100% long balls, 2/3 aerials won: Ten Hag must start £15m ace against Aston Villa, 25yo should be dropped - opinion
Manchester United drew 3-3 against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund secured a deserved 2-0 lead for the Red Devils, but they squandered the advantage before the break.
Porto took the lead shortly after the interval, but Harry Maguire salvaged a point with a header in stoppage*time.
Maguire came on for the final 12 minutes and delivered a lively cameo performance.
The Englishman completed 100 percent of his long balls, winning two out of three aerial duels. He had a passing accuracy of 88 percent with one recovery and one clearance.
The 31-year-old should get the nod in the starting line-up when United visit Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.
Villa are in superb form at the moment, with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran in rich scoring touch.
Both players are known for their physicality in and around the box. United will need someone who can handle the presence of the in-form striking duo.
Matthijs de Ligt had a poor outing last night where Samu Omorodion outclassed him for two goals.
The 25-year-old looked nervous with Omorodion’s presence, and United can’t afford the same against Watkins or Duran, who will capitalise on such moments.
Maguire is better equipped to handle the pair, and he should get the nod in the starting XI.
The £15 million-rated star delivered a perfect response against Porto on the back of being excluded from England’s squad for upcoming Nations League games.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com