FC Porto vs Manchester United Preview

Porto and Manchester United will look to record their first win of the 2024/25 Europa League season when they meet at the Estádio do Dragão in Portugal this Thursday.

Porto, one of the favourites to win this competition, endured a disappointing result on Matchday one. Despite taking the lead inside ten minutes, playing against ten men for most of the second half, and firing in an almighty 29 shots, the Portuguese giants were beaten 3-2 by Bodo/Glimt.

That defeat was just the second of the season for Vitor Bruno’s men (W7). They have since bounced back with a thumping 4-0 win over Arouca at the weekend so they will be out to avenge that defeat as they take on Manchester United.

The famous Estádio do Dragão is a fitting venue for a bounce back, considering that the hosts have won each of their last three home European games there – most recently against English opposition in Arsenal.

However, they have not managed four consecutive wins since March 2019. Yet, considering that they’re unbeaten on their own turf in any competition since April (W6, D2), now could be the time to achieve such a feat.

Meanwhile, after throwing away a one-goal lead against Twente in their opening game, Manchester United’s misery continued at the weekend in the Premier League.

The Red Devils were thrashed 3-0 by Tottenham at Old Trafford, leaving them a long way off the Premier League top four. That defeat made it three games without a win for Erik Ten Hag’s side who will be looking for a win that will ensure his chances of keeping his job is enhanced.

However, the continental stage may not have been Ten Hag’s first choice for that, given that his Man United side have won just one of their last nine matches in Europe (D3, L5). The Red Devils have been particularly porous on the road in European competition.

Even more remarkable is that they’ve netted three times in each of their last three European away games and failed to win all of them (D1, L2). Yet, the fact that they are unbeaten in their last 12 meetings with Portuguese clubs, a run that stretches back to December 2005 (W9, D3), suggests that they could bounce back here.