In sub-zero temperatures and in a below-average game, Rasmus Hojlund climbed off the bench here in Plzen to light a fire under Manchester United.
As if scoring two more goals to give Ruben Amorim’s side another Europa League win wasn’t enough for Hojlund, he was involved in a heated row with team-mate Amad Diallo at the final whistle.
After watching United labour against the Czechs for the best part of an hour that Hojlund wasn’t involved at the Doosan Arena, Amorim was happy with both aspects of the Dane’s contribution.
The fall-out appeared to be over Hojlund refusing to pass to Diallo deep into injury-time in retaliation for the Ivorian refusing to pass to him moments earlier.
‘For me, it’s perfect,’ said Amorim with a smile. ‘In this moment, we need to feel something. If we need to fight each other, it’s like a family. When you don’t care, you don’t do nothing. When you care, you fight with your brother, with your father, with your mother. It’s a very good sign.
‘It’s a healthy thing. I let the players and the captain calm things down. If I think it’s too much, I will go inside the dressing-room but it’s their space. They have to talk, to fight. For me it’s a very good day for us.’
Manchester United got back to winning ways after beating Viktoria Plzen 2-1 on Thursday
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice – after United went behind – to seal all three points for his side
Hojlund poked home from close range for his second goal which wrapped up the win
It didn’t seem that way when another blunder from Andre Onana gifted Viktoria the lead shortly after half-time. The keeper’s awful pass out to Matthijs De Ligt followed his error against Nottingham Forest at the weekend when he was beaten by Morgan Gibbs-White’s tame effort.
But having struck twice against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford a fortnight ago to give United a Europa League victory, Hojlund did the same here after coming on to replace Marcus Rashford who was lucky not to be sent off.
In deciding the outcome of an insipid game of football, he pushed United up to fifth place in the table as they celebrated a first away win in Europe for 21 months since beating Real Betis in Spain in March 2023.
Amorim also avoided a third straight defeat after losing to Arsenal and Forest in the past nine days, but United go into the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Sunday in competition with City for which team is in the worst form at the moment.
‘The win is always better to prepare for the next game,’ added United’s head coach. ‘It wasn’t a great game but the way we gave a goal to the opponent it was important not to give up and I think we deserved the win.’
Amorim cut a frustrated figure throughout a dire first half, sinking to his haunches on the touchline and shaking his head at regular intervals as United laboured in the freezing conditions against average opposition.
He had warned about Viktoria’s unbeaten record at home in Europe this season, but it consisted of wins over little-known Ukrainians Kryvbas and Heart of Midlothian in play-offs to reach the league stage of this competition, followed by a draw with Ludogorets and a more respectable win over Real Sociedad last month.
No-one summed up United’s wretched performance better than Joshua Zirkzee, who was chosen to lead the line but struggled to even keep hold of the ball.
Plzen had taken the lead through Matej Vydra after he pounced on an Andre Onana mistake
However, Danish international Hojlund was on hand to rescue the match for the Red Devils
Ruben Amorim (right) watched on as his side got back to winning ways on Thursday night
The Dutchman got a furious rebuke from his boss early on for giving the ball away, and remarkably had done so 15 more times before the whistle blew for half-time.
But it was Onana’s mistake that inflicted most damage on United within three minutes of restart, having already left Casemiro needing treatment by clattering into his teammate in the first half.
Onana wisely decided not to pass out to De Ligt with two Viktoria attackers close by, but then changed his mind and did it anyway. Pavel Sulc stole in to win the ball and squared it for Matej Vydra to score in an empty net.
Vydra won’t have scored an easier goal in his Premier League career with West Brom and Burnley, or his years in the Championship with Watford, Derby and Reading for that matter.
‘We have full belief in Andre,’ said United captain Bruno Fernandes. ‘He’s a clever guy so we don’t need to tell him. It’s not about Andre making the mistake. We want to play from the back, and everyone knows we have to make the right decisions.’
Hojlund would probably have come on for Zirkzee, but Amorim decided to hook the ineffective Rashford when he floored Sampson Dweh having already been booked for a foul before half-time.
The introductions of Antony and Mason Mount also lifted United, but Hojlund will deservedly get the headlines.
Ironically, Diallo had a hand in the first goal six minutes after Hojlund came on as he cut in from the right and beat Viktoria skipper Lukas Kalvach before firing in a low shot. Martin Jedlicka kept it out but the ball deflected to the feet of Hojlund who turned it in from close-range.
Then in the 88th minute, he got his fifth goal in four games under Amorim to snatch victory. Fernandes deserves credit for playing a clever free-kick low into the box, and Hojlund span Alexandr Sojka before burying his shot.
‘I have seen Bruno do that before,’ said Hojlund. ‘He made a goal with Anthony Martial before and I thought I had a good opportunity as I’m strong and could push and spin and finish.’