The National Times - Man Utd grab win at Plzen in Europa League, Chelsea keep perfect record

Ruben Amorim's United side came from behind to best the Czech side thanks to a second-half brace by Danish striker Hojlund, provisionally moving to fifth in the league phase standings.

A top eight finish will see United qualify automatically for the round of 16, while finishing ninth to 24th will earn them a play-off tie to reach that stage.

Matej Vydra opened the scoring three minutes after half-time to stun United, before substitute Hojlund scored twice in the last half-hour to seize a vital three points for the English club.

The winner came two minutes from time when Bruno Fernandes cleverly slipped a free-kick into the 21-year-old's feet and he held off a defender before slipping home.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, Roma beat 10-man Braga 3-0 thanks to goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Saud Abdulhamid and Mario Hermoso to move to 12th in the standings.

Athletic Bilbao top the standings with 16 points after beating Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce 2-0 on Wednesday courtesy of an Inaki Williams double.

- 'Solid performance' -

A much-changed Chelsea side battled the frigid conditions in Kazakhstan and won to all but guarantee a top-eight finish in the league phase, which would ensure automatic qualification to the round of 16.

"It was a solid performance. We knew it was quite cold. We tried to adapt quickly. The players did fantastically with the weather conditions and the long journey yesterday," said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea sit top of the standings on 15 points, three ahead of Fiorentina in second and Legia Warsaw who lost to Switzerland's Lugano to break their perfect record in the competition.

Chelsea wrapped up the points in the first half through goals from Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga.

Marin Tomasov pulled one back for the hosts on the stroke of half-time but Maresca's side rarely looked troubled in the second half as they closed out the win.

Guiu gave Chelsea the perfect start by netting a brace inside the opening 20 minutes, bringing his tally in Europe to three goals in five appearances this season.

His first on 14 minutes showcased the ex-Barcelona attacker's budding talent as he drove past a defender on the right flank before stroking home from an acute angle.

The 18-year-old Spaniard doubled up four minutes later with a striker's goal as he forced the ball home at the front post following good wing play by Pedro Neto.

Renato Veiga, 21, headed in Chelsea's third from a corner on 39 minutes.

Croatian veteran Tomasov scored the pick of the goals in the 45th minute for the home side as he stood up Renato Veiga in the box before arcing a fine left-footed strike in off the far post.

Last year's defeated finalists Fiorentina won 7-0 at home to Austria's Linz as they ensured progression to the knockout stages and Real Betis got their campaign back on track with a 1-0 win at Moldovan outfit Petrocub.

S.M.Riley--TNT