In their Europa League match on Thursday night, Manchester United and Fenerbahçe were reduced to a disappointing 1-1 draw.

A victory would have significantly restored the supporters’ faith in Erik ten Hag’s struggling team after they drew their opening two games of the season against FC Twente and Porto.

Regretfully, they did not have the finished product required to defeat the home team in a hostile environment.

The home team gradually became the dominant offensive force as United did little with their possession, despite their best efforts to quell the cacophony of jeers from the opening whistle.

Then, against the flow of play, United hushed the home crowd in the fifteenth minute. After receiving the ball in the box, Joshua Zirkzee returned it to Christian Eriksen. The Dane gave United the lead with a booming long-range shot.

Eriksen was one of the few players who really stood out for United, giving them their sole chance to win the crucial away game even if the Turkish team equalized in the second half.

In addition to his spectacular goal, Eriksen completed 42 of 51 passes with an accuracy rate of 82%, demonstrating his mastery of the ball at his feet. In addition to one of four long balls, he completed two of his four attempted crosses.

Interestingly, Eriksen provided the most crucial passes of any player on both teams with four.

The center-mid won one of just two ground duels, mostly avoiding physical contact.

Eriksen made one tackle and a clearing while dropping back to support his defense. He did well to maintain his position and was only dribbled past once.

In addition to his goal, Eriksen attempted two shots, one of which was blocked and the other on target.

Eriksen’s set pieces were one of the performance’s few drawbacks. Even though he attempted a few dangerous crosses from corners and free kicks, none of them found their target. However, this can be the result of Erik ten Hag’s inadequate set-piece strategy and lack of preparation.

In the end, Eriksen proved to be the pillar of United’s midfield and was among the few standout players on the pitch. One wonders how many more times the Dane will have to step up to score one of the team’s few goals.