Ruben Amorim got his first win as Manchester United head coach, defeating Norwegian outfit Bodo-Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League at Old Trafford.
The former European champions took the lead inside a minute when Alejandro Garnacho tapped home following a mistake from visiting goalkeeper Nikita Khaikin.
However, some sloppy defending meant United soon found themselves trailing, giving up two quickfire goals that allowed the Norwegians to take a shock lead.
A clinical brace from Rasmus Hojlund on either side of the interval put United back in control and – despite a nervy ending – it proved enough for Amorim’s side to secure the victory.
With lots to discuss, here are five talking points from the game.
Hojlund showcases his goalscoring prowess
It took a timely intervention just before half-time from the young Dane to conjure up an all-important leveller with a fantastic touch and finish, cushioning the ball with his left foot before volleying in with his right.
He then grabbed his second of the evening five minutes after the break – getting on the end of Manuel Ugarte’s low cross to tuck away what ultimately proved to be the deciding goal.
Having received harsh criticism recently, some punters had begun to question Hojlund’s suitability for his team – citing the need for a potential new striker to take his place. But, after this display, they can have no doubts.
The 21-year-old is a forward who thrives off proper service, and he certainly got that on Thursday evening. Hopefully, this clinical display will become a regular feature under the new coach.
Amorim gets off the mark
It was a first victory for the newly appointed tactician, and it could be an important one as the North-West giants strive to get back in contention to qualify for the knockout stages.
Amorim will be relieved that he has registered three points in only his second game, preventing any negativity that would no doubt have surfaced had his team failed to get a positive result against their Scandinavian counterparts.
It wasn’t pretty at times, but there was a structure to the home-sides play, and you could see what they were trying to do.
Despite some old habits lingering, positive signs are already visible under the Portuguese.
Malacia makes long-awaited return
It was a big night for Tyrell Malacia, who was making his first appearance following 18 months with a nightmare spell on the sidelines through injury.
The Dutchman started in a left wing-back role and performed admirably in the early exchanges, providing an outlet in attacking transitions.
Unfortunately, he was caught out for Bodo’s second goal, and his rustiness showed as Philip Zinkernagel beat the 25-year-old in a foot race and scored to give his team a shock lead.
The Rotterdam native was withdrawn at half-time, having come through 45 minutes unscathed. It will no doubt come as a welcome relief for the player and club that he is finally back in action after his injury hell.
Mazraoui shows his class once more
It was yet another top performance from Noussair Mazraoui.
The versatile Moroccan again started as the right-sided centre-half in a back-three but provided a fantastic assist for Hojlund’s first with a clever cross.
Amorim has hailed the former Bayern Munich defender as an ‘incredible player’ and stated the 27-year-old is the ‘future’ of the club.
It is high praise but well-deserved based on Mazraoui’s performance levels this season.
Returning players to provide more options
It seems to have come as a timely boost for the 20-time English champions with so many players returning from injuries.
As well as Malacia, Mason Mount was back in the starting line-up for the first time since August, while Ugarte – who was quietly excellent in midfield – also returned to the XI following a stint on the bench at Ipswich last weekend.
There was another second-half cameo for long-term absentee Luke Shaw, who replaced Lisandro Martínez for the final half-an-hour to gain more crucial minutes.
Talented youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro are also expected to be back on the pitch soon – with England midfielder Mainoo even named on the bench for the Europa encounter against Glimt.
This is great news and makes for a positive change to the consistent injury plight of last season.
What did you make of Manchester United’s win over Bodo-Glimt in the Europa League?
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