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.


Iwobi hails Nigerian ‘unity’ with Super Eagles set for Morocco AFCON semi

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Iwobi hails Nigerian ‘unity’ with Super Eagles set for Morocco AFCON semi

  • The Nigerians take on AFCON hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday looking to continue the prolific form
  • “I feel like the difference is the sense of brotherhood, the family environment that we have created,” Iwobi said

RABAT: Nigeria star Alex Iwobi on Tuesday hailed coach Eric Chelle for creating a team spirit which has taken the Super Eagles to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations only two months after their dreams of World Cup qualification were ended in agonizing fashion.
The Nigerians take on AFCON hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday looking to continue the prolific form which has carried them to the last four.
They reached the final of the last Cup of Nations two years ago in Ivory Coast before losing to the hosts, while Iwobi also played in the side that reached the semifinals in 2019.
But he said a happier environment off the pitch — despite reports of rows with the national football federation over bonuses — was now helping bring out the very best in him and a team in its prime.
“I feel like the difference is the sense of brotherhood, the family environment that we have created for each other,” the 29-year-old Fulham star said at a packed press conference in the Moroccan capital.
“Of course at previous AFCONs we have done really well. The team was so strong but at the same time we were young and we were learning about each other.
“I feel like right now everybody is entering their prime, everyone is doing well for their clubs and you can see the joy and the chemistry we have when playing for our country.
“It is not just on the pitch, also off the pitch there is a big unity, we are a big family. It starts from the coach — he has brought that brotherhood.”
Nigeria limped through their qualifying campaign for the World Cup and saw their dreams of making it to the finals go up in smoke with a play-off defeat on penalties against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rabat in November.
That was despite a notable upturn in form following the appointment of former Mali boss Chelle 12 months ago.
“We have always given 100 percent,” insisted Iwobi.
“In the World Cup qualifiers we wanted to win as well but it was a difficult moment for us, and we have used that disappointment as motivation to go and achieve something for our country, for ourselves, for our families.”

- Ndidi suspended -

Chelle, meanwhile, admitted that the presence of two recent winners of the African player of the year award in forward Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman made his job easier.
Nigeria are the tournament’s top scorers with 14 goals, including four for Osimhen and three for Lookman.
But it remains to be seen how they cope against Morocco without suspended skipper Wilfred Ndidi in midfield — Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge is a likely replacement.
“We are a group and there are some very good players who are waiting for the chance to show something,” said Chelle.
Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked nation, will be hoping to make the most of home advantage with a crowd of almost 70,000 behind them at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
However, their coach Walid Regragui is well aware of the quality in the Nigerian ranks.
“We will need to be strong mentally but when you get to the AFCON semifinals you need to raise your concentration levels, run more to stop Nigeria taking a breather or be able to play with the same impact,” warned Regragui.
The man who led the Atlas Lions to the 2022 World Cup semifinals is under enormous pressure to win the tournament at home and knows there are plenty of critics who will be out to get him if he fails.
“In my country it’s like this — you need to accept that when you are the coach of Morocco,” he said.
“Every result you have critics. I stay focused on my team. I fight for my country and the critics every time. What I say to my players is I can’t fight about this. What is important is what they do on the pitch.”