Christian Eriksen has followed a ferocious finish with a costly mistake as Manchester United began the Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Erik ten Hag’s former club FC Twente.
This was a continental campaign few expected the Red Devils to be embarking on having missed out on European qualification through the Premier League last term.
But May’s shock FA Cup triumph against rivals Manchester City secured United a Europa League spot and they opened the new-look league phase in frustrating fashion against the Eredivisie side.
United boss Ten Hag spent a combined 23 years at Twente across three stints as a player and then in different coaching capacities, saying on the eve of the game: “It’s not nice to have to hurt something you love.”
And his former team has done nothing but increase the pressure on the besieged manager with United winning just two of their opening five matches to sit a lowly 11th on the ladder heading into this weekend’s showdown with Tottenham.
He is under contract until 2026 and he said during the week that he “feels the backing” of the club’s hierarchy.
“I know when we are losing, there is pressure, there is noise so I don’t have to read these articles what’s coming up because I know it’s there,” he said.
“I feel we are in this together and we are in a new season and we will go again for silverware and we will go again to construct a good team and of course, we hope to do it as in the first season, but if we have say setbacks, we’ll deal with it and then still we have to win.”
Eriksen’s first-half rocket put United on course to do just that, but the lowest-ranked side, in terms of UEFA’s coefficient, heading to Old Trafford in this revamped group phase had other ideas.
Sam Lammers went close with an early strike and was not to be denied a famous goal, dispossessing Eriksen as the midfielder turned into danger and then all too easily beating Andre Onana in the second half.
“I think mostly disappointed as a team, we wanted more in the end, far from good enough. They looked like they wanted it more – that can’t be right,” Eriksen told TNT Sports.
“I think everyone is looking at themselves, everyone is a professional footballer, they know what to do, what can’t happen. We don’t lose but it feels like a loss.”
Earlier on Wednesday night, Bodo/Glimt and AZ Alkmaar became the first teams to claim victories.
Jens Petter Hauge’s two goals guided the 10-man Norwegians from a goal down to a 3-2 win over FC Porto, while Troy Parrott netted the winner from the penalty spot for Dutch side Alkmaar to beat Sweden’s Elfsborg 3-2.
Elsewhere, Serie A side Lazio won 3-0 against Dynamo Kyiv in Hamburg, scoring three times in the first half.
Hoffenheim drew 1-1 at FC Midtjylland and it was the same score between Nice and Real Sociedad.
Anderlecht defeated Ferencvaros 2-1 in Brussels, while Galatasaray beat PAOK 3-1 in Istanbul and Slavia Prague won 2-0 at Bulgaria’s Ludogorets.
Like the Champions League, the second-tier European competition has a new format and 36 teams instead of 32. It features a league system in which each team plays eight games against different opponents, replacing the old group stage.
with AAP
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