Hojlund scores 2 for Manchester United to give Amorim winning home debut in Europa League

Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund (No. 9) celebrates scoring their third goal with Manuel Ugarte during the Europa League match against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford Thursday. (Reuters)
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Updated 29 November 2024
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Hojlund scores 2 for Manchester United to give Amorim winning home debut in Europa League

  • Amorim: I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments
  • Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma

Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to beat Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday to give new manager Ruben Amorim a victory in his first game at Old Trafford.

Hojlund also set up the opening goal scored by Alejandro Garnacho in the opening minute of the game, but United still had to stage a comeback in order to stay unbeaten in the competition with two victories and three draws.

“I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments,” Amorim told TNT Sports “There was some confusion in the end, trying to hold on to the result, but the lads did a great job. They ran, they pressed, they tried to do the things we have worked on in the last three days and we won.”

After the visitors took a 2-1 lead, Hojlund equalized just before halftime and then scored the winner five minutes into the second half from close range, tapping in a cross from Manuel Ugarte.

After leaving Portuguese leaders Sporting Lisbon to replace the fired Erik ten Hag as United manager, Amorim made his debut in charge of United in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in the English Premier League with Marcus Rashford scoring 81 seconds into the game.

In the Europa League, the goal came even sooner.

Hojlund intercepted a back pass to goalkeeper Nikita Haikin to allow Garnacho to put United ahead in the fist minute.

Hakon Evjen equalized in the 19th minute with a perfectly directed first-time left-foot strike from the edge of the area and Philip Zinckernagel gave the Norwegian champion the lead, finishing off a fast counter after Tyrell Malacia failed to stop him. Malacia made his first senior appearance in 550 days and was substituted at halftime by Diogo Dalot.

Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma. Tottenham lost 3-2 to Galatasaray in the previous round, then beat Manchester City 4-0 away in the Premier League, and gave up a late equalizer against Roma.

Captain Son Heung-min gave Spurs an early lead with a fifth-minute penalty but Evan N’Dicka pulled Roma level in the 20th. Brennan Johnson restored the lead for Tottenham in the first half but the hosts couldn’t hang on as Mats Hummels salvaged a draw in stoppage time.

Earlier, Athletic Bilbao cruised past Elfsborg 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday to join Lazio and Frankfurt at the top the 36-team standings,

Lazio missed a chance to remain the only team with a perfect record after five games as they were held 0-0 by Ludogorets at Stadio Olimpico. In Spain, Adama Boiro, Benat Prados and Gorku Guruzeta all scored for Bilbao.

Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner, won 2-1 at Midtjylland.

Like in the new-look Champions League, the top eight teams after the eight-round league phase advance directly to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a playoffs in February.

Among other results, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce rebounded from their first defeat at Alkmaar (3-1) with a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague, Rangers won 4-1 at Nice, Ajax lost 2-0 to Real Sociedad and Braga eased past Hoffenheim 3-0.

Galatasaray drew 1-1 away at AZ Alkmaar after Victor Osimhen equalized for the Turkish club before halftime with his third goal in his last two Europa League games. Sven Mijnans scored early for Alkmaar, which finished the game with 10 men after substitute Kees Smit was sent off in injury time.

Georges Mikaukadze scored two goals while substitute Corentin Tolisso and Malick Fofana added one each for Lyon to rout host Qarabag 4-1.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv ended a four-game losing run with a 3-1 victory over Besiktas in a game that was played at a neutral venue in Debrecen, Hungary, after Turkish authorities decided not to host match.

That decision followed unrest after Maccabi’s recent Europa League game in Amsterdam, where at least five fans were injured in violent street attacks, after their team’s 5-0 loss to Ajax.

The game was played without fans at the request of Hungarian authorities.

Gavriel Kanichowsky, Dor Perets and Weslley Patati had a goal apiece for the Israeli team, while Rafa Silva netted for Besiktas.

Dynamo Kyiv lost its fifth straight game, this time 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen. The consolation goal for the Ukrainian team, scored by Vladyslav Kobaiev in stoppage time, was the first for Dynamo in the competition.

