Porto vs Manchester United is set to be an exciting second-leg tie in the Europa League at the Estádio do Dragão., as both clubs, traditionally accustomed to the Champions League, meet in this crucial Europa League clash. But Porto have left themselves with a bit of an uphill task after a shocking 3-2 loss against Bodø/Glimt in the first round of the group stage, although they did spring into quick domestic form with a thumping 4-0 victory over Arouca.

Questions, on the other hand, continue to mount for Manchester United, with the future of manager Erik ten Hag growing cloudier by the day. United drew only 1-1 in their Europa League opener against Twente and, most recently, a disappointing defeat at Liverpool’s hands in the shape of a 3-0 scoreline in the Premier League. Currently 13th in the Premier League standings, with just two wins from their first six matches and a negative goal difference, the pressure is high for a much-needed turnaround from the Red Devils. Their only bright spot was a 7-0 dominance over Barnsley in the League Cup, but even that has done precious little to ease concerns.

Meanwhile, Porto is enjoying a good run in the Portuguese league and currently lies second behind Sporting Lisbon with 18 points from seven outings.

Porto vs Manchester United: Form Analysis

Manchester United are suffering through a nightmare period, and the struggles of the team have only intensive speculations about Erik ten Hag’s future. With only one win from the last four games in all competitions flagged by both the Europa League and the Premier League, full crisis mode now stains United. The horrible beginning to the season instigated by internal unrest put enormous pressure on the Dutch manager to post results.

In contrast, Porto is in good form domestically as it has won four of their last six matches. On paper, an even squad and the home advantage at Estádio do Dragão, Porto will be confident of taking their first Europa League win of the season against a historic rival. Porto, with seven straight home wins, is not the kind of team a struggling United side can wish to play.

Porto vs Manchester United Predicted XI

Porto Predicted XI: Costa; Mario, Pedro, Perez, Moura; Gonzalez, Varela; Pepe, Sousa, Galeno; Omorodion

Manchester United Predicted XI: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Eriksen, Ugarte; Diallo, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund

Porto vs Manchester United Key Points

• Head-to-Head: FC Porto has picked up a single win against Manchester United in the five previous encounters with the English side, while United have won twice, and two have been draws.

• Porto’s Home Form: They have been untamable at home, winning seven matches on the trot at the Estádio do Dragão.

• Manchester United’s Struggles: United have failed to win the last three games, proof of how unstable they can be at this time.

• League Position: Porto sits gelatinously second in the Portuguese league, just a step from Sporting Lisbon, in comparison with Manchester United’s depleted position of 13th place in the Premier League.

Betting Opportunities and Odds

For this crucial fixture, Porto stands as favorite, with 2.27 odds for a home win on StarBet, while Manchester United, with as much great club history there is, stands at 2.70 to win, factoring in the current struggles of the team and strong home form of Porto.

Prediction

Forecasting However, for Manchester United, considering their recent poor form and especially in Europe, plus the uncertainty over Erik ten Hag’s future, this becomes a very important match for the Red Devils; any slip-up here may begin to have serious consequences for the Dutch manager. Porto, who have won three out of their last four games and sit second in their domestic league, will be keen to bounce back after their opening defeat in the Europa League.

Given United are defensively tenuous and Porto are in good home form, we predict both teams to score with the home side most likely coming out on top.