Rasmus Hojlund has urged Manchester United fans to be patient as Ruben Amorim gets his feet under the table at Old Trafford.

Hojlund scored twice as United came from 2-1 down to beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday.

It was hardly the most convincing of victories for new boss Amorim, whose side drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town in his first Premier League match in charge.

But a victory will nevertheless grow confidence at United, who welcome Everton to Old Trafford on Sunday.

And Hojlund says the squad will take time to adapt to their new head coach.

"Obviously it's going to take time and we can already see some patterns," he said.

"Now for us, it's time to build."

Hojlund also feels he is well-suited to Amorim's preferred formation.

He added: "For me, this system reminds me of how I played in a 3-4-3 at Atalanta. It suits me well."

United ended Thursday's game with 20 shots and 2.6 expected goals (xG), and Amorim believes there are plenty of positives to build on ahead of facing Everton.

"The result, that's the most important thing, the environment," he said.

"I think we improved since the game against Ipswich. [We] improved the quality on the ball, created more chances, [we were] more dangerous.

"We tried to press all the time in the last 10 minutes, it was tough. I felt some players were really, really tired.

"We made four substitutes because of the fitness of players not thinking what was best for the game. we need the players together fit, you have to take some risks."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford – who scored United’s first goal under Amorim after just 81 seconds against Ipswich – has been involved in five goals in his last seven Premier League games against Everton (two goals, five assists), netting in his last two.

He is two goals away from becoming the sixth player to score 50 in the Premier League at Old Trafford for the Red Devils.

Everton - Dwight McNeil

Including crosses, only Andreas Pereira (103) has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than McNeil (101).

Indeed, McNeil's 30 chances created this term is almost twice as many as any other Toffees player (Ashley Young is second, on 16).

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

Since the start of last season, Amorim has won all 22 of his home league games in charge of Sporting CP by an aggregate score of 72-13.

Everton have failed to score in more different Premier League games than any other side this season (six), though only Liverpool (six) and United (five) have kept more clean sheets than the Toffees (four). Sean Dyche's team have already had three 0-0 draws this term, last having more in 2015-16 (four).

Both of Everton's last two Premier League games have finished 0-0 – only once in their league history have they had three consecutive goalless draws, doing so in February 1982.

United have won 41 Premier League games against Everton, more than any side has beaten another in the competition's history.

Everton have won just one of their last 31 Premier League away games against United (D8 L22), picking up a 1-0 victory in December 2013.

The Red Devils have won their last four Premier League games against Everton, last having a longer such run between December 1999 and February 2004 (nine).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United - 60.2%

Everton - 18.7%

Draw - 21.1%

Mona High may have relinquished their Manning Cup crown, but they are now one step away from redemption after a tense 4-3 penalty shootout victory over St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) in the ISSA Walker Cup Knockout semi-finals at the Stadium East Field on Thursday.

A 1-1 deadlock after regulation time, played under soggy conditions due to persistent rain, set the stage for the nail-biting finish that booked Mona a December 6 showdown against Excelsior High, who earlier secured a 2-0 win over Wolmer’s Boys in their contest.

Keeno Levy’s own goal gave Mona a 43rd-minute lead, but Alexavier Gooden’s 90th-minute freekick kept STATHS hopes alive until the dreaded penalties.

While it was not the title that they wanted to play for, Mona’s coach Dane Peralto praised his team’s resilience and welcomed the opportunity to possibly add the Walker Cup to their trophy cabinet.

“It was a gritty performance; the conditions didn’t allow us to play the ball as well as we would like to, but we showed some composure, especially when we were kicking the penalties. Winning a title is always a good thing; this Walker Cup was never our end game, but we are in it to try to win something at least, so we will definitely go for it,” Peralto said in a post-game interview.

The match began on a cautious note, with both sides struggling to adjust to the heavy underfoot conditions. STATHS nearly seized an early lead when JLoyd Smith unleashed a long-range rocket in the eighth minute, but Mona’s goalkeeper, Riquelme Edwards, pulled off a stunning acrobatic save to deny him.

Mona grew into the game and went close in the 38th minute when Denzel McKenzie’s curling free kick rattled the crossbar.

