu is unlikely to feature for Porto, having limped off with an unspecified injury shortly after Bruno Fernandes received a red card. Mason Mount also succumbed to head injuries on Sunday and is unlikely to feature.
Ten Hag are still without Lenny Yolo, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malasia, while Harry Maguire is absent from Sunday’s squad due to a knock.
Rasmus Hojlund will replace Joshua Zirkzee at the top, while Christian Eriksen could move into midfield to support former Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Manchester United’s expected lineup against Porto (4-2-3-1): Onana. Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot. Eriksen, Ugarte. Diallo, Fernandes, Rashford. Hojuland.
Porto vs Man United score prediction
Ten Hag found a way to win in key moments to save his job, but how can they back this United team to play in Dragao and claim a positive result? They are confused.
There will no doubt be some reaction to Sunday’s upset, but Porto’s far more capable and confident teams have struggled in recent years. Look at Arsenal last season.
Despite the departure of Conceição and veteran defender Pepe, Porto remain a tough and sturdy team with good balance in midfield and dangerous exits. This is a huge opportunity for the hosts and they need to take advantage of United’s woes on Thursday.
