26 september 2024 : Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed frustration over his players’ lack of killer instinct following a 1-1 draw with FC Twente, the Dutch club he once played for, in the revamped Europa League on Wednesday.
Sam Lammers took advantage of a mistake by Christian Eriksen in the second half at Old Trafford, equalizing for the visitors after Eriksen had given United the lead with a stunning strike in the first half.
“You could see it was the game of their lives. They fought for every inch, while we didn’t,” Ten Hag said. “99% is not enough; you have to give 100%. You must kill the game and finish it off.”
Eriksen had opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a powerful shot into the top corner, celebrating with the home crowd. However, it was Twente’s fans who ended up celebrating when Lammers scored in the 68th minute, finding the net at Andre Onana’s near post.
“There’s still a lot of football to play when you’re one up, and the game lasts more than 90 minutes,” Ten Hag added. “You have to fight until the end and score that second goal.”
The Europa League has introduced a new format with 36 teams, moving from a traditional group stage to a league system where each team plays eight matches against different opponents through January.
In other matches, Galatasaray defeated PAOK 3-1, with Victor Osimhen making an impact by contributing to an own goal and assisting the winner. Lazio cruised to a 3-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv, while Real Sociedad and Nice played to a 1-1 draw. Hoffenheim earned a point in a 1-1 draw against Midtjylland, and Anderlecht claimed a 2-1 win over Ferencváros.
Earlier, Bodø/Glimt and AZ Alkmaar recorded victories. Bodø/Glimt overcame Porto 3-2 with two goals from Jens Petter Hauge, while Alkmaar edged past Elfsborg 3-2 with a late penalty from Troy Parrott.
Ahead of a late game between Dynamo Kyiv and Lazio, approximately 60 Lazio fans were stopped by German authorities in Hamburg while trying to evade a police escort, found to be carrying weapons. They were barred from attending the match, but no arrests were made. Dynamo is currently playing its home Europa League matches in Hamburg due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.