Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw with FC Twente at Old Trafford in an underwhelming start to their Europa League campaign.
The Red Devils came into the match off the back of a stalemate at Crystal Palace and were hoping to get back to winning ways here.
Christian Eriksen had fired United ahead in the first half, only for Sam Lammers to equalise for the Dutch side midway through the second period.
It was a frustrating evening in Manchester, filled with an abundance of talking points.
Here are five that we have selected.
Lack of goals an issue
Barring the encounters against League One side Barnsley and Premier League new boys Southampton, United have struggled to score goals with any regularity this season.
Having taken the lead through Danish midfielder Eriksen, the Reds didn’t kick on and get that vital second goal – which would surely have put the tie to bed.
This will be something the team will have to improve on going forward if they are to achieve their expectations.
Given the quality at their disposal, you would hope that things will click soon and the goals will start to flow.
Marcus Rashford shines again
Marcus Rashford carried on his recent upturn in performance with a confident display here against FC Twente.
The 26-year-old was creative and skilful – particularly in the first half – and caused the Eredivisie side countless problems – despite not getting on the score sheet himself.
Erik ten Hag will hope the English forward can build on this and keep the momentum going with some big games on the horizon.
There is no denying that a fully firing Rashford is a huge asset to have at your disposal.
European woes continue for Ten Hag’s team
The North West giants endured a notably poor Champions League return a year ago, with defensive issues a stand-out memory of that unfortunate campaign.
It was another lapse of concentration that denied victory last night – with Eriksen caught in possession – allowing the side from the Netherlands to seize their chance to level the scores.
The Reds seemed to struggle to deal with their opponents after that whilst labouring to create chances.
Ten Hag’s men now have one win in their last nine European fixtures, and this will undoubtedly have to improve if they are to progress to the knockout stages.
Substitutes struggle to make an impact
Following on from the draw at Selhurst Park, the United subs again failed to make any real impression after being introduced.
For the second game running the team looked a little disjointed once changes were made – and their play became sloppy.
Granted, some of these players, such as Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount, are still working their way back to full fitness and need time to get into a rhythm again.
However, Ten Hag will expect a better impact next time – as his squad builds up to Sunday’s encounter with Tottenham.
Ten Hag still working out his best XI
When you take a step back and survey everything, a point worth noting is that it’s still only September.
We are very early in the season, and the manager is still searching for his best eleven.
Rotation will always be a key factor in selection, but with new players still settling into life in M16 and players working their way back to form and fitness, it was always going to take time to find the right balance.
The manager will, most likely, have an idea in his head of what his best team looks like – and he will be eager to give his key men a run of games together to gain consistency.
Once the former Ajax coach works out what his best side is then we can hope to see the results coming to fruition on the pitch.
What did you make of Manchester United’s opening Europa League game last night – and was the draw a fair result?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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