They always said there were two sides to Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. After the charming Jose took centre-stage before this game, it was the chippy Jose who created the headlines after it as he ended up in the stands here at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
What did he say to fourth official Jeremy Stinat after Fenerbahce were rightly denied a penalty for Manuel Ugarte’s minimal contact on Bright Osayi-Samuel in the second half? Or was it just because he strayed out of his technical area flapping his arms like a madman as the mood in the stadium reached boiling point?
We might never know, but it was enough for French referee Clement Turpin to show him a straight red card.
So off he went, brooding, muttering in the seats, furiously scribbling down instructions for his assistants to follow. No more Mr Nice Guy.
While Mourinho continued his one-man show, a Europa League tie was going on and it ended in another draw for Manchester United who have now won just once in their last 11 games in Europe – and even that required a last-minute penalty save from Andre Onana to see off FC Copenhagen exactly a year earlier.
Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands as his Fenerbahce side drew 1-1 with Manchester United
Youssef En-Nesyri earned Fenerbahce a point with a second half header in the Europa League
Man United remain winless in the Europa League following their third successive draw
Christian Eriksen continued his renaissance this season by firing United in front, but Youssef En-Nesyri came back to haunt Erik ten Hag’s side with another goal against them.
It was the sixth time in the last four ties in Europe that United have been in a winning position and failed to win, including their last two games season against FC Twente and Porto.
Mourinho had blagged and bluffed on the eve of this one, mischievously making United favourites to win the competition, but this is not as good as the team that he led to Europa League glory in 2017.
They came into it 25th in the 36-team table and finished in the lofty position of 21st, sandwiched between Viktoria Plzen and Elsborg. The cold reality is that the biggest club in English football are in the bottom half of both the Premier League and Europa League as we approach November.
Marcus Rashford squandered two good chances but United were also thankful more Onana heroics, making an incredible double save from En-Nesyri before half-time.
‘The saves are not important, the most important thing is the victory for the team,’ said Onana. ‘It is a big disappointment for me and the fans and for the club. As a Manchester United player, you have an obligation to try to win.’
In his efforts to outwit Mourinho without seven injured players and suspended captain Bruno Fernandes, Ten Hag took the surprise decision to play right-back Noussair Mazraoui as a No.10 even though he Eriksen and Joshua Zirkzee are a more natural fit for that role – and the Moroccan only returned to action off the bench last weekend after minor heart surgery during the international break.
At least Ten Hag had the satisfaction of seeing him involved in the opening goal in the 15th minute. Alejandro Garnacho broke down the left and pulled the ball back for Mazraoui. He touched it to Zirkzee who teed up Eriksen to guide a shot into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Christian Eriksen had given Erik ten Hag’s side a first half lead at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium
Eriksen produced a fine finish to put Man United in front after being set-up by Joshua Zirkzee
Andre Onana produced an incredible double save to deny En-Nesyri before the interval
Man United’s players swarmed around Onana to congratulate the goalkeeper for his heroics
The Dane also had two assists against Porto, so goodness knows where United would be in the Europa League without him.
The move began with Ugarte winning the ball off former United player Fred in midfield, and that was by no means the only important contribution from the £50million summer signing in his best performance for the club.
After Rashford fired millimetres wide following a mazy run into the box, Fenerbahce looked certain to equalise in the 23rd minute when Sebastian Szymanski’s cross squirmed under Onana’s body and left El-Nesyri with an open goal.
The Moroccan striker has previous against United after scoring twice when Sevilla knocked Ten Hag’s team out of the quarter-finals of this competition in 2023, but he was denied another goal here as Ugarte lunged in to block the shot with his left foot, and shortly afterwards stopped Osayi-Samuel in his tracks with a perfectly timed challenge in the box.
El-Nesyri must have thought he was certain to score again but Onana kept out his glancing header from Szymanski’s initial cross and then tipped over his follow-up effort from Dusan Tadic’s assist as United wobbled.
The lead lasted less than five minutes of the second half, however, as they once again proved incapable of holding onto advantage.
Allan Saint-Maximin switched onto his stronger right foot and the former Newcastle winger curled an outswinger into the path of En-Nesyri who had had drifted in between Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez. This time Onana had no chance as he was beaten by a downward header from close-range.
En-Nesyri headed the hosts level after half-time from Allan Saint-Maximin’s curled cross
The forward haunted Man United again having helped to knock them out back in 2023
Mourinho was dismissed by referee Clement Turpin after leading protests for a penalty
Mourinho was sent to the stands and later seen passing messages to his coaching staff
Ten Hag’s side have led in all three Europa League games before being pegged back for draws
‘Of course, when you take the lead, it shouldn’t happen,’ said Ten Hag. ‘We had chances to make a second goal and we’re disappointed not to win. At Old Trafford, we have to win games.’
The United boss sent on Rasmus Hojlund for Zirkzee, who once again proved to be a pretty toothless target man. His last act was to steer a simple pass to Rashford out of play.
Casemiro also came on for Lindelof and his brilliant through ball released Diogo Dalot but Rashford miscued in front of goal.
Then it became the Jose Mourinho show again, and everything else was largely forgotten.
