Manchester United needed a resilient display and a tactical shift to secure just a second Europa League win of the season as Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt arrived at Old Trafford.

Alejandro Garnacho looked like he had set the tone for a perfect night as Ruben Amorim led the Red Devils at the Theatre of Dreams for the first time. But it threatened to become a nightmare when Hakon Evjen and Philip Zinckernagel struck in quick succession for the visitors.

Rasmus Hojlund pulled it back to 2-2 in the closing stages of the first half, before the Dane grabbed an ultimately decisive second after the break to seal the victory and three points.

How the game unfolded

It was a blistering start from United, going in front after just 48 seconds. Hojlund hadn’t started against Ipswich Town and seemed determined to impress, hunting the ball as Bodo/Glimt passed back to goalkeeper Nikita Haikin. The raw talent managed nick possession a few yards from goal and Garnacho was there to pounce in front of an empty net.

United appeared confident and in control, but disaster struck out of seemingly nowhere when the visitors scored twice in the space of three minutes to turn the game on its head.

First, Bodo/Glimt played out of midfield after collecting a clearance, with Evjen running on to a cutback from Sondre Brunstad Fet to sweep in from the edge of the box. Then a long ball into the right channel saw Zinckernagel win a race with the returning Tyrell Malacia and coolly finish.

United risked falling further behind in another moment of defensive disarray as Evjen lifted a decent chance high over the bar. But Amorim’s side managed to regain a foothold that resulted in finishing the half on top and back level.

The equaliser from Hojlund, which came after Bodo/Glimt almost scored an own goal, had been coming amid a head of steam. Manuel Ugarte pressed high to win the ball, forcing a hurried clearance picked off by Noussair Mazraoui, whose silky footwork engineered the space for a cross that Hojlund controlled and volleyed in during what felt like one fluid motion.

The half-time arrival of Diogo Dalot in place of Malacia signalled a partial switch in formation away from 3-4-3, with United reverting to 4-2-3-1 when out of possession. The issue in the first half had been defensively and there was no problem going forward, as shown when Mason Mount agonisingly struck the crossbar with a curling effort towards the top corner.

Mount also played a huge part moments later when Hojlund’s second put United back in front, cleverly flicking Mazraoui’s pass into the path of Ugarte, who squared for the No.9 to finish a few yards out. A VAR check for a possible offside was cleared without action.

Moments later, Haikin strongly parried from Garnacho, and it was clear United had firmly wrestled back control. The Bodo/Glimt threat from the first half was heavily subdued, although there was a hairy moment when Andre Onana almost got caught on the ball out his goal and accidentally brushed it with his hand as he battled not to lose it – VAR didn’t see enough to warrant a possible red card. United then went straight up the other end and Garnacho curled a good chance over.

Into the closing stages and substitute Marcus Rashford dragged a shot wide, while Onana made a handy save – even if an offside flag meant a goal wouldn’t have counted anyway. His next secured the three points, beating away a goal-bound 92nd minute free-kick from Patrick Berg.

While some coaches with a deep-rooted tactical philosophy steadfastly stick to that philosophy no matter what, Amorim showed an admirable willingness to adapt and be flexible.

A lot has been said regarding the 3-4-3 system he perfected at Sporting CP, but United had trouble adjusting against Ipswich at the weekend and it became clear as Bodo/Glimt scored their quickfire double that this group will need more time to learn their roles.

Half-time brought about a switch, with Amorim instructing his players to defend in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but attack as a 3-4-3. It brought the familiarity of a back four, automatically making the team more defensively solid in the second half, but also didn’t abandon the long-term vision.

Prior to kick-off, Hojlund had only scored twice in all competitions this season. Now, he has doubled that tally in one night thanks to a game-winning brace.

The Dane had something to prove after not getting the nod in Amorim’s first lineup a few days earlier and took each of his goals with a clinical edge. It was also a sign that, with consistent quality service, he will find the back of the net.

More than 550 days after his last senior club appearance, Tyrell Malacia was perhaps a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup for the this one. The Dutchman has put injury hell behind him and should be an asset to the squad once he is back to full speed.

It was notable that Malacia was burned for pace by Zinckernagel for Bodo/Glimt’s second goal, which might not have been the case had he not just returned from 18 months out of action.

Amorim withdrew him at half-time for Diogo Dalot, which may have been a planned change given it was his first game back. It would be to think it was because he didn’t play well because, on the whole, that wasn’t the case at all.

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