Fenerbahce rallied from a goal down to hold Manchester United to yet another Europa League tie this evening, foiling the Reds in Istanbul.

Despite the overwhelming sense of frustration, Manuel Ugarte’s strong performance and beginning to establish his value provided a glimmer of hope in the middle of the park.

The Uruguayan, who usually plays aggressively, is trying to get back into form. He was part of a midfield pivot in front of the back four with goal scorer Christian Eriksen.

With an incredible 10 defensive actions, the 23-year-old came right in and was a huge presence protecting the backline.

The highlight of the game was an incredible clearance off the line that kept the hosts at bay prior to halftime.

He led the club in interceptions with three during his all-action performance, and in a desperate defensive effort, no teammate made more clearances (4) or blocked more shots (1) than him.

In addition, he made two tackles to assist relieve some of the pressure that Jose Mourinho’s hard-pressing squad was applying.

He committed four fouls, which is twice as many as any other player wearing a United shirt, and his unyielding style wasn’t always flawless.

The midfielder’s skill with the ball was questioned when he joined from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, but he was precise with his passes in Istanbul.

He completed 88% of his attempted passes, finding his man 37 times.

After the match, Paul Scholes expressed his opinion on TNT Sports that Ugarte gave his “best performance for Manchester United.”

The Uruguayan is eager to build on his impressive performance tonight and hopes to be included in Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup for Sunday’s match against West Ham.