Europa League table, which means if they can retain that position they automatically qualify for the final 16.
First half was scrappy and disjointed for United. But the subs had a real effect. Obviously Hojlund scored twice but the other three were effective. Good decision making by Amorim. He wasn’t afraid to shake things up. And it worked.
United hang on for the win. But that was messy.
90 mins (+3): Twice United have broken away with three free players and twice they have messed up the ending. United now holding on.
90 mins (+1) : Mazraoui booked for time wasting
90 mins: Five mins of added time to go.
That was great. Free kick by Fernandes from outside the box. He takes it quickly and pushes it low to Hojlund’s left. He’s guarded by a Plzen player but flicks the ball up with his left foot and turns and shoots into the goal. Brilliant!
87 mins: Hojlund has scored!
84 mins: United pressing hard. Garnacho on the left whips in a ball with teh outside of his foot. No result.
A minute later Mount goes close again from the right. Again thwarted by the Plzen goalie.
Garnacho and Ugarte are on. Casemiro is off but not sure who the other player is who is gone.
80 mins: Just 10 mins of regular time left. United should have been two clear by now. But they’re not … its still even.
76 mins: Somehow Mason Mount doesn’t score. A great move by United leads to three free United players in the Plzen box. Mount takes the shot but it’s smothered by the Plzen keeper. Another very good chance for United.
75 mins: Antony shot from outside Plzen area sails over the bar – and probably out the ground. That was way off.
72 mins: Plzen near miss!. New substitute Prince crosses from United’s right. Vydra latches onto the ball sending it just wide of Onana’s goal. That was close.
70 mins: Hojlund misses!. Fernandes whips a great ball in low from the left across the Plzen box. Hojlund slides in and just avoids contact.
68 mins: United pleas for a penalty. VAR says no. Another corner to United is whipped in. It is pushed out by Plzen.
67 mins: United pressing hard now. A ping png in the Plzen box is followed by another run into the box by Mason Mount. It’s a corner to United.
It’s Plzen 1 Man Utd 1
61 mins: Immediate reaction from United after those subs. Antony passes to Amad on the right. Amad moves into the area, tries to shoot with his left foot. It comes off a Plzen player and right to Hojlund who slots it in from 6 yards.
Antony and Mount on for Malacia and Zirkzee
59 mins: Great chance for Hojlund. He breaks away free and looks like he is one on one with the keeper. But he slows down, and shoots easily into Jedlicka’s hands.
58 mins: Zirkzee is robbed on the halfway line by a posse of three Plzen players. The commentator on the TV I’m seeing says Zirkzee has lost the ball way over a dozen times.
55 mins: So Rashford is off and Hojlund comes on. Amorim not wanting to risk Rashford getting another yellow or a tactical move?
53 mins: Rashford lunges in on Plzen’s right back Dweh. Lucky not to get booked? He’s already on a yellow.
52 mins: trying to dissect that goal – well not much to dissect other than a mistake.
50 mins: that goal was clocked at 48 mins. Just three mins after the restart. A bit of a disaster for United.
Onana gifts Plzen a goal. He tries to play out from his area. But messes it up. Vydra scores for Plzen.
And we are off. No subs as far as I can see.
A bit of a scrappy 48 minutes (we played three minutes extra time). Neither team really threatened that much although Bruno Fernandes had the best chance, forcing a good save from the Plzen keeper. Time for a sandwich.
45 mins: Marcus Rashford shown a yellow card after a blatant push on a Plzen player at the half way line. Nothing special comes from the resulting free kick.
43 mins: Plzen threaten with a curling shot from the left outside the box not quite sneaking in Onana’s top left corner.
40 mins: free kick to Plzen after a foul by Mazraoui outside the United box. Comes to nothing with one of a crowd of Plzen players heading it behind for a United goal kick.
37 mins: A lot of too and fro but nothing of substance. United look the more dangerous side but they can’t quite get the right passes to the right players.
Source: theguardian.com
