As Ruben Amorim prepares to make his Old Trafford debut against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, the new boss could do with Manchester United taking inspiration from a couple of other continental powerhouses.
In a week of pretty lopsided scorelines, Marcel Sabitzer’s Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 3-0 win at Dynamo Zagreb. Atletico Madrid put six past Sparta Prague.
Red Star Belgrade smashed Stuttgart 5-1 on a bad night for another of the Red Devils’ post-Ten Hag targets; Manchester United held talks with Sebastian Hoeness over the summer.
Shorn of Ruben Amorim’s services, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, Ousmane Diomande and co had a night to forget as Arsenal ran riot in Lisbon.
Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, put that Liverpool collapse behind them with a five-goal dismantling of Red Bull Salzburg; a performance reminiscent of their free-flowing, free-scoring ways of last term.
- READ MORE: Champions League/Europa League 24/25: What is the new format? Will it affect Manchester United?
Former Manchester United man Matej Kovar in Champions League cruise
Understandably, with Leverkusen racking up a 5-0 scoreline at one end, the man standing between the sticks at the other for Xabi Alonso’s side went under the radar.
But, one year after Matej Kovar left Man United for around £8 million, a first ever Champions League win only his second start in the competition – and an extremely heavy win at that – must have felt like a pretty big milestone in the goalkeeper’s young career.
Starting all but one of Leverkusen’s matches on their way to the Europa League final in 2024/25 – Matej Kovar beaten three times by Atalanta in Dublin’s decider – the Czech Republic international appeared to have all-but established himself himself as Alonso’s cup keeper.
At least, that’s how it seemed.
Ahead of Red Bull Salzburg’s midweek trip to the Bay Arena, Kovar had only featured in one of Leverkusen’s four Champions League matches across 2024/25.
Had Alonso’s faith taken a hit? Kovar suffered much criticism after a 3-2 defeat by RB Leipzig in August, after all. A performance which did little to suggest that captain and number one Lukas Hradecky should be glancing nervously over his shoulder.
So, to be back in the XI and part of a Leverkusen team registering their joint-biggest European win must have acted as a very welcome confidence boost for a goalkeeper who, with his 25th birthday looming, will be looking to make a step up in his career sooner rather than later.
Matej Kovar showcases ball-playing talents in Bayer Leverkusen win
OK, Kovar was hardly a man peppered by attempts on his goal.
Opportunities to showcase his shot-stopping talents were hardly forthcoming, even if the former Swindon Town and Burton Albion loanee did make one impressive catch from a long-range Salzburg attempt in the dying embers.
But, completing 90 per cent of his passes, the ball-playing talents which earned Kovar plenty of admirers behind the scenes at Carrington certainly came to the fore in a match Leverkusen dominated from start to finish.
With Leverkusen drawn against Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal, and with both Inter and Atletico to come in Europe, Kovar might just have got his career at the Bayer Arena back on the right track.
Back at Manchester United, meanwhile, Amorim must decide whether to stick with Andre Onana or give the in-form glovesman a well-earned rest as Bodo/Glimt arrive in England’s north west.
Altay Bayindir will be hoping that, after making only three Red Devils appearances since arriving from Fenerbahce in 2023, the Europa League provides an opportunity to stake his claim.
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