Conference League

Chelsea have been cruising the the third-tier Conference League with the fourth win from four after beating Heidenheim 2-0.

In a matchup between two teams that were perfect, Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock in the second half from close range before Mykhailo Mudryk roofed the second from inside the area.

Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei received his second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off.

Legia Warsaw remained the only other perfect team after a 3-0 win at Omonia.


Manchester United back on track after Fernandes inspires Wolves rout

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Manchester United back on track after Fernandes inspires Wolves rout

  • With Amorim growing increasingly tetchy in recent weeks, it was essential that sixth-placed United avoided an embarrassing result against bottom of the table Wolves as they moved within one point of the top four
  • Wolves have just two points after 15 games and if they fail to win either of their next two against Arsenal and Brentford they will equal Sheffield United’s longest winless start in the Premier League of 17 matches

WOLVERHAMPTON: Ruben Amorim said Manchester United had “improved a lot” after they climbed back into the race to qualify for the Champions League as Bruno Fernandes inspired a 4-1 rout of woeful Wolves on Monday.

Amorim’s side recovered from their disappointing draw with lowly West Ham last week thanks to Fernandes’ double and goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount at Molineux.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde had canceled out Fernandes’ opener with Wolves’ first goal in six games in all competitions and their first in the top-flight since October 26.

But Mbeumo, Mount and Fernandes netted after the interval to clinch only United’s second win in their last six matches.

United suffered an embarrassing 1-0 home loss to 10-man Everton on Nov. 24 and 10 days later boos greeted the final whistle following a 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford.

With Amorim growing increasingly tetchy in recent weeks, it was essential that sixth-placed United avoided an embarrassing result against bottom of the table Wolves as they moved within one point of the top four.

“I really enjoyed how we played the second half. We had good pace, good quality in the decisions. We finished the game and Wolves is in a difficult moment. It was a good evening,” Amorim said.

“We had some games against teams in better moments and had many shots. We need to improve the quality of the shots. We need to focus not just on scoring but protecting our goal.

“I think we improved a lot. If you compare last season and this season we are creating so much more chances and scoring more goals and having more real situations of danger, so I’m really pleased with that.”

Wolves’ eighth successive league defeat equalled their worst top-flight run since 1981-82 and left boss Rob Edwards still waiting for his first victory since arriving from Middlesbrough to replace the sacked Vitor Pereira in November.

Wolves have just two points after 15 games and if they fail to win either of their next two against Arsenal and Brentford they will equal Sheffield United’s longest winless start in the Premier League of 17 matches.

Derby’s Premier League record low of just 11 points in a single season is also under threat from dismal Wolves.

Perfect response

Diogo Dalot should have put United ahead in the opening moments when he raced clean through on goal, but the defender’s tame shot was palmed away by Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone.

Hundreds of angry Wolves fans boycotted the opening 15 minutes to protest against owners Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi.

When they returned to their seats, the Wolves supporters saw their former forward Matheus Cunha have a shot blocked before United took the lead in the 25th minute.

It was a shambolic goal in keeping with Wolves’ wretched campaign.

Andre’s wayward back-pass was intercepted by Cunha and when he flicked the ball to Fernandes, the Portugal midfielder initially slipped over before recovering to poke a weak shot that somehow evaded Johnstone as it crept over the line.

As boos rained down from furious Wolves supporters, United went for the kill and Cunha’s strike was cleared off the line by Toti.

United’s focus briefly wavered and Wolves snatched their long-awaited goal in first half stoppage-time.

Amorim’s men couldn’t clear a succession of crosses and David Moller Wolfe’s pass was turned in at full-stretch by Bellegarde from 12 yards.

But United provided the perfect response in the 51st minute.

A flowing move cut through the Wolves defense as Mount’s pass found Dalot and his unselfish cutback allowed Mbeumo to slot into the empty net.

In the 62nd minute, Mount timed his run perfectly to meet Fernandes’ cross with an emphatic volley from six yards.

Fernandes’ fourth goal this season put the seal on a one-sided contest as he stroked home an 82nd minute penalty after Yerson Mosquera handled.