Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund was slammed by Danish media for his display in his country\'s Nations League defeat against Portugal on Sunday evening
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Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund in action for Denmark.
Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund has come under fire from Danish media following his recent performance for Denmark in the Nations League. Despite being included in the starting line-up against Portugal, the striker failed to make an impact in the 5-2 defeat.
The two countries faced off twice within four days in the Nations League quarter-finals. United striker Hojlund, who scored the only goal in the first leg as a substitute, was given a starting position in the second leg in Lisbon.
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The match went into extra-time with Portugal leading 3-2 on the night but the game tied 3-3 on aggregate after 90 minutes, and they added two more goals in extra time to secure their semi-final spot.
Hojlund was substituted at the 73-minute mark, replaced by ex-Arsenal forward Mika Biereth.
Danish media outlet DR was harsh in its critique of the 22 year old's performance, awarding him a lowly 2/10 rating, reports the Express.
The publication noted that he 'struggled' and made 'too many bad touches.' It was also suggested that he 'waited far too long to pass to an otherwise free Gustav Isaksen' during one part of the game.
Since his £72million transfer from Atalanta to United at the beginning of last season, Hojlund has had a challenging time.
Despite his talent, he has been inconsistently at Old Trafford under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, scoring just 24 goals in 82 appearances for the club.
The forward has been underwhelming in several key matches, failing to be in the right place at pivotal moments to score goals. With a need to step up his performance in the weeks ahead, he's tasked with showing his value to boss Amorim before the summer transfer period kicks off.
Hojlund did manage to score in United's last Premier League outing before the international break, contributing to a resounding 3-0 victory over Leicester.
Yet, that goal was just his third in the league this season, following a tally of 10 league goals in the previous campaign.
At the end of February, manager Amorim felt compelled to come to the player's defence, citing the team's shortcomings as part of the problem: "I think it's clear, we as a team aren't helping Rasmus. We don't create a lot of chances. We have a lack of threat and you can feel it in the games.
"I think Rasmus has a lot of potential. If we improve the way we play the game he will have more opportunities to score. He came here very young and, when you're young to be the No. 9 and play all the time, sometimes it's hard. It's everything together."