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On Wednesday, September 25, Eredivisie’s FC Twente held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in the opening match week of the UEFA Europa League 2024-25, at the Old Trafford. After Christian Eriksen gave Manchester United an early lead in the first half with a curling right-footed strike, Sam Lammers levelled it up for FC Twente, and in the post-match interview, Erik ten Hag wasn’t happy with his team’s performance, while crediting the visitors for “playing the game of their life.”
In the first half, Manchester United controlled the proceedings against FC Twente across the pitch, building constant attacks to put their defence under pressure. They were eventually rewarded with the opener in the 35th minute when Christian Eriksen scored a thunderous goal inside the box from the left wing, which went past FC Twente goal-keeper’s outstretched left hand before hitting the top corner.
Sam Lammers scored the equaliser for FC Twente against Manchester United at Old Trafford
The second half saw FC Twente build some attacks against Manchester United, and in the 68th minute, Sam Lammers, who had dribbled his way into the opposition’s box from the right wing, got Andre Onana wrong-footed before putting the ball into the back of the net at the near post. Manchester United tried desperately to get the winner in the latter stages of the match, but FC Twente’s defence held firm to deny them.
During the post-match interview, Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, wasn’t pleased with his team for failing to get the better of his boyhood club Twente. He was quoted as saying, as per the Guardian, “You saw it was the game of their life, they fought for every yard and we didn’t and 99% is not enough; you have to give 100%, you have to kill the game, you have to finish it off. We are leading 1-0 and then there comes an atmosphere [poor approach] in the team. You have to go for the second goal and then you kill the game.”
Christian Eriksen, who has been in good form at the start of the 2024-25 season for Manchester United, scoring a goal against FC Twente earlier in the night, talked about disappointment of the team after failing to get the better of their Dutch opponents. He said, “We’re disappointed as a team. We wanted more but it was far from good enough in the end. They looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right. Personally, you score a goal, you think it’s going to be a matchwinner but it goes the other way.”
