After a drab first half, Matej Vydra capitalised on an Andre Onana mistake to give the Czech runners-up an unexpected lead.

The shock seemed to spur United into action and substitute Hojlund was in the right place at the right time to restore parity on 62 minutes.

Ruben Amorim’s men piled forward in search of the game’s decisive third and Hojlund delivered it with two minutes of normal time to play, converting from Bruno Fernandes’s quick free-kick to end a run of six winless trips to the continent.

FIRST HALF – LITTLE TO REPORT

Early goals have been a feature of Amorim’s tenure so far, while United had taken the lead during the opening 15 minutes of our last four away games in Europe, going back to last November.

But there was little by way of goalmouth action during a cagey first half in chilly Plzen, with both sides fielding the same 3-4-2-1 formation on a slow, dry-looking pitch.

Joshua Zirkzee slalomed through the Czechs’ defence and saw his cross-cum-shot diverted for a corner by a defender, while Marcus Rashford couldn’t make the most of an opening on the counter-attack, having been fed by Amad.

There was a brief pause in play when Onana clattered into Casemiro, having come to claim a looping free-kick, but little else to report until the 31st minute, when Fernandes saw his long-range effort handily dealt with by Martin Jedlicka.

As we approached the interval, Cheick Souare bent a shot wide of Onana’s post, before Rashford was shown yellow for a push in midfield, as frustration perhaps began to creep in.

SECOND HALF - RASMUS ROARS

That feeling of irritation will only have grown when, three minutes after the interval, Vydra – the former Watford, West Brom and Burnley striker – put the hosts in front.

Onana’s attempted pass to Matthijs de Ligt – stationed on the edge of the United area – was snuffed out at source by Pavel Sulc, who had the speed of thought to quickly square to Plzen’s no.11, and the goal was greeted with delirium across the stands of the Doosan Arena.

Hojlund was introduced for Rashford and brought a new dimension to United’s attacking play, almost capitalising on Sulc’s misplaced pass and then tapping in the equaliser, just past the hour mark.

Much of the credit for the goal must go to Amad, who nutmegged Plzen skipper Lukas Kalvach, before his pass was deflected on to Rasmus's toe, for the Dane's ninth goal in 12 European outings for the Reds.

United's tails were up now and Hojlund, having had a penalty claim waved away after he fell under pressure from Sampson Dweh in the six-yard box, went close to scoring again, just failing to extend his leg the extra inch required to convert Fernandes’s cross.

Vydra fired wide in a rare forward foray for the Czechs, but more Mancunian pressure was building and another substitute – Mason Mount – found himself the latest to benefit from Amad’s creativity, although Jedlicka was able to keep the former Chelsea midfielder at bay.

As the game entered its closing stages, Amorim dialled up the attack to 11, with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho occupying the wing-back slots.

Another quick break led to Mount testing Jedlicka again, but the game was ebbing towards a conclusion before intelligent play by Fernandes led to the winning goal.

Our captain’s swift thinking at a free-kick gave Hojlund the time and space to peel off the shoulder of a Plzen defender and find Jedlicka’s bottom corner.

The impressive Czech keeper kept out Antony, as the Brazilian looked to settle it on the counter, with the hosts throwing the kitchen sink at United in a fraught finale that was ended by the referee’s whistle following Dweh's wayward attempt.

It hadn’t been plain sailing by any means in a city famous for its lager, but the 900-odd fans occupying the away end at the Doosan Arena have reason to celebrate after another three European points for the Reds - a result that moves us into the Europa League's automatic qualifying spots.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez; Dalot (Garnacho 81), Casemiro (Ugarte 81), Fernandes, Malacia (Antony 61); Amad, Rashford (Hojlund 56); Zirkzee (Mount 61).

Subs not used: Bayindir, Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro, Eriksen, Mainoo, Collyer.

Goals: Hojlund 62, 88.

Booked: Rashford, De Ligt, Mazraoui.

Viktoria Plzen: Jedlicka; Dweh, Markovic, Jamelka; Cadu (Havel 78), Cerv, Kalvach, Souare; Vydra (Sojka 86), Sulc; Vasulin (Adu 71).

Subs not used: Kopic, Paluska, Baier, Tvrdon, Panos, Mosquera, Jirka, Hejda, Sloncik.

Goal: Vydra 48.