However, fortune smiled on the dethroned champions five minutes later. A mix-up between STATHS goalkeeper Jaheem Thomas and defender Levy resulted in the latter inadvertently steering the ball into his own net while attempting to clear, giving Mona a 1-0 lead at the break.

The second half was a scrappy affair, with chances hard to come by as the soggy pitch hampered fluid play. Mona’s Demarion Harris had the best opportunity in the 64th minute, breaking through the defence to unleash a powerful right-footed strike that Thomas expertly parried.

Just as Mona seemed poised to see out the game, STATHS found a lifeline in the dying moments of regulation time. Gooden stepped up and fired a free kick from just over 20 yards out through Mona’s four-man wall and past a helpless Edwards to level the score and force the game into penalties.

The penalty shootout as expected was dramatic, but Mona displayed composure under pressure, converting four of their five spot-kicks through Carlton Brown, Robino Gordon, Dante Peralto, and Cameron Sailsman. Denzel McKenzie’s effort, however, was saved.

For STATHS, Gooden, Howard Linton, and Delaney White found the back of the net, but Smith’s attempt clanged off the crossbar, and Ajetai Marshall’s kick was saved by Edwards.

STATHS’ Head coach Phillip Williams lauded his players, though the loss was a bitter pill to swallow.

“It’s the lottery, and we can’t do anything about it; it is about nerves, but I think the guys did well today. The underfoot condition played a factor, but the boys gave their best,” he stated.

Enzo Maresca and Unai Emery both lauded "fantastic" European displays from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively, ahead of their clash on Sunday.

Villa visit Stamford Bridge on the back of a 0-0 draw with Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Chelsea, meanwhile, defeated Heidenheim 2-0 on Thursday.

And both bosses were delighted with what they saw from their teams in their midweek fixtures.

Maresca, who named a team of fringe players, suggested Thursday's clash was the ideal chance for his second-string options to build up some minutes.

"They did fantastic. I think all of them," he said.

"Jadon Sancho had a very good game. Axel [Disasi] and Benoit [Badiashile]. Cesare Casadei did well. They are ready and it's important.

"Filip Jorgensen had a very good game. We have nine or 10 games in December so they are going to get more chances. They need to be ready."

Emery had to go much stronger with his selection against Juve, with Villa somewhat harshly denied a late winner when Morgan Rogers saw a goal disallowed.

"It was fantastic," Emery said, even though his team are now winless in seven games.

"We needed one match like this, playing seriously with a clean sheet, defending strong, being compact and then trying to impose and dominate some areas of the match.

"We didn't create a lot of chances but we didn't concede a lot of chances. We were closer to scoring and in the second half we were progressively getting better."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea - Nicolas Jackson

Five of Jackson's seven Premier League goals this season have put Chelsea 1-0 ahead in the match – coming into this weekend's games, only Chris Wood (six) has scored the opening goal in more different games this term.

Aston Villa - Ollie Watkins

Watkins has scored in his last two Premier League away games against Chelsea, with both ending up being the winning goal in the match.

No visiting player has ever scored three match-winning goals at Stamford Bridge in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

Chelsea are winless in their last three Premier League meetings with Villa (D1 L2), last having a longer such run against them between February 2006 and December 2007 (five).

Indeed, Villa have won their last two Premier League away games against Chelsea, as many as in their previous 21 visits to Stamford Bridge (D4 L15). They last won three consecutive away league games against the Blues between 1930 and 1933.

However, Opta's supercomputer still makes the Blues the favourites.

Villa are winless in their last four Premier League games (D2 L2). They last went five without a win between May and August 2022, while they last did so in the same season in March/April 2022 (both runs under Steven Gerrard).

Chelsea have conceded at least once in all six of their Premier League home games this season – they last had a longer wait for a home clean sheet from the start of a league campaign in 1978-79 (nine games).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chelsea - 52%

Aston Villa - 25.2%

Draw - 22.8%

Ange Postecoglou rued a lack of composure from his Tottenham side as they conceded a "frustrating" late equaliser to Roma in a 2-2 Europa League draw on Thursday.

Spurs twice led at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Son Heung-min's fifth-minute penalty cancelled out by Evan Ndicka.

