Rasmus Hojlund used an Anthony Martial goal as inspiration for his winner to give Manchester United victory against Viktoria Plzen.
Hojlund started on the bench but came on and made a game-changing impact with two goals to help United come from behind on a cold night in the Czech Republic.
His first was a tap-in after smart work from Amad Diallo, but his second came via a cleverly disguised pass from Bruno Fernandes on a free-kick that caught the Plzen players off guard.
For Hojlund, although he hadn't practiced that exact sequence with his teammate, he had seen Martial score a similar goal in the past.
'I saw Bruno [Fernandes] do that sooner,” the Danish striker told TNT Sports.
“I remember the goal with Anthony Martial when he did the chip for him.
'I just thought I got a good chance because I'm strong. I was able to push the defender and make him turn and finish.”
The Martial goal Hojlund is referring to came against bitter rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford in March 2020.
The Frenchman avoided the attentions of Sergio Aguero and Fernandes was quick enough to outwit the roaming City players. In Plzen it was again his quick thinking that allowed Hojlund to score in the 88th minute.
It was a crucial win for United in their quest to go far in the Europa League.
But it was also a performance that left a lot to be desired, especially in the first half, where United looked slow and out of ideas in attack.
'We still need more time. It is still very early,” he said of players adapting to the demands of new head coach Ruben Amorim.
“It's about putting our routines together and getting there. But it still needs practice and time.
'I know it sounds strange, but we don't get enough time on the training pitch, so we have to train during the games. But it's getting better.'
He continued, “It was a little tough out there. It was very cold today and the field was also a bit boggy, but we solved that in the second half.
'I don't think we played too directly in the first half. We had to play over them and behind them more because there was space to run into.
“Especially with the waterlogged pitch I was talking about, if we win the second balls you can play from there.”
Comments