Can Amorim Lead United to Europa League Success in 2025?
Ruben Amorim claimed his first win as Manchester United boss on Thursday evening, and he was certainly made to work for it.
An early goal for the second consecutive match came courtesy of Alejandro Garnacho this time around, who opened the scoring after only 50 seconds against Bodø/Glimt. He had Rasmus Hojlund to thank for it, though, as the Dane’s closing down provided Garnacho with perhaps the easiest chance to add to his tally that he’ll have this season.
Then, as somewhat expected, United’s all-too-familiar cracks began to rear their ugly head again when the Norweigan outfit levelled the tie in the 19th minute before taking the lead through Philip Zinckernagel four minutes later, leaving the Old Trafford faithful stunned into silence. The Reds were completely torn apart by the unrelenting visitors – a sight fans have, unfortunately, grown accustomed to over the last two seasons.
The early matches of a new head coach’s tenure provide players with the opportunity to really make a name for themselves and demonstrate why they deserve to see their name on the teamsheet week in, and week out. After being left out of Amorim’s first starting XI last Sunday, Hojlund entered last night’s contest with a point to prove – and that he did.
A five-star display from Hojlund in United vs Bodø
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
He drew the scoring level on the stroke of half time with an easy-on-the-eye finish that was undoubtedly the most mesmerising of his career thus far. His technique to steady himself before poking his effort through the two defenders and past the unaware Nikita Khaikin was the exact kind of flair supporters have been begging to see from their No.9 since his £72 million move in 2023.
Hojlund bagged his second of the night moments after the interval, converting a close-range effort with ease after doing superbly to get in a perfect position to get on the end of Manuel Ugarte’s driven cross while keeping his line. The 21-year-old eventually saw his efforts rightfully recognised with the Player of the Match award, although for him, retaining his place up top against Everton on Sunday will be the real reward.
Alas, the Reds claimed only their second win in Europe this campaign. They sit 12th-placed in the new-look Europa League standings, meaning there’s significant work to do if they want to avoid any unnecessary play-offs to seal their progression.
Lifting the trophy in Bilbao next May would not only provide Amorim with the lucrative acclaim of securing silverware in his maiden term but also ensure United have their name in the hat for the 2025/2026 Champions League, which is where a club of their calibre simply has to be each season.
June’s final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid drew in a remarkable 450 million global viewers, according to ExpressVPN. As a matter of fact, it was the eighth most-streamed sports event of 2024, with football unsurprisingly occupying another three places in the top 10; Copa America, won by Argentina, was ninth, the Africa Cup of Nations, won by Ivory Coast, was seventh and Euro 2024, won by Spain, took the top spot in first.
