Key occasions
52 minutes: attempting to dissect that aim – effectively not a lot to dissect aside from a mistake.
50 minutes: that aim was clocked at 48 minutes. Simply three minutes after the restart. A little bit of a catastrophe for United.
Purpose! Plzen rating.
Onana items Plzen a aim. He tries to play out from his space. However messes it up. Vydra scores for Plzen.
Second Half
And we’re off. No subs so far as I can see.
Half time
A little bit of a scrappy 48 minutes (we performed three minutes further time). Neither staff actually threatened that a lot though Bruno Fernandes had the most effective likelihood, forcing save from the Plzen keeper. Time for a sandwich.
45 minutes: Marcus Rashford proven a yellow card after a blatant push on a Plzen participant on the half approach line. Nothing particular comes from the ensuing free kick.
43 minutes: Plzen threaten with a curling shot from the left outdoors the field not fairly sneaking in Onana’s prime left nook.
40 minutes: free kick to Plzen after a foul by Mazraoui outdoors the United field. Involves nothing with one among a crowd of Plzen gamers heading it behind for a United aim kick.
37 minutes: Lots of too and fro however nothing of substance. United look the extra harmful aspect however they’ll’t fairly get the precise passes to the precise gamers.
32 minutes: Plzen get a free kick which is swung in from the left. United push it away to security.
30 minutes: Fernandes shot is overwhelmed away by Plzen goalkeeper Jedlicka. The United participant picks up the ball close to his personal half, pushes ahead and lets unfastened a fierce, low shot simply outdoors the field. Goalie did effectively.
28 minutes: Plzen threaten – an ideal cross into the United field from the precise however the Plzen striker, I feel it was Vasulin, is offside.
26 minutes: free kick on the precise, 10 metres from the Plzen space. Fernandes delivers , quick ball into the field. Zirkzee rises, appears to get a contact together with his head however it goes behind for a nook.
21 minutes: Bruno Fernandes with the ball within the centre of the park pushing ahead into the Plzen field. Passes out left to Rashford who shoots however approach off.
20 minutes: United passing the ball round with a bit extra authority now. However they don’t seem to be seeing a approach by means of for Zirkzee or Rashford. Passes come to nothing.
17 minutes: very scrappy on the again by United. Plzen pushing gamers ahead and inflicting a little bit of concern on the fringes of the United space. Hazard is cleared and we’re again within the Plzen half.
15 minutes: Plzen are holding their very own right here. No actual risk from United up to now. However United have had most possession.
10 minutes: all a bit nervy by United. An extended Plzen throw is missed by United’s goalkeeper Onana. The ball is scrambled away.
8 minutes: Plzen get a free kick ten metres outdoors the United space after a nasty foul by Bruno Fernandes from behind. The ensuing free kick results in nothing however Casemiro is down injured.
6 minutes: the nook involves nothing.
5 minutes: United have had a lot of the ball, probing down the left with Rashford. Zirkzee will get the ball contained in the Plzen half and pushes into the world, capturing from about six yards. It goes out for a nook.
3 minutes: quietish begin from either side.
Kick off
And we’re off on a brilliant chilly night time within the Czech Republic – TV says its -2c now
The groups are out on the pitch and lining up – a number of music pumping out. Sounds noisy.
Hattrick Hero Rashford
One oddish factor I’ve seen on my scout round Web – the Manchester Night Information has predicted a 3-0 win towards VP. Marcus Rashford to get a hattrick.
The prediction comes after they plugged within the groups into EA sports activities sport EA FC 25 and set it working.
You may learn the match report here
A small be aware on the scale of that stadium – 11,700 gained’t be the smallest crowd that United will play in entrance of this season. Bear in mind Bournemouth’s Vitality stadium solely has a capability of 11,464. That’s small for a premier league membership.
Fascinating stats here.
It’s freezing in Pilsen/Plzen – actually.
Kick off in 13 minutes.
And that 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: massive information from Wikipedia
Simply discovered that former Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech was born in Pilsen/Plzen AND first performed for what was to develop into Viktoria Plzen.
