Rasmus Hojlund came off the bench to score a winning goal against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday night.
Now that Rasmus Hojlund is back amongst the goals, Manchester United can look forward to a busy end to the season.
The Premier League campaign may be dead and buried but Ruben Amorim will be keen to see his United first-team squad finish in the top half of the table. They’re currently 13th in the table and travel to high-flying Nottingham Forest after the March international break.
A total of 12 United players are away on international duty, while the rest of the squad will recharge their batteries before the domestic campaign begins.
The only trophy United can win this season is the Europa League, which would grant qualification to the Champions League. That will be the ultimate objective for Ineos as it would help with United’s finances ahead of the summer transfer window.
Rasmus Hojlund makes Man Utd teammates eat their words
Prior to the international break, Rasmus Hojlund ended a 21-match run without a goal by scoring in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Leicester City.
Hojlund built on his return to the scoresheet against Portugal when he came off the bench to net the winner in Denmark’s 1-0 Nations League quarter-final first-leg victory at Parken Stadium.
It was great seeing Hojlund grab the headlines for the right reasons after what has been a difficult season for the 22-year-old.
While Hojlund celebrated the win with his Danish compatriots, United and Portugal duo Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot dwelled on defeat. The two Portugal internationals were both guilty of joking about Hojlund not scoring against them in the days leading up to the match.
Speaking to Sky Sports during a live broadcast following United’s win over Leicester, Fernandes called for Hojlund to go on another scoring drought.
“It was very important for us because for strikers it is about scoring goals,” Fernandes said. “They want to score goals and be involved in the main thing because it is about that for them.
“They need to feel important and feel they are getting into the scoresheet. The runs and everything he [Hojlund] does for the team is important but the feeling is very happy to score goals.
“I am very pleased but I hope for the next two weeks he doesn’t score any more because he is going to play against me in the national team, and then when he gets back he can score goals again.”
Dalot joined Fernandes with another cheeky comment on Hojlund’s lack of goals.
During an exchange with the press in Portugal, Dalot spoke about the prospect of facing Hojlund on the international stage.
He said: “We were joking about Hojlund scoring a goal, which he hadn’t done for a while.
“We said to him, ‘Now you have a week off and then you can score goals again’. It’s a good competitiveness, but from the moment we step the pitch we’re no longer teammates.”
Hojlund made Fernandes and Dalot eat their words. He will hope to continue his scoring run – two in as many games for club and country – when Denmark travel to Portugal on Sunday.
What’s next for Hojlund?
On a quest to silence his critics, Hojlund will have aspirations to finish the season strongly for Manchester United.
Denmark have one more international to play before Hojlund – along with fellow Danes Christian Eriksen and Patrick Dorgu – returns to United.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 23 | 8 | 1 |
The second leg of Denmark’s Nations League quarter-final takes place on Sunday night, with Hojlund’s winner in the reserve fixture giving his country advantage ahead of the eagerly anticipated showdown.
Fernandes and Dalot will hope they have the last laugh.
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