United move 5th in the Europa League table, which means if they can retain that position they automatically qualify for the final 16.

First half was scrappy and disjointed for United. But the subs had a real effect. Obviously Hojlund scored twice but the other three were effective. Good decision making by Amorim. He wasn’t afraid to shake things up. And it worked.

90 mins (+3): Twice United have broken away with three free players and twice they have messed up the ending. United now holding on.

90 mins (+1) : Mazraoui booked for time wasting

90 mins: Five mins of added time to go.

That was great. Free kick by Fernandes from outside the box. He takes it quickly and pushes it low to Hojlund’s left. He’s guarded by a Plzen player but flicks the ball up with his left foot and turns and shoots into the goal. Brilliant!

84 mins: United pressing hard. Garnacho on the left whips in a ball with teh outside of his foot. No result.
A minute later Mount goes close again from the right. Again thwarted by the Plzen goalie.

80 mins: Just 10 mins of regular time left. United should have been two clear by now. But they’re not … its still even.

76 mins: Somehow Mason Mount doesn’t score. A great move by United leads to three free United players in the Plzen box. Mount takes the shot but it’s smothered by the Plzen keeper. Another very good chance for United.

75 mins: Antony shot from outside Plzen area sails over the bar – and probably out the ground. That was way off.

72 mins: Plzen near miss!. New substitute Prince crosses from United’s right. Vydra latches onto the ball sending it just wide of Onana’s goal. That was close.

70 mins: Hojlund misses!. Fernandes whips a great ball in low from the left across the Plzen box. Hojlund slides in and just avoids contact.

68 mins: United pleas for a penalty. VAR says no. Another corner to United is whipped in. It is pushed out by Plzen.

67 mins: United pressing hard now. A ping png in the Plzen box is followed by another run into the box by Mason Mount. It’s a corner to United.

It’s Plzen 1 Man Utd 1

59 mins: Great chance for Hojlund. He breaks away free and looks like he is one on one with the keeper. But he slows down, and shoots easily into Jedlicka’s hands.

58 mins: Zirkzee is robbed on the halfway line by a posse of three Plzen players. The commentator on the TV I’m seeing says Zirkzee has lost the ball way over a dozen times.

53 mins: Rashford lunges in on Plzen’s right back Dweh. Lucky not to get booked? He’s already on a yellow.

52 mins: trying to dissect that goal – well not much to dissect other than a mistake.

50 mins: that goal was clocked at 48 mins. Just three mins after the restart. A bit of a disaster for United.

45 mins: Marcus Rashford shown a yellow card after a blatant push on a Plzen player at the half way line. Nothing special comes from the resulting free kick.

43 mins: Plzen threaten with a curling shot from the left outside the box not quite sneaking in Onana’s top left corner.

40 mins: free kick to Plzen after a foul by Mazraoui outside the United box. Comes to nothing with one of a crowd of Plzen players heading it behind for a United goal kick.

37 mins: A lot of too and fro but nothing of substance. United look the more dangerous side but they can’t quite get the right passes to the right players.

32 mins: Plzen get a free kick which is swung in from the left. United push it away to safety.

30 mins: Fernandes shot is beaten away by Plzen goalkeeper Jedlicka. The United player picks up the ball near his own half, pushes forward and lets loose a fierce, low shot just outside the box. Goalie did well.

28 mins: Plzen threaten – a great cross into the United box from the right but the Plzen striker, I think it was Vasulin, is offside.

26 mins: free kick on the right, 10 metres from the Plzen area. Fernandes delivers a good, fast ball into the box. Zirkzee rises, seems to get a touch with his head but it goes behind for a corner.

21 mins: Bruno Fernandes with the ball in the centre of the park pushing forward into the Plzen box. Passes out left to Rashford who shoots but way off.

20 mins: United passing the ball around with a bit more authority now. But they are not seeing a way through for Zirkzee or Rashford. Passes come to nothing.

17 mins: very scrappy at the back by United. Plzen pushing players forward and causing a bit of concern on the fringes of the United area. Danger is cleared and we are back in the Plzen half.

15 mins: Plzen are holding their own here. No real threat from United so far. But United have had most possession.

10 mins: all a bit nervy by United. A long Plzen throw is missed by United’s goalkeeper Onana. The ball is scrambled away.

8 mins: Plzen get a free kick ten metres outside the United area after a bad foul by Bruno Fernandes from behind. The resulting free kick leads to nothing but Casemiro is down injured.

6 mins: the corner comes to nothing.

5 mins: United have had most of the ball, probing down the left with Rashford. Zirkzee gets the ball inside the Plzen half and pushes into the area, shooting from about six yards. It goes out for a corner.

3 mins: quietish start from both sides.

The teams are out on the pitch and lining up – lots of music pumping out. Sounds noisy.

