Early morning of November 29, Man United faced Bodo/Glimt in the 5th round of Europa League. Right from the first attack, Man United scored the opening goal. Starting from a clumsy play by goalkeeper Nikita Khaikin, striker Hojlund quickly put pressure before Garnacho finished into an empty net.
It was thought that the "Red Devils" would have an easy match, but surprisingly, Bodo/Glimt rose up with 2 goals in just 4 minutes.
Midfielder Hakon Evjen's shot from the edge of the box gave Onana no chance of stopping it. Then it was striker Philip Zinckernagel's turn to easily eliminate Tyrell Malacia's marking and neatly finish through the legs of the Man United goalkeeper.
This was Tyrell Malacia's first match since a serious knee injury on May 28, 2023. The second goal showed that the 25-year-old defender has not reached his best form after being absent for 18 months.
At this time, many fans in the Old Trafford stands thought of a bad prospect for their home team. But coach Amorim remained calm, quickly corrected and changed the approach of his students.
This was confirmed by Hojlund's equalizer in the final minutes of the first half. After a well-placed pass from defender Noussair Mazraoui, the Danish striker controlled the ball neatly and then swung his foot to finish into the top of the net.
In the 50th minute, Hojlund sealed the day with a close-range tap-in from Manuel Ugarte's cross. In the following minutes, Man United slowed down and focused on defense.
However, they left many gaps for the opponent to exploit. If it weren't for the excellent performance of goalkeeper Onana and the Bodo/Glimt players who knew how to take advantage of opportunities, Man United would not have been able to secure 3 points in the final minutes of the match.
According to the British newspaper Guardian, Man United did not have a convincing victory. Striker Hojlund had a brilliant performance, but teammates like Garnacho and Mason Mount still wasted many opportunities, causing the home team to almost pay the price.
With two consecutive victories in the Europa League, Man United is currently ranked 12th, the same position in the Premier League. The "Red Devils" are only one point away from the top 8 and have many chances to go straight to the 1/8. Because in the last 3 rounds, they only have to face Viktoria Plzen, Rangers and FCSB respectively.
