But he still saw them rescue a point thanks an equaliser from Youssef En-Nesyri after they had fallen behind to Christian Eriksen's opener.
The result - a third straight draw in this competition - leaves Erik ten Hag's side sandwiched between Viktoria Pilzen and Elfsborg in the playoff positions of the Europa League on a night when the Dutchman had strangely decided to play Noussair Mazraoui in an unusual attacking role. The United manager will point to a vastly improved performance from a team who had conceded 17 goals in their last five away matches in Europe, although it could have been worse had Mourinho's pleas not fallen on deaf ears. Having lost 3-0 here under Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2004, at least United emerged relatively unscathed this time - unlike their old employee.
Ten Hag has described this competition as "a big target for us" this season but he sprang a surprise with his starting lineup by opting for Mazraoui to replace the suspended captain Bruno Fernandes as No 10.
The Moroccan - who occasionally played in that role under the Dutchman at Ajax - was one of four changes from United's victory over Brentford at the weekend, with Victor Lindelöf, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee also brought in.
This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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