Wikpedia says: “Čech began enjoying soccer aged seven for Škoda Plzeň (later referred to as Viktoria Plzen). In his early days, he performed as a striker, though he moved to the goalkeeper place after breaking his leg at age ten.”
This is probably not information to most however extra details embrace that Cech is presently the goalkeeper/netminder for the Belfast Giants ice hockey staff. More here in case you are .
I’d by no means have identified this if I hadn’t been aimlessly scrolling.
Okay – about tonight and a few staff information:
In the meantime – in Pilsen – United shall be hoping to copy their final win in Europe. And hoping to creep up that desk.
Schadenfreude in Manchester
Issues is probably not precisely pumping at Outdated Trafford however for United followers there shall be some amusement on the persevering with travails of their neighbours within the metropolis. Pep Guardiola’s staff have been overwhelmed by Juventus on Wednesday 2-0 and are staring down the barrel of a potential exit from Europe.
Metropolis will hope to get their season again on monitor on Sunday after they tackle … United on the Etihad. Guardiola vs Amorim.
It’s a truism in all sport that the one factor higher than watching your staff win is watching your arch rivals lose. If that may occur in the identical match then double pleasure.
So in case you are a United fan then you’ll be able to experience that newest European loss with the Guardian’s match report and a bit of study of the dismal defeat too.
Okay. Sufficient beer – now soccer.
Tonight’s match is a vital one for United’s supervisor Amorim – it gained’t simply be in regards to the Europa inserting and attempting to get into the automated qualifying spots to progress to the final 16. He’ll additionally need to be put an finish to a run of two dangerous defeats at Arsenal and at residence to Nottingham Forest.
There was loads of commentary round how the brand new supervisor is attempting out his new staff – bringing gamers into new positions, shaking issues up and seeing how they fare. However outcomes should come.
A image of a pint of pilsener in a pub in Pilsen
{Photograph}: J Pie/Alamy
Necessary context
So some fascinating factoids about Plzen – or Pilsen as it’s translated – due to slightly sheet that’s been produced within the run as much as the match. The tourism division have to be having a area day.
They level out:
Pilsen is the house of Pilsner beer – first brewed there in 1842.
Pilsen can also be residence of the Pilsner Urquell brewery (290 million gallons exported to greater than 50 nations worldwide) which is handily inside strolling distance of the Doosan stadium. The sheet advises beer is an efficient solution to heat up earlier than the match (temperature shall be about 0c)
It provides: “The end result of the match must be correctly mentioned. Ideally within the metropolis heart with drink.”
The sheet additionally says: “Elements for the London Eye, Škoda trolleybuses in San Francisco, and Loviisa nuclear energy plant in Finland have been all produced in Pilsen.”
It ends: “Cheers, Pilsner beer actually tastes greatest in Pilsen”
Right here’s a pic of a few the United staff on their solution to Plzen.
Who’re Viktoria Plzen?
United’s opponents – perhaps name them Plzen– are equal on factors within the Europa league. Each groups have 9 factors however United are forward on a slim aim distinction.
Domestically Plzen are in second (behind Sparta Prague) within the Czech first league having gained 12 out of their 18 matches.
Their coach is 73-year-old Miroslav Koubek, a former goalkeeper, who declared in a latest interview his admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He was an enormous inspiration for me.”
And here’s a image of United boss Ruben Amorim surveying the stadium final night time.
Afternoon all …
or night or morning wherever you’re on this planet.
It’s with some pleasure/common pleasure that we carry you reside protection of what some would say is a David vs Goliath battle within the Europa league.
Viktoria Plzeň – they’re the David – entertain Manchester United (G) at their tiny stadium on the banks of the River Mze within the metropolis of Plzen within the Czech Republic. (Tons extra information in regards to the metropolis to return due to sleuthing.)
The stadium has a capability of solely 11,700 – that’s 62,710 fewer than Outdated Trafford. However it is going to be fascinating to see how United deal with the duty forward.