Højlund is a hero. Manchester United player ratings for the match against Viktoria Plzeň
Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
After Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United has been unable to find a replacement matching their ambitions. Even expensive transfers haven’t helped. Just a couple of weeks ago, a new coach, Ruben Amorim, who had long been linked with the Premier League, joined the team. Now, all hopes rest on him.
The first games under his management have left mixed impressions. On the one hand, there have been some unpleasant defeats in the Premier League and a challenging, albeit victorious, match against Bodo/Glimt. Today’s match against Viktoria Plzeň can be described similarly — Viktoria’s victory was certainly not out of reach. On the other hand, the individual performances of almost every Manchester United player have improved under Amorim.
Today’s match showed that the Red Devils still have a long way to go to return to the pinnacle of football. Yet despite all the challenges, the Reds are celebrating victory today.
But let’s talk about the heroes of this match instead…
Joshua Zirkzee
His start at Manchester United didn’t go well. The first thing Amorim said about Joshua was criticism, claiming Zirkzee should move toward the opponent’s goal rather than away from it. However, it’s precisely those backward movements that make him constructive: he plays a vital role in United’s quick counterattacks and transitions out of defense.
Amorim’s instructions weren’t in vain, though. Joshua hasn’t forgotten he’s a forward, constantly storming Viktoria’s penalty area, both with and without the ball, unafraid to fight and dribble.
In the second half, after his substitution, Manchester United’s midfield looked somewhat bleak — Viktoria was able to control the ball too easily.
Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez
If it weren’t for them, there would have been more goals against Onana. The Devils struggled in this match due to Viktoria’s aggressive play — under their active pressing, Onana made a crucial error leading to a goal. Frankly, after this match, it feels like only this trio knows how to defend: the rest of the players, while present near their goal, allowed Viktoria’s players too much freedom. Ultimately, it was up to the nominal defenders to save the situation.
Rasmus Højlund
While Zirkzee brought structure to the attack, it was Højlund who made the difference. As soon as he entered the field, United began to systematically create chances. Rasmus not only scored two goals but also set up several excellent opportunities for his teammates. As long as Amorim has Højlund, there’s no need to even consider signing Viktor Gyökeres. What’s worth waiting for, however, is Rasmus’s growth into a world-class forward.
Honorable mentions:
Amad Diallo. While his stats weren’t the most impressive, he posed the main threat to Viktoria’s goal. Not with his shots — though he was involved in United’s goal after a brilliant dribble and shot deflected by the goalkeeper, allowing Højlund to push the ball into the net — but with his general intent to drift into the penalty area, dribble, and deliver dangerous passes.
Antony. Yes, Antony performed well. Coming on in the 60th minute, he managed four shots (one on target), regained possession three times, delivered several dangerous passes into the penalty area, led a threatening counterattack, and set up Fernandes for a long-range effort. Antony clearly wants to be a top player and make a difference. He gave it his all today.
Player ratings:
- Antony – 7
- Garnacho – 6
- Dalot – 7
- Diallo – 7
- Zirkzee – 7
- Casemiro – 8
- De Ligt – 8
- Mazraoui – 8
- Malacia – 7
- Martínez – 8
- Mount – 7
- Onana – 6
- Rashford – 7
- Ugarte – 6
- Fernandes – 8
- Højlund – 9
