Man United’s defending must improve, admits Erik ten Hag after 3-3 Porto draw

Erik ten Hag accepts Manchester United must do better than squandering a 2-0 lead after Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time header salvaged a 3-3 draw away to Porto in the Europa League.

United were in need of a response from Sunday’s humiliating 3-0 Premier League defeat by Tottenham at Old Trafford.

It had looked like they would get one after racing into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes after early strikes from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.

Porto, though, quickly pulled a goal back through Pepe and Samu Omorodion equalised before half-time and then struck again soon after the restart.

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United were reduced to 10 men with nine minutes left when captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the second successive game after collecting a second yellow card for a high boot.

Ten Hag’s side, though, dug in to salvage a draw when substitute Maguire headed in from a corner during stoppage time.

“We started the game very good, scored two good goals, but then we lost control,” Ten Hag said on TNT Sports. “The start was good, the middle part was no good, then we finished very good.

“It is a tough place to go and we are coming back from a 3-2, then get the equaliser, so it is good for the spirit.

“You see again that the team is willing, strong character, but the middle part, the defending we have to improve.

“We have to be better on the ball and defend better.”

Pressed on his future, the Dutchman said: “We will get there. Don’t judge us in this moment, judge us at the end of the season.

“We are in the process, we will improve. We have two seasons now where we achieve finals, (so) just wait.

“We have to develop and progress this team. We will work and continue and we will fight.

“You see the spirit and the connection between the staff and the team, the players are together and want to achieve. We have that good mentality, but some defending parts we have to step up.”

Maguire accepts United need to show more resilience.

“When you get 2-0 up away from home at a place like this, you have to be a bit more solid and secure,” he said.

“There were far too many gaps, too many crosses coming into the box and they ultimately punished us for it.

“We played really well with the ball in the first half, we just have to do more without it.”

Maguire added: “It is something we need to reset and refocus, to go back to the game plan which got us the lead in the first place.

“It is something that we will speak about – if we want to be successful this season then we can’t be conceding two goals in as many minutes as we have done this evening.”