Manchester United got back to winning ways after beating Viktoria Plzen
SOCCER A-Z: Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday and Friday
By CHRIS WHEELER
Published: 14:38 EST, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 14:52 EST, 12 December 2024
Rasmus Hojlund once again came to Manchester United’s rescue as Ruben Amorim’ side came from behind to snatch their first away win in Europe in 21 months at the Doosan Arena.
Hojlund struck twice against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford a fortnight ago to give United victory, and the Dane climbed off the bench to do the same here and complete a comeback after another blunder by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
An insipid game of football at least saw United move up to fifth place in the Europa League table as they chase a top-eight finish to avoid a play-off later in the season. But they go into the Manchester derby at the Etihad in competition with City for which team is in the more wretched form at the moment.
It has been a sobering eight days for Amorim who has seen an unbeaten start ended by a defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and now this unconvincing victory over the Czechs. It was United’s first win in Europe since beating Real Betis in Spain in March 2023.
Czech midfielder Pavel Sulc had warned beforehand that Viktoria would make it ‘unpleasant’ for United and that was one word to describe a turgid first half of football.
Amorim cut a frustrated figure throughout, sinking to his haunches on the touchline and shaking his head at regular intervals as United laboured in the freezing conditions against average opposition.
Manchester United got back to winning ways after beating Viktoria Plzen 2-1 on Thursday
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice - after United went behind - to seal all three points for his side
Hojlund poked home from close range for his second goal which wrapped up the win
United’s head coach had warned about Viktoria’s unbeaten record at home in Europe this season but it consisted of wins over little-known Ukrainians Kryvbas and Heart of Midlothian in play-offs to reach the league stage of this competition, followed by a draw with Ludogorets and a more respectable win over Real Sociedad last month.
Joshua Zirkzee, chosen to lead the attack, upset Amorim more than another player in the white shirt of United. The Dutchman got a rebuke from his boss for giving the ball away early on, and had done so 15 more times before the whistle blew for half-time.
United spent much of the warm-up practising defending set-pieces after conceding three times from corners in the defeats to Arsenal and Forest, but they looked shaky again here.
Onana came out to claim an early free kick but misjudged it badly and only succeeded in clattering into Casemiro who needed treatment. Daniel Vasulin then charged down the Cameroon keeper’s clearance as he dithered in front of goal.
United were no better at the other end as Zirkzee struggled to ignite their attack. Amad Diallo had an opportunity on the break but Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes both threw their arms in the air as the little Ivorian ignored Fernandes’ run through the middle clear on goal and instead took the wrong option wide to Rashford.
Fernandes did manage United’s only effort of note before the interval when he forced a comfortable save from Martin Jedlicka from 25 yards, before Cheick Souare ended an utterly forgettable first half by curling wide from the edge of the box.
When a goal finally arrived within three minutes of the restart, it was little surprise that it came from a mistake. Onana was once again the culprit, five days after a costly error gifted Morgan Gibbs-White a goal against Forest.
This time, the keeper received a back-pass from Lisandro Martinez and considered his options over what to do next. He was about to play the ball short to Matthijs De Ligt, but thought better of it because there were two Viktoria players close by. Onana then inexplicably went ahead with the pass and Sulc stole in to win the ball and square it for Matej Vydra to score in an empty net.
Vydra won’t have scored an easier goal in his Premier League career with West Brom and Burnley, or his years in the Championship with Watford, Derby and Reading for that matter.
United were well and truly rattled and Rashford – who had been booked for a foul just before half-time – was very lucky to escape a second caution when he floored Sampson Dweh shortly afterwards.
Amorim immediately took Rashford off to prevent him being sent off, sending on Hojlund to lead the attack with the ineffective Zirkzee moving left.
Credit to Hojlund, he levelled the scores within six minutes. The goal owed much to the enterprise of Diallo who got the ball from substitute Antony and cut in front right, beating Viktoria skipper Lukas Kalvach before firing in a low shot. Jedlicka kept it out but the ball deflected to the feet of Hojlund who turned it in from close-range.
Mount missed a chance to snatch a winner when he was through on goal but Jedlicka smothered his shot, and it was left to Hojlund to be the hero again.
Fernandes got the assist with a clever free kick played low into the box, and Hojlund span Alexandr Sojka before burying his shot.