Super-sub Hojlund nets double to rescue Man Utd win after Onana error

Super-sub Rasmus Hojlund struck twice to spare goalkeeper Andre Onana’s blushes as Manchester United came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory at Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Europa League.

The Red Devils bossed possession but initially struggled to create much of note, with Bruno Fernandes seeing a 25-yard drive well saved in what was otherwise a dour first half.

The match then exploded into life on 48 minutes when Onana’s wayward pass inside his own area allowed the hosts to take advantage, with former Watford and Burnley forward Matej Vydra firing into an empty net.

Ruben Amorim responded with a trio of substitutions that altered the complexion of the game and one of those changes delivered almost immediately as Hojlund touched in Amad Diallo’s deflected cross-shot on 62 minutes.

The away side dominated from that moment on and deservedly took the points when Hojlund rifled in Fernandes’ disguised free-kick two minutes from time.

The result means United have now won three of their six matches in the competition and are within reach of finishing in the top eight of the league phase.

Next up, United visit neighbours and reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the English top-flight on Sunday afternoon.

Ahead of the match and throughout this hard-fought contest, TNT Sports experts Owen Hargreaves and Robbie Savage were both keen to stress that Amorim is still trying to impose his game-style upon the players he has inherited.

Indeed, The Red Devils look very much like a side in transition with the Portuguese coach clearly experimenting with players in different positions to try and find solutions to some of their obvious travails both defensively and in attack.

It looked to be backfiring until his shrewd changes as Hojlund in particular delivered the goods on the European stage – yet again.

It ends a run of back-to-back defeats for the new United boss as he prepares for a high-stakes Manchester derby with opponents that have suffered a recent crisis of seven defeats in their last 10 matches.

Indeed, this win takes the heat off Amorim slightly and if he can oversee another shock victory similar to the 4-1 success he helped Sporting CP claim over City recently, it could yet be the catalyst for major improvement going forward – but he’ll surely need to find the right balance to his team right from the start to clinch the Manchester bragging rights.

Rasmus Hojlund (Man United). The 21-year-old Dane is usually Man United’s go-to man when it comes to Europe. He was perhaps a surprise omission from the starting XI, but he led the line superbly when he came off the bench and capped a dangerous showing with two crucial goals.

VIKTORIA PLZEN: Jedlicka 8, Markovic 7, Dweh 7, Jemelka 7, Cadu 7, Souare 7, Kalvach 7, Cerv 7, Vydra 8, Sulc 7, Vasulin 7. Subs: Prince Adu 7, Havel 6, Sojka n/a.

MAN UTD: Onana 4, Mazraoui 8, De Ligt 7, Martinez 7, Dalot 7, Casemiro 7, Fernandes 8, Malacia 5, Diallo 8, Rashford 4, Zirkzee 4. Subs: Hojlund 8*, Mount 7, Antony 7, Ugarte n/a, Garnacho n/a.

48’ – GOAL! – Viktoria Plzen 1-0 Man United: (Vydra). It’s a disaster for Andre Onana as he gifts the ball to Pavel Sulc, who rolls it across for Vydra to hammer into an empty net.

62’ – GOAL! – Viktoria Plzen 1-1 Man United: (Hojlund). The substitutes make an impact as Antony frees Amad, who bamboozles his man before seeing his deflected cross-shot from the right fall kindly for Hojlund to guide in from close range.

77’ – MAN UTD CHANCE! It’s a huge opening for Mason Mount as he looks to polish off a super counter, but his low shot from eight yards is brilliantly blocked by Martin Jedlicka in the Plzen goal.

88’ – GOAL! – Viktoria Plzen 1-2 Man United: (Hojlund). The Dane is at the double! Hojlund darts on to Fernandes’ clever free kick and rifles in what looks like being the winner.