Højlund destroys Bodø/Glimt and gives Amorim Manchester United’s first win | Europa League

Ruben Amorim received a rapturous welcome from the Old Trafford crowd and then secured a comfortable victory in his first home game as Manchester United’s sixth number 1 in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Like the five predecessors of the last 11 years, Amorim also suffered. Under the Europa League lights shining on Bodø/Glimt’s 6,714 celebrating fans, it was a usual reception in the theater of thrills as his new team had narrowly managed to win.

As the fight came to an end, Andre Onana burst from his penalty area, slipped, passed the ball to the opposition and United were lucky to escape. Seconds later, Garancho missed a golden chance to make it 4-2.

The passage sums up United well: both in terms of that evening and the challenge that Amorim has accepted. Three points was a pleasing start in front of his own crowd, but his reign is sure to bring with it plenty of bumps, bruises and who knows what else.

How Amorim’s 3-4-3 might fare is the latest hot subplot in the feverish United soap opera.

The jury was out at half-time as his team took the lead, conceded two goals and then got a nice equalizer from Højlund, in which the No. 9 allowed Noussair Mazraoui’s right-footed strike to juggle to the left, from which he fired a sharp volley.

But what preceded that was the same United story of being unable to maintain a lead and being too easily punctured.

Bodø/Glimt arrived as Norway’s champions, kept a player-coach staff on their bench, a first for this observer, and then conceded a goal after 46 seconds. Antony’s opening contribution was to roll over on the right touchline, while the unfortunate throw-in he conceded led to Garnacho’s opener.

Jostein Gundersen played the ball to Nikita Haik, the goalkeeper dawdled fatally, Højlund pushed, fell over, headed the ball forward and the left winger tapped into the empty goal.

Could United have been quicker than Marcus Rashford’s finish at Ipswich (which lasted two minutes) to avert the ensuing fade on Sunday? No, was the answer.

Amorim’s analysis of the 1-1 draw states that “we lost the ball too many times”. When Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte did just that, the 39-year-old turned away in disgust.

Mount soon offered an unwanted replay and suddenly the yellows were buzzing upwards and had Philip Zinckernagel not stumbled as he shot, André Onana’s goal might have been broken through.

When Hakon Evjen and Zinckernagel did so, they took around half the time it took Omari Hutchinson to score Ipswich’s equaliser, meaning Amorim’s United were going backwards by that metric – and fast.

Every goal was too easy. Evjen’s shot into the top left corner came from a hole in United’s middle. A pass came into this zone, Sondre Brunstad Fet received the ball, played No. 26 and finished the ball.

Tyrell Malacia, in his first United appearance since May 2023, was next to make a statue as Zinckernagel chased down a long ball and beat Onana. Had Evjen not run a few moments later, United would have found themselves 3-1 behind.

They were as chaotic as they had been during Erik ten Hag’s entire reign. Matthijs de Ligt coughed the ball up to Jens Petter Hauge, who, symptomatic of the disorder, shot forward into his penalty area.

When Højlund struck just before half-time it was welcome, but Amorim had to talk smart at the break to strengthen his team.

Diogo Dalot for Malacia was the Portuguese’s substitution in the second third, with Mount initially bouncing the ball off Bodø/Glimt’s frame. Better followed: Clever one-touch football brought Ugarte to the right and his cross was finished by Højlund in classic predatory style.

The Dane appeared to be offside, but United didn’t care. Amorim’s poker face remained, as did his preference for a technical pace. United, often defending in fours, should have broken away through Garnacho but he waited an eternity to pull the trigger.

Now there is a triple change from Amorim: Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo and Rashford came in for Lisandro Martínez, Antony and Mount. A little later, Casemiro came on for De Ligt as substitute number five.

The Brazilian took over the Dutchman’s central defender spot. The visitors were turned around when Shaw found Højlund and the ball was scattered in a move that culminated in Diallo (twice) and Fernandes seeing their attempts saved.

The marauding Rashford missed from an angle from the right. Amorim would be relieved at the final whistle if the lead remained. This happened – just – after Onana saved a late free kick from Patrick Berg.