Eriksen hero and villain as Man Utd stutter to disappointing draw with Twente
Manchester United's Christian Eriksen celebrates with Marcus Rashford after scoring the opening goal during the Europa League game against FC Twente. Picture: AP Photo/Dave Thompson
CHRISTIAN Eriksen reflected the two sides of Manchester United currently, first scoring a wonderful opening goal then contributing to an FC Twente equaliser, as his team’s Europa League campaign opened with a draw.
United led from their Danish midfielder’s first half effort when Bart Van Rooij broke threateningly upfield on 67 minutes and Harry Maguire missed his poorly-timed tackle.
Lisandro Martinez spared his teammate’s blushes by successfully challenging Van Rooij and the ball fell for Eriksen, only for him to be instantly dispossessed by Sam Lammers who sprinted forward before finishing past Andre Onana.
It was an evening that summed up United’s start to the season which has offered moments of promise but which has yet to see Erik ten Hag’s team demonstrate irrefutable proof of progress.
They started brightly against the Dutch and though United were forced to toil for their opening goal, it was one that proved well worth the wait.
It came on 34 minutes when Bruno Fernandes found Diogo Dalot in the Dutch area and his poor touch allowed Mees Hilgers to make a challenge, only to see the ball rebound to Eriksen.
The Dane’s terrific, first-time hit from just inside the area flew into the top corner of the Twente goal and United’s Europa League campaign was apparently underway.
Visiting keeper Lars Unnerstall was well-beaten on that occasion but had pulled off a stunning save eight minutes earlier when a Martinez header fell in the area and Hilgers stuck out a boot in an attempt to clear.
The deflection looked destined for the top corner, only for Twente’s German goalkeeper to make an extraordinary finger-tip save as he turned the ball over.
Yet those two glorious chances had been preceded by the visitors wasting an opportunity to take a shock lead on eight minutes, as Lammers found himself with only Onana to beat but, from a tight angle, rolled his shot fractions wide.
It was an entertaining enough opening salvo in the new format, 36-team Europa League, the same system as the Champions League with predictions that eight points from eight games will be enough to avoid elimination from the first group phase.
That prompted ten Hag to name a strong line-up, despite his recent complaints about the Europa League increasing an already overloaded schedule, and brought back Marcus Rashford, in front of watching England manager Lee Carsley.
The interim national team boss names his next squad next week with Rashford’s form giving him a realistic hope of a recall after missing the summer Euros.
The winger certainly looked suitably motivated, a world-removed from his moribund form last season which ten Hag recently put down to his off-field antics.
A couple of scintillating runs down the left, a couple of “nutmegs” through the legs of defenders, some decent, dynamic actions and crosses - this was more like the forward who scored 30 goals two seasons ago.
Indeed, although his absence from the weekend draw against Palace sparked apparent outrage among some TV pundits who cried “fall-out” between manager and player, it did appear that ten Hag was genuinely resting Rashford on Saturday, saving him for this outing.
It was a wise piece of rotation and selection, given the impact Rashford looked capable of providing and one that was needed with the Dutch side, currently fourth in Holland, roared on by 4,000 travelling supporters and far from a pushover.
There was a nice moment before kick-off, when former United assistant Steve McClaren, who led Twente to the Dutch title in 2010, was introduced and serenaded by both sets of supporters.
McClaren, of course, is forever linked with United’s great treble-winning side of 1999 and United playing in Europe’s second-tier competition last night was another painful reminder of how far they have slipped from such standards.
Still, despite the recent heavy home defeat to Liverpool, there have been green shoots of recovery visible at times this season and, a goal to the good, this was an opportunity for United to continue in that vein.
Rashford continued to look a threat after the restart, while Maguire had the first proper sight of goal, snatching at a shot from a corner and steering it directly at the keeper.
But Martinez almost undid the good start to the half when he unnecessarily scythed down Sem Steijn, conceding a 25-yard free-kick which the forward took himself, forcing Onana into a save at the foot of his post, and the equaliser was not far behind.
Joshua Zirkzee was denied by Unnerstall, Fernandes placed a promising chance just wide and there was a furious injury-time scramble from a corner, as United stuttered to an ultimately disappointing result.
Onana 6; Mazraoui 7, Maguire 5, Martinez 6, Dalot 7; Ugarte 6, Eriksen 6 (Mainoo 78, 6); Diallo 6 (Garnacho 66, 6), Fernandes 6, Rashford 8 (Hojlund 79, 6); Zirkzee 7 (Mount 78, 6). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Casemiro, Collyer, Evans, Heaton, de Ligt, Antony.
Unnerstall 8; van Rooij 7, Hilgers 6, Bruns 7, Salah-Eddine 6; Regeer 7 (Besselink 83), Vlap 5 (Kjolo 61, 5); van Wolfswinkel 6, Steijn 7 (D Rots 60, 6), van Bergen 6 (Ltaief 74, 5), Lammers 7 (Lagerbielke 83). Substitutes (not used) Kuipers, Eiting, El Maach, Mesbahi, M Rots, Tyton, Van Hoorenbeeck.
S Sozza (Italy) 7
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