Kristiansund 0-1 Manchester United : 3 talking points

Modified Jul 30, 2019 23:23 GMT

Manchester United faced Kristiansund for a friendly in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's home country Norway and the Red Devils beat the home side 1-0. Juan Mata scored the penalty for the Red Devils.

In the first half, United dominated in terms of possession and they were creating enough chances to go in front but the home side's goalkeeper was making some terrific saves at the other end. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, and Scott McTominay came close to break the deadlock but either the woodwork or the goalie denied the away side.

In the second half, the match followed the same routine as every time United came close, they weren't clinical enough. The away side also created some set-piece opportunities for themselves but couldn't find the back of the net. The likes of Mason Greenwood, Fred, Paul Pogba, etc, came mightily close to opening the scoring but it was a late penalty earned and scored by Mata made the ultimate difference.

In the end, both teams played out an entertaining match and in this slideshow, we are going to take a look at the 3 talking Points from the game:

#3 United attackers weren't clinical enough

In the first half, it looked like one of those days where the ball just wouldn't go into the back of the net, but that also meant that the United attackers weren't taking their chances well. Especially Rashford and Martial who had brilliant opportunities to put their side in front lacked that composure required in the final third.

Also, James sometimes made the wrong choice of pass in the attacking third and he has been lacking that final ball throughout the pre-season. No doubt his pace is frightening but his final ball needs to improve. Also, Jesse Lingard has looked good throughout the pre-season but just like his previous matches, he wasn't clinical in front of goal. Although United were able to break the deadlock in the second half, the lack of composure shown by the United attackers might have concerned Solskjaer.

#2 Scott McTominay bossed the first half

A player who has impressed brilliantly throughout the pre-season - Scott McTominay - was at it again. Just like against Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Inter Milan, the 22-year-old midfielder was bossing the away side. While fellow midfielder Nemanja Matic was struggling to get hold of the proceedings, McTominay managed to pull the strings in the middle of the park alone.

He also showed his attacking mindset as he had more than 3 shots on goal - two almost ending up in the back of the net, and one hitting the crossbar. Most of United's midfielders are auditioning for that role alongside Paul Pogba in the Solskjaer's preferred 4-2-3-1 and right now, McTominay looks to be the front-runner for that spot.

The 22-year-old has looked a class apart in that number 6 role and the upcoming season might be massive for the youngster..

#1 Axel Tuanzebe and Mason Greenwood the most impressive youngsters

As we have seen in almost every Manchester United pre-season game, we saw United youngsters get a good amount of time on the pitch. Tahith Chong, Mason Greenwood, and Axel Tuanzebe got a run out in the middle and the latter two were able to impress the most in the 30 minutes or so.

Greenwood had more than 3 shots on goal and he came on after the 60th minute. The 17-year-old showed bits and pieces of his attacking quality and he was very unlucky not to find the back of the net.

Also, Tuanzebe managed to impress yet again. The 21-year-old looked so calm on and off the ball and hasn't shown any signs of being reckless. He also has a tremendous physical presence and wins almost all of his aerial duels. The two players mentioned here alongside Angel Gomes are the most likely to break into the first team and get more game time.

Edited by Nnanna Mba