Manchester United 1-1 FC Twente: Red Devils held at Old Trafford in Europa League opener

In their inaugural encounter, Manchester United played to a 1-1 draw against FC Twente at Old Trafford, marking the commencement of their Europa League campaign.

This season represents Manchester United's fourth participation in UEFA's secondary European competition since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson eleven years ago. They began their journey against a club where Erik ten Hag initiated his professional career, having been a devoted Twente supporter in his youth.

The visitors were the first to threaten the goal, with Sam Lammers receiving a pass in the penalty area, though he failed to convert the opportunity.

As the match progressed, the home team began to assert their dominance, with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen both having their attempts blocked. Just ten minutes before halftime, Eriksen celebrated his third goal in two matches at Old Trafford, capitalizing on a loose ball in the box and striking it into the top corner, thus giving the Red Devils a 1-0 advantage at the interval.

Joseph Oosting’s Twente squad emerged from halftime with renewed vigor, taking control in the early moments of the second half.

Their efforts nearly bore fruit just before the hour mark when Sem Steijn attempted to curl a low free kick into the far corner, but Andre Onana was quick to react, managing to parry the shot away.

In an effort to regain momentum for United, Ten Hag introduced Alejandro Garnacho shortly after the hour mark.

However, the visitors equalized in the 68th minute following a remarkable run by Bart van Rooij. Although the fullback was dispossessed, Eriksen's hesitation on the ball allowed Lammers to seize the opportunity, advancing towards goal and beating Onana at his near post.

In response, Ten Hag made a significant tactical shift, bringing on Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Rasmus Hojlund in a triple substitution to invigorate the team.

Fernandes and Garnacho both had attempts that narrowly missed the target, resulting in United being unable to secure a victory. Consequently, the Red Devils failed to earn all three points against one of the lower-ranked teams in the tournament.

In light of this outcome, Twente will be encouraged, having been considered underdogs prior to the match.