Mats Hummels then netted in second-half injury time after Brennan Johnson had put the hosts back in front in the 33rd minute. 

It means Tottenham are now outside the top eight in the Europa League standings on goal difference and boss Postecoglou was disappointed not to see the job out.

Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: "It's frustrating, particularly when they score so late in the game. 

"But it was a good game. We should have put it to bed early, and it's disappointing not to see it through.

"We should have shown a bit more composure. We had a couple of chances cleared off the line. We sort of kept them in the game."

"They are a good side. There is a reason why they are in the Europa League. They had a great season last time, but they have had some tough times this year. 

"They have quality players, but we had the chance to win the game."

Tottenham failed to win a home group stage match in the Europa League for the first time since October 2014 (1-1 vs Besiktas), having won 10 consecutive such games prior to Thursday's draw. 

Fraser Forster was called upon in goal after the news this week that number one Guglielmo Vicario is out for an extended period with a fractured ankle. 

And Postecoglou praised the role played by his experienced back-up goalkeeper, who made five saves during the contest. 

"He did well. We expect that from him. He is a very experienced goalkeeper, and he did his part," Postecoglou added.

But Postecoglou was quick to praise Roma's performance, despite seeing his side dominate the majority of the match statistics at the full-time whistle.

Spurs managed an expected goals (xG) total of 3.61 from their 24 attempts compared to the Serie A sides' 2.36 from their 18 shots. 

"They are a good side. There is a reason why they are in the Europa League," Postecoglou concluded.

"They had a great season last time, but they have had some tough times this year. They had quality players, but we had the chance to win the game."

Tottenham turn their attention to Premier League action when they return to home soil to take on London rivals Fulham, a side they have lost just one of their last 14 top-flight home games against (W10 D3). 

Philippe Clement believes his Rangers side produced their "best performance of the season" in the 4-1 thrashing of Nice in the Europa League on Thursday. 

Rangers stunned the Ligue 1 outfit with three first-half strikes as Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande and Hamza Igamane took advantage of some poor defending by the hosts. 

Igamane notched his second of the game nine minutes after the restart, with the hosts pulling a goal back in the 83rd minute courtesy of Badredine Bouanani's stunning free-kick. 

The result moved Rangers up to eighth in the 36-team standings, leapfrogging Tottenham into the automatic spots late on thanks to Mats Hummels' equaliser for Roma. 

They also scored four or more goals in an away major European game for just the eighth time, with this the first time they’d done so since a 4-2 win at Borussia Dortmund 2022.

"We did big performances in Bucharest and Malmo too but knowing the level of this this is probably the best performance of the season. The season is still young," Clement said. 

"Young squad, new players, many on the pitch today who have not been at the club for long. We have become stronger and stronger."

Clement showered praise on two-goal Igamane, who impressed on his first start in the competition with top scorer Cyriel Dessers dropped to the bench. 

The Moroccan grabbed the assist for Cerny's opener, while he also ended the contest with the most touches in the opposition box (eight) along with creating more chances (three) than any of his team-mates. 

"He came in with an injury and missed preparation. He doesn't have experience at this level," Clement added. 

"We're working hard with him to make him stronger but also technically doing the right things for the team.

"I saw the good things the last few weeks and that's why I gave him the chance today.

"It's my job to give chances and see what the player can bring but you never know with young players. You need characters, you can't be affected by the big occasion."

Rangers' attention now turns to the Scottish Premiership, aiming to bounce back from their 1-1 draw with Dundee United last time out. 

Clement's side find themselves third in the table, 11 points behind rivals Celtic, and the Rangers boss believes their win over Nice can be the catalyst for their domestic campaign.

 "We need to win. That's clear. We need to perform well on Sunday, but also on Wednesday and then at the weekend again.

"I don't want to see players in satisfaction mode, I want to see hungry players who want to be better and better."

Ruben Amorim says the "special" welcome he has been afforded by the Manchester United supporters is something he will take with him to the end of his career.

The Portuguese celebrated victory on his first outing at Old Trafford as a Rasmus Hojlund double earned a comeback 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on Thursday.