Hattrick Hero Rashford

One oddish thing I’ve seen on my scout around Internet – the Manchester Evening News has predicted a 3-0 win against VP. Marcus Rashford to get a hattrick.
The prediction comes after they plugged in the teams into EA sports game EA FC 25 and set it running.

You can read the match report here

A small note on the size of that stadium – 11,700 won’t be the smallest crowd that United will play in front of this season. Remember Bournemouth’s Vitality stadium only has a capacity of 11,464. That is small for a premier league club.

Interesting stats here.

It’s freezing in Pilsen/Plzen – literally.

Kick off in 13 mins.

And this is how they line up:

Plzen: Jedlicka, Dweh, Markovic, Jemelka, Cadu, Cerv, Kalvach, Souare, Vydra, Sulc, Vasulin.
Subs: Tvrdon, Baier, Hejda, Paluska, Kopic, Sojka, Mosquera, Panos, Havel, Sloncik, Jirka, Prince Adu.

Man Utd: Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Malacia, Amad Diallo, Rashford, Zirkzee.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelof, Maguire, Mount, Hojlund, Eriksen, Yoro, Garnacho, Antony, Ugarte, Mainoo, Collyer.

Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)

OMG: big news from Wikipedia

Just found out that former Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech was born in Pilsen/Plzen AND first played for what was to become Viktoria Plzen.

Wikpedia says: “Čech started playing football aged seven for Škoda Plzeň (later known as Viktoria Plzen). In his early days, he played as a striker, although he moved to the goalkeeper position after breaking his leg at age ten.”

This may not be news to most but more facts include that Cech is currently the goalkeeper/netminder for the Belfast Giants ice hockey team. More here if you are interested.

I would never have known this if I hadn’t been aimlessly scrolling.

Ok – about tonight and some team news:

Meanwhile – in Pilsen – United will be hoping to replicate their last win in Europe. And hoping to creep up that table.

Schadenfreude in Manchester

Things may not be exactly pumping at Old Trafford but for United fans there will be some amusement on the continuing travails of their neighbours in the city. Pep Guardiola’s team were beaten by Juventus on Wednesday 2-0 and are staring down the barrel of a possible exit from Europe.

City will hope to get their season back on track on Sunday when they take on ... United at the Etihad. Guardiola vs Amorim.

It is a truism in all sport that the only thing better than watching your team win is watching your arch rivals lose. If that can happen in the same match then double joy.

So if you are a United fan then you can revel in that latest European loss with the Guardian’s match report and a bit of analysis of the dismal defeat too.

Ok. Enough beer – now football.

Tonight’s match is an important one for United’s manager Amorim – it won’t just be about the Europa placing and trying to get into the automatic qualifying spots to progress to the last 16. He’ll also want to be put an end to a run of two bad defeats at Arsenal and at home to Nottingham Forest.

There has been a lot of commentary around how the new manager is trying out his new team – bringing players into new positions, shaking things up and seeing how they fare. But results will have to come.

A picture of a pint of pilsener in a pub in Pilsen

Important context

So some interesting factoids about Plzen – or Pilsen as it is translated – thanks to a little sheet that’s been produced in the run up to the match. The tourism department must be having a field day.

They point out:

Pilsen is the home of Pilsner beer – first brewed there in 1842.

Pilsen is also home of the Pilsner Urquell brewery (290 million gallons exported to more than 50 countries worldwide) which is handily within walking distance of the Doosan stadium. The sheet advises beer is a good way to warm up before the match (temperature will be about 0c)

It adds: “The outcome of the match needs to be properly discussed. Ideally in the city center with a good drink.”

The sheet also says: “Parts for the London Eye, Škoda trolleybuses in San Francisco, and Loviisa nuclear power plant in Finland were all produced in Pilsen.”

It ends: “Cheers, Pilsner beer truly tastes best in Pilsen”

Here’s a pic of a couple of the United team on their way to Plzen.

Who are Viktoria Plzen?

United’s opponents – maybe call them Plzen– are equal on points in the Europa league. Both teams have nine points but United are ahead on a slim goal difference.

Domestically Plzen are in second (behind Sparta Prague) in the Czech first league having won 12 out of their 18 matches.

Their coach is 73-year-old Miroslav Koubek, a former goalkeeper, who declared in a recent interview his admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson.

“He was a big inspiration for me.”

And here is a picture of United boss Ruben Amorim surveying the stadium last night.

Afternoon all …

or evening or morning wherever you are in the world.

It’s with some joy/general excitement that we bring you live coverage of what some would say is a David vs Goliath battle in the Europa league.

Viktoria Plzeň – they are the David – entertain Manchester United (G) at their tiny stadium on the banks of the River Mze in the city of Plzen in the Czech Republic. (Lots more info about the city to come thanks to sleuthing.)

The stadium has a capacity of only 11,700 – that’s 62,710 fewer than Old Trafford. But it will be fascinating to see how United cope with the task ahead.