After Manchester United’s draw at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão, manager Erik ten Hag shared his thoughts on the team’s defensive struggles after they lost a two-goal lead. Despite early goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund putting United ahead, Harry Maguire’s late equalizer came after Porto surged back to take a 3-2 lead.

“Overall, the players executed the game plan brilliantly,” Ten Hag commented. “But we allowed ourselves to switch off. Once you concede that first goal, it ignites a fire in this stadium.”

He added, “I need to take a closer look at the game. I feel we struggled defensively on the left side tonight. Marcus [Rashford] was involved there, but it’s important to mention that Garnacho also played a part. This isn’t a critique of Rashy.”

When asked about Rashford’s substitution, Ten Hag made it clear that it was not a punishment but a tactical decision.