With the temperature on Erik ten Hag’s proverbial seat once again rising to scalding temperatures, a battered Manchester United travel to Portugal to face perennial European participants Porto on Thursday in Europa League play.

Despite an offseason vote of confidence from the club’s new ownership, defeats in the first six Premier League matches for the Red Devils have the Dutch boss in a precarious position. This past weekend’s damaging loss to Spurs only served to pose more questions about Ten Hag’s viability in charge.

Bruno Fernandes will be suspended for three domestic matches after his dismissal in that game, but will be available for this European road trip to captain the side.

Porto are sitting second in the Portuguese league table through seven games to begin the season, having dropped an early result to current leaders Sporting, and they were downed by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in their Europa League opener to put them in a European hole as well.

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Porto vs. Man United prediction, odds

• Moneyline lean: Man United (+145)
• Score prediction: Porto 0-1 Man United

Erik ten Hag’s spell at Manchester United is full of near-death experiences, and with the Dutchman on the brink again, he’s due for a classic gutsy win that takes him temporarily off the chopping block.

Porto needed a 43rd-minute red card to find a way through Arouca in league play on the weekend, and were beaten in Norway on their European opener despite playing nearly the entire second half a man up. Manchester United should win this game, and once again stave off the pressure for the time being.

The hosts were slight underdogs a few days before the match, but on the morning of the game they have seen their prospects shift hard in the market, now established as somewhat clear favorites while Man United’s moneyline odds have ballooned up towards the 2/1 range from their old place at around +140.

Porto vs. Man United match facts

• Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
• Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
• Location: Estadio Do Dragao (Porto, Portugal)
• Referee: Tobias Stieler (GER)
• Last meeting: Porto 0-1 Man United (April 15, 2009 | Champions League)

Porto vs. Man United best bet

• Pick: Under 2.5 total goals
• Odds: +105 (BetMGM)

Man United have been leaky at the back in Premier League play to start the season, but Andre Onana has done relatively well in keeping other teams from running up the score. Erik ten Hag is likely to play this match conservatively, knowing that in the grand scheme of things, a road point at Porto is a totally acceptable result.

Last year’s European road trips for Man United got real weird, but their 2022/23 Europa League results are likely a better indicator of what to expect this season, when they went over the total just once in three group stage matches, all wins.

Porto vs. Man United prop bet

• Pick: Man United over 2.5 total cards
• Odds: +104 (FanDuel)

Manchester United have struggled mightily with discipline this season, having picked up the third-most yellow cards of any Premier League club this season despite committing just the 11th-most fouls.

Add that in with today’s match official, Bundesliga referee Tobias Steiler, and you have a perfect recipe for yellow cards to flow. Steiler issued 6.67 bookings in three Champions League matches last season, the most of any official who took charge of three or more UCL games. He hasn’t been shy about letting them fly in recent Europa League games either, issuing six yellow cards back in February in a game between Marseille and Shakhtar Donetsk, and five between Benfica and Rangers in March.