Alejandro Garnacho's opener was quickly cancelled out by strikes from Hakon Evjen and Philip Zinckernagel before Rasmus Hojlund restored parity before the break. 

Hojlund then struck the winner five minutes after the restart to seal the win, scoring his eighth major European goal for United, with only Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney (nine each) scoring more for the Red Devils aged 21 or younger. 

Plenty of supporters stayed behind to chant Amorim's name as he spoke to TNT Sports after the game, and he is grateful for the adulation they are showing him.

"The first thing is that half of the stadium doesn't really know me," he said.

"I came from Portugal, I did nothing for this club yet so the fact that they make me feel at home it's so special, it's something special and I will keep this until the end of my career."

United have now won their last two European matches (2-0 vs PAOK Salonika under Ruud van Nistelrooy and 3-2 on Thursday under Amorim), more than they did in their last 11 under former boss Erik ten Hag (W1 D5 L5).

But there were cause for concerns for the new United boss. Bodo/Glimt were just the second team to have scored twice inside 23 minutes in an away major European game against them, along with Sporting Braga in October 2012 (2-0 after 20 minutes) – whose team that day included Amorim.

Though Thursday's hosts dominated proceedings, ending with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.63 from their 20 attempts compared to their opponents' 0.77 from their seven shots, Amorim is expecting improvements.

Amorim added: "Of course, I see what everybody sees. Good moments, some difficult moments, some confusion and in the end trying to hold the result. The lads ran until the end, and in the end we won.

"It was like a real ride. We started very well then suffered two goals in two transitions. I like the way our players keep trying to play our game. We had problems in the past where we gave away the ball too much. The mindset now is to keep the ball."

Amorim's first home league game will come against Everton on Sunday.

Mats Hummels' late tap-in ensured Roma snatched a deserved 2-2 draw against Tottenham in the Europa League.

Spurs, fresh from hammering Manchester City 4-0 in the Premier League last weekend, looked set to get back on track in Europe after their defeat to Galatasaray last time out as they held out amid a wave of Roma pressure.

Yet that pressure finally told in the 91st minute as Claudio Ranieri's side, who had seen two goals disallowed earlier in the second half, hauled themselves level through Hummels' close-range finish.

Spurs had started briskly, taking the lead through Son Heung-min's fifth-minute penalty, though Roma hit back when the excellent Paulo Dybala delivered a pinpoint cross that was headed in by Evan Ndicka.

Dybala's sensational lobbed pass was matched by an equally brilliant volley from Stephan El Shaarawy soon after, though VAR came to Spurs' rescue, with the Roma winger having strayed offside.

That served as the wake-up call Spurs needed, and not long after hitting the post, Dejan Kulusevski slid a ball across for Brennan Johnson to tuck in the hosts' second.

But Roma had the better of the second half, and they got the goal their performance merited when Hummels tapped home from Angelino's brilliant low cross, moments after Fraser Forster had made a stunning save to deny Gianluca Mancini.

Data Debrief: Golden oldie

Hummels has become Roma's second-oldest scorer in major European competition (35 years, 348 days), behind only club great Francesco Totti (38 years, 59 days vs CSKA Moscow in 2014).

His equaliser ensured Tottenham failed to win a home group stage match in the Europa League for the first time since October 2014 (1-1 vs Besiktas), with Spurs having won 10 consecutive such games prior to Thursday's draw.

Roma boss Ranieri, meanwhile, took charge of a Europa League game for the first time since February 25, 2010, 14 years and 277 days ago, the longest gap between games for a coach since the competition's rebranding in 2009.

Rangers took a huge step in their quest for the knockout stages of the Europa League after comfortably dispatching Nice 4-1, with Hamza Igamane scoring twice.

The result moved Rangers up to ninth in the new 36-team league standings and just outside the automatic qualification places on goal difference with three games remaining. 

After surviving an early VAR review, which saw three separate incidents looked at, Rangers took the lead in the 35th minute through Vaclav Cerny, with his strike aided by a deflection from Pablo Rosario. 

Rosario was involved again in Rangers' second, allowing Dujon Sterling's searching pass to go over his head, which resulted in Mohamed Diomande stealing in and brilliantly lifting the ball over Marcin Bulka. 

