First home win for Ruben Amorim as Hojlund brace helps United to narrow win

United made a breathtaking start as they did on Amorim’s debut at Ipswich, Garnacho scoring after 48 seconds, but quickly rediscovered one of the major failings that undid his predecessor Erik ten Hag.

Thu, 28 Nov, 2024 - 22:03

Ian Whittell, Old Trafford

Europa League: Manchester United 3 (Garnacho 1', Hojlund 45',50') FK Bodø/Glimt 2 (Evjen 19', Zinckernagel 23')

Ruben Amorim’s first home game as Manchester United manager ended in a much-needed victory thanks to two goals from Rasmus Hojlund and one inside the opening minute of his reign from Alejandro Garnacho.

That was the good news for United. But there was plenty of bad, also, especially defensively, as they almost managed to snatch disaster out of victory.

In five of the Dutchman’s last six games in Europe, United scored first and failed to win the game - the only exception to that pattern coming when they lost 1-0 to Bayern in last season’s Champions League.

Here, with the Norwegians scoring twice in four minutes midway through the first half to take the lead, United were in danger of repeating that basic, abject failure of game management.

At least, Hojlund took United in level at the break, scoring a superb second for his side on the stroke of half-time as Noussair Mazraoui chipped in an accurate pass and the Danish striker took a controlling touch.

Somehow, with Brice Wembangomo tightly marking him, Hojlund was able to latch onto his own touch and volley straight into the corner of the Bodo goal.

It was a more impressive piece of finishing than United’s opener had been, although Hojlund was again instrumental in that as he sprinted after a poor back pass from Jostein Gundersen.

Keeper Nikita Haikin panicked, under pressure from the United number nine, was dispossessed and actually looked to be pinning down Hojlund while Garnacho sprinted in to convert into an open net.

There were 48 seconds on the clock, an even faster goal than Marcus Rashford, scorer after 81, had netted in the weekend draw with Ipswich.

And, with it, Amorim’s first home game as United manager seemed to be set up for a routine and productive outcome. But, as the Portuguese coach has repeatedly warned since his arrival, re-imagining United in his image will take time and the Old Trafford crowd was about to see that claim evidenced.

The collapse started on 19 minutes after the Norwegians responded following a poor headed clearance from Matthijs De Ligt. Jens Hauge, Andreas Helmersen and Sondre Fet linked, with pace and precision, setting up Håkon Evjen who sent a thumping left-foot drive flying into the roof of the United goal from 18 yards.

It was a stunning, although sadly unsurprising, development given the form book under ten Hag and, just as seemed to be the case so often under his predecessor, Amorim was about to see his team quickly concede again.

Just four minutes later, Patrick Berg hit a sweet, long ball flying down the left wing and Philip Zinckernagel gave chase, easily outpacing Tyrell Malacia before beating Andre Onana with a powerful shot through his legs.

Malacia, starting his first game in 18 months, had looked decent on the ball, deep in Bodo’s half but, on his first test as wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, he had been horribly exposed.

It was no surprise that Malacia did not come out for the second half but, fortunately for United, the rest of their team did.

It was a much-improved start a sign, surely, of a top coach doing his job during the half-time interval - and, within three minutes, Mount had battered a strong shot against the bar.

On 50 minutes, with the pressure increasing, Mount played a superb back heel on the edge of the area, sending Manuel Ugarte darting into the area and his cross from the by-line was turned in by Hojlund, doubling his goals tally for the season in the process.

Garnacho should have scored a fourth soon after, his shot parried by the keeper, and Amorim was able to start utilising his bench before the hour was out, no bad thing given the long list of injuries his club has been wrestling with for months now.

But it was nervy stuff, with Onana having to save from Hauge’s shot and then sprinting from his area to tackle Kasper Hogh and Hauge, again, after an under-hit Diogo Dalot back-pass had almost let the visitors in.

Garnacho, again, and Rashford could have eased the growing tension inside Old Trafford, especially when Onana had to make an injury-time save from Berg’s free-kick, but the Amorim era at Old Trafford was under way.

Man United (3-4-3): Onana 6; Mazraoui 6, De Ligt 5 (Casemiro 66, 5), Martinez 6 (Shaw 60, 5); Antony 5 (Diallo 60, 5), Ugarte 7, Fernandes 7, Malacia 5 (Dalot 46, 5); Mount 7 (Rashford 59, 6), Hojlund 8, Garnacho 7. Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Heaton, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Mainoo.

FK Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3): Haikin 4; Wembangomo 5 (Sjovold 63, 5), Gundersen 6, Bjortuft 6, Bjorkan 5; Evjen 8 (Auklend 83), Berg 7, Fet 7 (Saltnes 71, 5); Zinckernagel 7 (Maatta 72, 5), Helmersen 5 (Hogh 63, 5), Hauge 6. Substitutes (not used) Lund, Nielsen, Espejord, Moe, Soril, Sorensen, Mikkelsen.

Referee: L Visser (Belgium) 7