Erik ten Hag's signings shone as Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The under fire United manager made a shock selection call for the match, with defender Noussair Mazraoui deployed in the attacking midfield role in the absence of the suspended club captain Bruno Fernandes, while Victor Lindelof partnered Matthijs de Ligt in the heart of defence.
It didn't take long for the gamble to pay-off though, as Christian Eriksen fired United into an early lead after a fine counter-attacking move started by Manuel Ugarte, in which Mazraoui played an integral role with a clever pass in the box to keep the chance alive.
United nearly had a second moments later when Marcus Rashford cut inside onto his left foot and drilled a shot wide of the post, while at the other end Ugarte performed an heroic block to deny Fenerbahce a certain equaliser.
Fenerbahce would be denied again against the odds before half-time as Andre Onana produced a sensational double-save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri and keep his side ahead going into the break.
En-Nesyri wasn't to be denied a third time though, as he drew Fenerbahce level just four minutes after the restart when he headed home from close range following some dire defending from both Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof. Ten Hag took the equaliser as an opportunity to revert to a more typical approach, with Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro introduced from the bench as Mazroaui returned to a full-back role.
There was to be more drama moments later, as Jose Mourinho was shown a straight red card for his passionate appeal after Fenerbahce were denied a penalty when forward Bright Osayi-Samuel went down in the box under pressure from Ugarte.
A draw seemed like a fair result in a dramatic match that saw Fenerbahce enjoy the better of the chances, as United extended their unbeaten run to four matches ahead of the weekend trip to face West Ham.
Here is how we rated the United players in the match:
1. Andre Onana - 8
A truly world-class double save in the first-half to keep United ahead. Little he could do about the leveller. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
2. Matthijs de Ligt - 6
A solid defensive performance but could perhaps have offered more physicality in the backline against En-Nesyri. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
3. Victor Lindelof - 4
Had acquitted himself reasonably well at the heart of the United defence but was brushed aside with ease for the equaliser. Taken off shortly afterwards. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
4. Diogo Dalot - 5
Gave away far too much space down the right-hand side and was torn apart for the equalising goal. Didn't offer enough going forward. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images