Rasmus Hojlund made a significant impact after entering the match as a substitute, scoring two goals to help Manchester United secure a 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Danish striker’s decisive moment came in the 88th minute when he capitalized on a pass from Bruno Fernandes following a free kick, sealing the win and propelling United into the top eight of the standings.
Having replaced Marcus Rashford in the 56th minute, Hojlund quickly made his mark by equalizing just six minutes later; his goal came after Amad Diallo’s shot was deflected by goalkeeper Martin Jedli?ka, setting him up for an easy finish.
At just 21 years old, Hojlund is already showcasing his talent, having netted twice in the previous round against Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt, bringing his tally to five goals across six appearances in the tournament.
“I feel great about scoring two goals, but the win is what matters most,” Hojlund expressed post-match. “My task was clear: go out and score two, using my abilities, making runs, and being confident in front of goal.”
United entered this match having suffered two consecutive losses in the English Premier League, falling to Arsenal (2-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-2)—results that placed them 13th in the league and left them eight points off the top four, underlining a slow start under new coach Ruben Amorim.
Mat?j Vydra, a former player for Burnley and Watford, opened the scoring shortly after the second half began, putting United behind.
With this win, United accumulated 12 points from six matches, achieving three wins and three draws in the Europa League, positioning them in seventh place overall.
Teams in the top eight will qualify directly for the Round of 16, while those ranked from ninth to twenty-fourth will enter a two-legged playoff.
In parallel action, Tottenham struggled with inconsistency, managing only a 1-1 draw against Rangers, leaving them in ninth place, while Rangers settled for eighth.
Substitute Dejan Kulusevski found the back of the net 15 minutes from the end, after being assisted by fellow substitute Dominic Solanke, which saved Spurs from defeat at Ibrox Stadium.
Previous matches had seen Spurs tie Roma 2-2 at home and suffer a 3-2 loss to Galatasaray, in addition to losing a high-scoring contest against Chelsea in the Premier League (4-3).
Hamza Igamane scored for Rangers at the start of the second half with a goal from a James Tavernier cross, on a notable return to Glasgow for Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou, who had led Celtic in prior years.
Lazio moved to the top of the standings with a convincing 3-1 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, aided by goals from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and veteran Pedro Rodríguez in the latter half. They now have 16 points from six matches, with Bilbao trailing in second place on goal difference.
Anderlecht’s 2-1 victory over Slavia in Prague positioned them in third place, while Lyon climbed to fourth after a narrow 3-2 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, leaving the German side in fifth.
In other results, substitute Sergio Peña leveled the score in stoppage time for Malmö, allowing them to hold unbeaten Galatasaray to a 2-2 draw, placing the Turkish team in sixth.
PAOK dominated Ferencvaros with a 5-0 win, and Roma also displayed signs of recovery with a 3-0 victory over Braga, marking their second consecutive win following a recent revival under new coach Claudio Ranieri, who had previously celebrated a 4-1 win over Lecce in Serie A.
Braga’s goalkeeper Matheus was shown a red card in the 68th minute while the score was still 2-0.
Rangers were scheduled to host Tottenham later that evening.
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Conference League, a youthful Chelsea side continued their unbeaten run, defeating Astana 3-1 during their trip to Kazakhstan.
Marc Guiu showcased his talents with two goals in rapid succession early in the match, the first coming from a solo effort in the 14th minute, and the second from a Pedro Neto cross, all while battling freezing conditions in Almaty.
The 18-year-old Guiu, who moved to Chelsea from Barcelona this summer, now has three goals in the competition.
Renato Veiga, aged 21, extended Chelsea’s lead with a header for their third goal, before Marin Tomasov pulled one back for the hosts just before the half-time whistle.
Pedro Neto was the only remaining player from the squad that recently triumphed over Tottenham (4-3) to secure Chelsea’s position at the top of the Conference League standings with 15 points ahead of their last league phase match.
Fiorentina had an emphatic 7-0 victory over LASK, while Legia Warsaw succumbed to Lugano at home with a score of 2-1. Additionally, Swedish club Djurgarden triumphed over Vikingur with a 2-1 victory in Iceland.