Viktoria Plzen’s manager has revealed he told his players to target Manchester United’s weak link in the Europa League clash on Thursday.
United came from behind to become the first side since Barcelona to beat Plzen on their own patch, with Rasmus Hojlund coming off the bench to score a brace – including an 88th minute winner which moved Ruben Amorim’s side up to seventh in the Europa League table.
For large spells it was a frustrating night in difficult conditions for United, who found themselves 1-0 down after former Watford and Burnley striker Matej Vydra opened the scoring shortly after half-time.
The goal came after goalkeeper Andre Onana tried to play out from the back and gave the ball away cheaply – the hosts seizing on the error and punishing the Cameroonian.
Onana has largely been solid and reliable in the sticks this season but produced two costly errors in the 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest – including a mistake to allow a long range-strike from Morgan Gibbs-White.
And Plzen boss Miroslav Koubek, a former goalkeeper himself, admitted he told his side to target Onana and shoot whenever a chance presented itself.
Asked if he told his players to “really put pressure” on Onana, Koubek said: “Yes that was our tactic. I told them to shoot from every viable opportunity – maybe I’m disappointed with the very last shot – that could have been resolved better. But the player decided to shoot and it is what it is.”
Onana was a relieved man after Hojlund produced the match-winning heroics, though the Dane looked furious at the final whistle after Amad Diallo failed to find him for a hat-trick goal later on.
Andre Onana rushed out of his goal to celebrate Manchester United’s winner. Image: Getty
But while Onana was responsible for the error, former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves attached some of the blame to Matthijs De Ligt, who “didn’t really want the ball”.
“Both Andre Onana and Matthijs de Ligt could be at fault there, but Onana a little bit more,” Hargreaves said on TNT Sports.
“De Ligt really didn’t want the ball. In the end, Onana plays a poor pass. But Ruben Amorim wants his centre-backs to go in there and receive the ball.
“De Ligt is not comfortable receiving it on the half turn and Onana plays a poor ball and on the wrong side.
“It’s difficult position for a centre-back to be in, [But] if the manager tells you to do something, you are going to do it.”
United return to action on Sunday when they take on rivals Manchester City in a huge derby clash at the Etihad Stadium.
United’s last win at their neighbours’ home patch was a 2-0 triumph in 2021 but they will feel as though they can end the run at the weekend given Pep Guardiola’s men have claimed just one win in their last 10 fixtures in all competitions.