It got even better for Philippe Clement's side in first-half stoppage time when Mohamed Abdelmonem's poor back pass was picked up by Igamane, who finished comfortably after rounding Bulka. 

Nice's defensive woes continued shortly after the break when Rosario saw his pass cut out by Igamane, who powered towards goal and slotting his second of the game into the bottom left corner. 

Badredine Bouanani's stunning free-kick seven minutes from time reduced the deficit, though Rangers should have scored their fifth soon after, only for substitute Cyriel Dessers to fire wide from close range. 

Data Debrief: Igamane shows his worth

Ahead of kick-off, eyebrows were raised when top scorer Dessers was named among the substitutes, but Rangers were able to showcase the plethora of attacking options at their disposal, none more so than Igamane. 

He grabbed two goals and an assist, while also recording more touches in the opposition box (eight) and creating more chances (three) than any of his team-mates. His expected goals (xG) tally of 0.53 was a total only bettered by Dessers (0.74) for Rangers.

Igamane also became the youngest Rangers player (22 years, 26 days) to score two goals in an away major European game since David McPherson netted four against Valletta in Malta back in September 1983, aged 19.

Rangers scored four or more goals in an away major European game for the eighth time, with this the first time they had done so since a 4-2 win at Borussia Dortmund in February 2022.

Rasmus Hojlund scored twice to rescue Ruben Amorim's Old Trafford welcome party as Manchester United came from behind to beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League.

The Portuguese was taking charge of his first home game after overseeing a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, and he would have been fearing the worst when a quickfire double from the visitors cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho's first-minute opener.

But Norwegian forward Hojlund bagged either side of half-time to earn all three points and leave United a point off the top eight in the league phase.

United were ahead inside 50 seconds when Hojlund caught Nikita Haikan dawdling, allowing Garnacho to tap into an open goal on the follow-up.

Hakon Evjen bent in a beautiful left-footed equaliser and four minutes later Tyrell Malacia - back playing for the first time in 17 months - was outmuscled by Philip Zinckernagel, who then rifled one into the bottom-left corner.

Shortly before the break, Hojlund restored parity on the volley after brilliantly taking down Noussair Mazraoui's dinked cross and then finished a well-worked move from six yards when meeting Manuel Ugarte's centre five minutes after the restart.

Garnacho wasted two favourable opportunities when breaking in behind, before bending another effort high and wide after a four-on-two break.

Marcus Rashford also flashed wide as United sought to add breathing space but, in the end, winning by the odd goal in five was enough to get Amorim a first win as boss.

Data Debrief: Ruben up and running with a touch of coincidence

Amorim can breathe a little sigh of relief with his United victory. This fixture marked only the second time a side had ever scored two goals inside 23 minutes in an away major European game against the Red Devils.

The first occasion was against Sporting Braga back in October 2012 (two goals in 20 minutes) where a certain Amorim was coincidentally playing for the visitors.

It could hardly have been a better start to the game for the new boss with Garnacho scoring after 48 seconds, though. It saw United score in the opening minute of a major European game for the first time since March 1991, when Brian McClair netted the opener against Montpellier in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup tie.

United have now won their last two European matches (2-0 vs PAOK Salonika under Ruud van Nistelrooy and 3-2 on Thursday under Amorim), more than they did in their last 11 under former boss Erik ten Hag (W1 D5 L5).

Head coach Hubert Busby and his Reggae Girlz are hoping to close out their 2024 campaign with victories against South Africa as they kick off their two-match friendly international series on Friday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

Game time is at 8:00pm.

Though preparations for the friendlies faced logistical hurdles, including uncooperative weather, Busby credited the team for staying focused ahead of the opening fixture against the Banyana Banyana, who they last met in 2019 when they played out a 1-1 stalemate in Durban.

“There have been challenges logistically, and obviously the weather hasn’t been helpful. But credit to the players and staff for staying focused on the task at hand, as this is another great opportunity for us to come together as a team,” Busby said in a pre-game interview.

Busby emphasized that these friendlies are more than just a chance to play, as they represent crucial blocks in building a foundation for success heading into 2025 and beyond, including the World Cup qualifiers and a potential road to Brazil 2027.

