Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund won plenty of hearts as he showed his caring side before scoring for Denmark against San Marino on Tuesday night. Hojlund broke the deadlock shortly before half-time as Denmark survived a major scare to register a narrow 2-1 victory, with San Marino hitting back after the interval.
Hojlund produced a fine finish from a tight angle to put Denmark ahead before San Marino equalised when Alessandro Golinucci stabbed the ball home through a sea of bodies. The visitors were eventually able to steer clear of a huge upset by restoring their advantage through Yussuf Poulsen, who bagged the winning goal with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Hojlund, meanwhile, was a threat in attack for Denmark and took his goal well but it was his actions before kick-off that had United supporters talking. The 20-year-old was caught on camera giving his jacket to his mascot during the national anthems in a heartwarming pre-match moment.
The United striker went on to make a nuisance of himself throughout the game but found himself on the receiving end of a heavy tackle in the closing stages. He was kicked from behind by San Marino substitute Roberto Di Maio, which left him grimacing in pain before he was eventually replaced by Mathias Jensen in stoppage time.
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Di Maio only received a yellow card for his needless challenge, a decision which Hojlund described as ‘a joke’ in a post-match interview on Danish television. He was later backed up by Denmark skipper Simon Kjaer, who claimed that he overheard San Marino’s players telling each other to ‘go for Hojlund’s knees’.
Kjaer also claimed that he informed referee Viktor Kopiievskyi about San Marino’s alleged dangerous orders, but his warnings were ignored. It remains to be seen if Hojlund will be fit to play for United when they return to action this weekend, with the Red Devils set to go up against Sheffield United on Saturday.
The fixture against the Blades, who are rooted to the bottom of the table without a win on the board, will represent a golden chance for Hojlund to get his first Premier League goal. United, meanwhile, will be desperately hoping for him to be available in order to boost their chances of victory at Bramall Lane following a lacklustre start to the new season.
Hojlund has already scored three times for United in the Champions League and certainly looks to be a handful at the top of the pitch, although it is still very much early days for him at Old Trafford. He will be desperate to keep firing on all cylinders as he looks to establish himself as the club’s main attacking outlet, with United in dire need of a reliable striker to push them forward over the course of this season.
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