Key events
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.
Kick off
And we are off on a super chilly night in the Czech Republic – TV says its -2c now
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
Photograph: J Pie/Alamy
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.