“It’s about laying the foundation, the building blocks for success, both on and off the pitch. It’s important that we take two good performances and, obviously, results heading into the February window. That should set a good foundation for the World Cup qualifiers later in the year,” he explained.

On that note, Busby revealed that plans are well underway to maximize every Fifa window leading up to the qualifiers, including securing competitive opponents to prepare for the challenges of Concacaf.

“We’re ahead of the game now in terms of utilising each and every window and making sure we have the right opponent that fits what we’re looking for, especially as it pertains to Concacaf,” Busby shared.

With this being the Girlz first game at home since their Olympic qualifying playoff game against Canada last September and first in Montego Bay since the Paraguay friendly in 2022, it adds another layer of excitement for the team.

The second contest will take place on Monday at the same venue.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring the game to another part of the country, which is a big part of spreading and growing the game throughout Jamaica. So we’re looking forward to seeing a packed house on Friday and Monday,” Busby noted.

For Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, the friendlies mark a long-awaited return to the squad after a 14-month absence. The talismanic striker, who has become a global football star, said her return feels like a fresh start given the changes within the team.

“It’s been 14 months since my last time being with the girls. It almost feels like I’m a new player because there’s been so much change in terms of the staff and so on, but it’s been good with the group. Training has been going well, and we’re raring to go,” Shaw declared.

The towering Manchester City stalwart, who found the Girlz goal when the two teams last met, also shared her excitement about playing in front of Jamaican fans again and encouraged supporters to come out in full force.

“It’s been a while since we’ve played in Jamaica, and we’re very excited to be here. We’ve always had really good support, especially in Montego Bay. We just want to thank everyone for the support they’ve given us throughout the journey so far and look forward to seeing everyone at the games on Friday and Monday,” Shaw said.

Enzo Maresca has vowed the likes of Jadon Sancho and Mikhailo Mudryk will get plenty of minutes for Chelsea in the coming weeks after impressing in the 2-0 win over Heidenheim.

Sancho played a starring role in both of the Blues' goals on Thursday, with his driving run helping set up Christopher Nkunku for the opener before teeing up Mudryk to seal a fourth win in the competition. 

Neither player has been a regular for the Blues in the Premier League, with Maresca mixing up his options between Premier League duties and domestic and European competition ventures.

Sancho has managed just 312 minutes of top-flight action this season, while Mudryk has only been used for 146 minutes across his seven Premier League appearances, despite notching six goal involvements in the Europa Conference League (three goals, three assists) so far. 

But as the English football calendar reaches a busy festive schedule, Chelsea boss Maresca said both players will get their fair share of action.

He told a news conference: "I said since we started, Jadon is very important for us. He has to be fit, mentally and physically and he is going to help us a lot. 

"Unfortunately, we did not use him in the last few games but he is showing tonight how important he is. We need that quality in the last third against a low block. He is going to help us a lot.

"He's (Mudryk) one of the players I just mentioned. It's difficult to find players tonight that didn't play well. We need all of them taking the chances when they get the chances. 

"They all want to play more; they all deserve to play and are working fantastic. We are going to share minutes in the next games because we have so many games and it's the normal thing to do."

Chelsea lead the league phase of the competition and are on the brink of the last 16. Maresca praised the mentality his side showed to stay perfect in the competition.

"It was a very good challenge for all the aspects, they were high pressing, intense, but no matter what they do, it's important we are ready," he added.

"It's important to continue with that mentality."

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to their Europa Conference League campaign by beating Heidenheim 2-0 on Thursday. 

Two second-half strikes from Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk kept the Blues top of the pile after four games, taking their total to 18 goals in this year's competition.

The visitors thought they had been awarded a penalty when Mudryk was tripped inside the box, and despite being told to go to the monitor to review the decision, referee Serdar Gozubuyuk stuck with his original call. 

However, the Blues found themselves in front six minutes after the break when Jadon Sancho's cross was gathered by Nkunku, who finished with aplomb from inside the area. 

Heidenheim continued to ramp up the pressure late on and thought they had levelled through substitute Maximilian Breunig's diving header, but the offside flag was raised on the far side. 

