Manchester United defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in Ruben Amorim’s debut Europa League game at Old Trafford. Rasmus Hojlund scored twice. The Red Devils trailed late in the first half against Norwegians Bodo/Glimt. But rallied to win their second Europa League game after sacking Erik ten Hag. After starting the season with three consecutive draws. United scored in the second minute of former Sporting Lisbon manager Amorim’s debut match in charge of Ipswich on Sunday.
They broke the deadlock against Bodo/Glimt in less than 60 seconds. A horrible back pass put visiting goalkeeper Nikita Haikin under pressure. Hojlund blocked his clearance, allowing Alejandro Garnacho to tap into an empty net. However, United’s defensive weaknesses were exposed as Hakon Evjen equalised in the 19th minute. Philip Zinckernagel put Bodo/Glimt ahead four minutes later.
Manchester United appeared to be out of ideas until the stroke of halftime when Noussair Mazraoui’s cross found Hojlund, who flicked the ball up with a brilliant touch and calmly volleyed into the bottom corner. Within five minutes of the restart, the hosts regained the lead when Manuel Ugarte squared the ball for Hojlund to score. The referee waved play on after goalkeeper Andre Onana saved beyond his area, saving United from a significant loss.
Ruben Amorim stays to ground after first win
But Ruben Amorim’s men hung on to give their new coach a successful home start. Amorim made six changes from Sunday’s Premier League tie against Ipswich, including introducing Hojlund to the starting lineup. The 21-year-old striker has not been steady since signing from Atalanta in 2023. But he doubled his season total with two superb finishes against Bodo.
Ruben Amorim warned that his team would have to suffer while adjusting to his new style, and that proved true against Bodo/Glimt, as Norway’s champions showed some obvious flaws. The team’s pressing was significantly more impressive with Hojlund and Mason Mount in the front three, but there were issues back in defence. Man U will face Everton at home on Sunday.
