Fenerbahce vs Manchester United LIVE: Europa League result and final score as Jose Mourinho sent off

Jose Mourinho’s red cards are usually considered acts of deflection, but Thursday night’s probably served that purpose for Erik ten Hag. A raucous game with a lot of sub-plots offered perhaps the most entertaining shows in Europe this season, if not all for good reasons or with any real pay-off.

That’s Manchester United on the pitch, and Mourinho off it. The Portuguese failed to get proper “revenge” on his old club, but then United have now failed to maximise a lead in every single Europa League game this season. This raucous 1-1 at Fenerbahce was the third draw in three, any positives again offset by obvious flaws. Youssef En-Nesyri, who ended Ten Hag’s first United European campaign when at Sevilla in 2022-23, heere ended any sense of momentum after the win over Brentford.

There was also the theatre of Mourinho being somewhat harshly sent off for complaining about how a penalty claim was dismissed. The cuts to Ten Hag’s predecessor on a step here meant there wasn’t the same scrutiny on Ten Hag’s present problems. United can’t seem to get any form going. This was actually a regression to another issue.

So three points from three games puts Manchester United 21st in the Europa League table, between Viktoria Plzen and IF Elfsborg. There’s still ime to improve, of course, and their fixtures are looking better now after two tough trips to Porto and Fenerbahce. Next up is PAOK on November 7.

Manchester United 1-1 FC Twente

FC Porto 3-3 Manchester United

Fenerbahçe SK 1-1 Manchester United

7 November 2024 21:00 PAOK FC (H)

28 November 2024 21:00 FK Bodø/Glimt (H)

12 December 2024 18:45 FC Viktoria Plzeň (A)

23 January 2025 21:00 Rangers FC (H)

30 January 2025 21:00 Fotbal Club FCSB (A)

Jose Mourinho finished off his press conference by suggesting that he would be open to a return to England. The 61-year-old said he is finished with playing in Uefa competitions after tonight’s red card and said he could instead go to a club that is battling relegation.

“The best thing I have to do is when I leave Fenerbahce, I go to a club that doesn’t play in Uefa competition,” he said.

“So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I’m ready to go. I don’t want to speak any more about it. If I appeal [the red card] I will get six months.”

Classic Jose.

If there was one positive for Manchester United it may have been the performance of Manuel Ugarte in midfield. The new signing from Paris Saint-Germain looked a force in the middle of the pitch and was involved in a couple of big moments in the first half, breaking up play to start the move that led to Christian Eriksen’s opening goal and then saving a goal at the other end by blocking Dusan Tadic.

Ten Hag believes it was his best peformance for Manchester United so far. “Yes, I think so. He has to come into the team. The six role is very important. He has to learn how we play. I was happy with his performance today.”

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana described a draw in Galatasaray as a “big disappointment”.

”As a Manchester United player you have an obligation to try to win. It is what we tried to do today, but we also have to recognise it is a tough place to win,” he said.

“We didn’t win, but at least we didn’t lose, Not happy of course, but we move on, take responsibility and go again.

“We had more control than them in the second half and more chances. We conceded an early goal in the second half, we had to show character and I think that is what we did. We didn’t win but I thought we were better than them.”

Fenerbahce are a very good club, with very good fans and some good players. It would be a very good final. We should keep the ball better in the first half. We should score more goals but to be honest they also created good chances. They gave us some problems. They are a good team with a good manager. It is not a bad point. But we want to win. We want to win every game.”

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on his side’s winless start to the Europa League, where they have led three times but drawn all three games.

“Two tough away games. Of course when you are taking the lead, it [drawing] shouldn’t happen, we had chances to make a second goal. Disappointed not to win. At Old Trafford we have to win games.”

Jose Mourinho on Andre Onana’s performance: “Come on, he saved the result. My goalkeeper didn’t make a save, he made two impossible saves in 10 seconds. He was the most decisive player in the result. Of course he didn’t make 20 saves but he made two that were incredible.

“I know English media will say Manchester United didn’t play well but I think it would be fair to say we did an extraordinary match and we were better than them. A good result for Manchester United.”

Jose Mourinho was also adamant that Fenerbahce deserved to win the game and said his side had put in an “extraordinary performance”. United were rescued by an excellent display from goalkeeper Andre Onana, who Mourinho said was man of the match.

“They got a point against us, not us against them. We played amazing. If we play like this in the Turkish league we destroy everything because of course we played against a team with superior level than us. The Premier League has more quality, more intensity and more everything.

“I think my boys did an amazing match. Probably in England people will speak of two or three players for Manchester United who did not play, you do not know how many of us didn’t play. At the start we had four players out of the list, and we had injuries. We had to do a crazy puzzle. Our performance was extraordinary. I could not ask any more from the players.”

Jose Mourinho was in vintage form as he described referee Clement Turpin as the “best in the world” after he was sent off during Fenerbahce’s draw with former club Manchester United in the Europa League.

He told TNT Sports:

“I don’t want to speak about it. [After the match] the referee told me something incredible. He said at the same time he could see the action in the box and my behaviour on the touchline. I congratulate him because he is absolutely incredible. During the game, 100 miles per hour, he had one eye on the penalty situation and one eye on my behaviour on the bench.

“That is why he is the one of the best referees in the world!”