The victory was sealed in the 86th minute after fine build-up play between Sancho and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw the ball pulled back for Mudryk, who rifled into the top corner.

Cesare Casadei's sending off in second-half stoppage time took the gloss off an otherwise impressive display, with the Blues' focus now turning to Aston Villa this weekend. 

Data Debrief: Blues march on

Following Chelsea's 8-0 thrashing of Armenian minnows Noah in their last game, many placed the Blues as favourites to win this year's competition, but they were made to work for their triumph in Germany. 

While the Blues accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 2.9 to Heidenheim's 1.97, the hosts registered more shots on target (11), but were foiled by the brilliance of Filip Jorgensen, who made 11 saves during the encounter. 

Nkunku also continued his scoring streak in the competition, netting his fifth Europa Conference League goal, while also producing more shots on target (three) than any of his team-mates. 

Chris Wood says he is flourishing at Nottingham Forest because he feels the appreciation of boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

The New Zealand striker, 32, has been the surprise story of the Premier League season, scoring eight goals in 12 top-flight appearances – a tally bettered only by Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

Indeed, since Nuno took over at Forest Wood has netted 19 in 28 Premier League games and puts that down to finding a manager who knows how to get the best out of him.

In an interview with BBC Sport, he said: "You have to find where you are appreciated. Managers have their own style and how they want to play games.

"That's not anything I can control. It just means you might not be in the right area or the manager's cup of tea. There's always a manager who likes a number nine, or a false nine.

"I'm not a man who is going to beat two or three players and stick it in the top corner, I'm a man who relies on service. If they can't supply me, I can't score.

"It's about trying to find the role which fits everyone and fortunately under Nuno it has.

"The six or seven loans I had as a youngster taught me a lot about being appreciated and valued. It's not always about you as a person or player, it's how you connect and build with a team. A lot of it is out of your control."

Wood also credited now Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth for some useful advice when he was technical director at West Brom, one of the 11 English clubs Wood represented before landing at a 12th with Forest.

He added: "It's about making coming down the other side as small as possible to bounce back up and make a new mountain.

"Mentality is huge in sport and in football. If you can control that side of the game it helps.

"You go through these mountains and waves through the whole season. It's not just a case of skyrocketing. That's what I got told by [former technical director] Dan Ashworth when I was at West Brom. It's not always going to be plain sailing.

"There are going to be those waves and you have to ride with them and hope the downside is as small as possible to get the upsides as big as possible."

Real Madrid have confirmed that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga sustained a hamstring injury during their Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Camavinga was replaced by Dani Ceballos in the 56th minute during Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Anfield, and the club revealed he is expected to spend a period on the sidelines. 

The Frenchman adds to Madrid's already extensive injury list, joining the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal on the injury table. 

An official club statement read: "Following tests carried out today on our player Eduardo Camavinga by the club’s Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg. Pending evolution."

This growing list of absentees has raised serious concerns about the team’s depth and their ability to compete effectively both domestically and in the Champions League. 

The loss against Liverpool has already left Madrid’s Champions League qualification hopes hanging in the balance, finding themselves 24th in the new 36-team table after five games.

Carlo Ancelotti's side welcome Getafe to the Bernabeu this Sunday, hoping to close the gap to rivals Barcelona at the summit of the LaLiga standings, who are just four points ahead, with Madrid having played a game less. 

Real Madrid have confirmed that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga sustained a hamstring injury during their Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Camavinga was replaced by Dani Ceballos in the 56th minute during Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Anfield, and the club revealed he is expected to spend a period on the sidelines. 

The Frenchman adds to Madrid's already extensive injury list, joining the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal on the injury table. 

An official club statement read: "Following tests carried out today on our player Eduardo Camavinga by the club’s Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg. Pending evolution."

This growing list of absentees has raised serious concerns about the team’s depth and their ability to compete effectively both domestically and in the Champions League. 

The loss against Liverpool has already left Madrid’s Champions League qualification hopes hanging in the balance, finding themselves 24th in the new 36-team table after five games.

Carlo Ancelotti's side welcome Getafe to the Bernabeu this Sunday, hoping to close the gap to rivals Barcelona at the summit of the LaLiga standings, who are just four points ahead, with Madrid having played a game less.