Manchester United 2-1 Real Madrid: 5 Positives for Red Devils from the game

Jose Mourinho took the lemons that life was throwing at him constantly, gathered them up and squeezed them to the last drop to make his pre-season lemonade. The team he set out to fight Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium had a lot of questionable decisions and most of the questions lay in the defence. Just a couple of days after claiming that Bailly was not a natural leader, the Portuguese handed him the captain’s armband. Mourinho opted to lay United out in a 5-3-2, and to everyone’s shock, McTominay partnered Fosu-Mensah and Bailly in the middle of the defence. Fans were also sceptical to see Darmian resume duty as the right wing-back, while Shaw deservedly returned as the left wing-back. Mourinho opted to crowd up the midfield, starting Pereira, Herrera, and new signing Fred, who got his first start. Mata partnered Sanchez up front.

United started the game brightly and showed intent. They deservedly went ahead when Herrera sent Darmian clear down the right and the Italian dragged the ball back for Sanchez to score in the 18th minute. The second goal should have impressed even the grumpy Mourinho. Darmian sent a beautiful long ball to Mata, who broke free, held up the ball and sent it to Sanchez in the box. The Chilean had the awareness to known that Herrera was running in behind him, heading the ball back to the Spaniard, who scored with a perfect first-time finish. United seemed to have total control of the game until Benzema scored in first-half injury time, capitalizing on a raw defensive error.

Real improved their performance in the second half, but United held on for their first normal time win in the pre-season. United had 29% possession, attempting 309 passes with 79% accuracy, whereas Real attempted 743 passes with 92% accuracy. United had 6 shots compared to Real’s 16, but only 3 shots were on goal for both sides. The Red Devils were riding their luck sometimes in the second half, but in the end managed to end their pre-season on a positive note. As such, we look at five points from the game, which should give Manchester United fans abet a thin ray of hope going into the new season.

#5 New signing Fred looks good

Manchester United v Real Madrid - International Champions Cup 2018 — Fred looked good in his first game for Manchester United

Fred had joined United from Shakhtar Donetsk in a 52m move and United fans all over the world were waiting in anticipation to see him in a Red shirt. His 20-minute cameo in the later stages of the Liverpool was uneventful and too short to make any judgement, so his inclusion in the first team against Real delighted fans.

Fred started as the deep-lying partner for Pereira in the midfield, and it was clear why Mourinho wanted him. The Brazilian immediately formed a solid bond with his countryman and was efficient on the ball. He looked lively all throughout and closed down the Madrid players well. He was also impressive with the long balls he played. He was calm under pressure and did not lose possession cheaply. Pereira has been an assured presence in the midfield for United all through the pre-season, but he looked even better with another ball player alongside him in the middle. Those two should be in the United team against Leicester City next Friday.

#4 Wing-backs played well

Short of options, Mourinho experimented with McTominay and Fosu-Mensah partnering Bailly in a 3 man defence. Even though they did amicably, the Special One will be desperate for his special signing in defence to come through before the end of the Transfer Window. Darmian, starting as a wingback, might have had United fans worried, but in truth, the Italian had a stellar game. He was involved in both goals, setting up Sanchez for the first and then accurately finding Mata to initiate the counter in the second. This game was probably Darmian’s redemption – he was not spectacular, but he was offensively strong in the first half, while also doing his defensive duties well.

Shaw also had a good game, in sync with his solid pre-season performance so far. He joined the attack at every opportunity and was so solid in the first half that Bale had to switch sides to be effective. In the second half, since United were pressed to the wall and there was no attacking outlet, Shaw did not get too many opportunities to press forward and was tested quite often as Real pressed with intensity. He did quite well under pressure, has finished the US Tour strongly and should start the game against Leicester City.

#3 Herrera integral part of the United set up

Ander Herrera has survived being shunned by the two managers he played under at Manchester United and still managed to make a positive comeback every time. It is part of the reason every United fans love him, but this time, Herrera showed another example of how he can adapt his game according to his manager’s requirement. Asked to play higher up and support Mata and Sanchez, Herrera was involved in both goals. It was his clever pass that allowed Darmian to run through the right and drag the ball back for Sanchez to score. And in the second goal, he had the wit and determination to run the entire pitch to join in the counter-attack and provide Sanchez with an option if he wanted. In the end, his clever positioning did not go unnoticed and the Chilean nodded the ball back, which Herrera slot into the net clinically. It was an ode to the player who has so many aspects to the game and provides his manager with so many options.

But the thing about Herrera is that he was not just joining up with the attack, but helping out with his back to the goal as well. Even though Mourinho set him up in a relatively advanced position, Herrera did not shy away from the dirty work. He was busy as ever, building up the numbers in the defence, closing down the ball and coming to the aid of Pereira and Fred as they soaked up that relentless onslaught from Real in the second half. Herrera might have more competition for the midfield slots this season, but you can rest assured that he will not be giving up without a fight. In fact, he should be in the first XI against Leicester City, not only because of absentees but also because he brings something unique to this United team.

#2 Mata coming good as supporting striker

Juan Mata has been starting as a supporting striker with Sanchez for the past couple of games. His first touch and control on the ball is so good that it opens up defences again and again. What he lacks in pace, he makes up in skill and control. And his understanding with Sanchez seems to be getting better with each passing day. Like the game against Liverpool, against Real too, time and again, he located Sanchez with his passes. He latched on to Darmian’s pass well and had the composure to wait for Sanchez to arrive in position. Ultimately, it was his lofted pass that Sanchez knocked down for Herrera to score.

He has had a good pre-season so far, he has had to adapt to his game, rising up to new challenges for the team and he gives Mourinho different options. On the form that he is in, he should start in the Number 10 role against Leicester City.

#1 Sanchez is building partnerships with his teammates

The player of the pre-season has to be Alexis Sanchez. He looks an upgrade to the player from the end of last season and had another inspirational outing against Real Madrid. He has been getting better with every game and has been developing his partnerships with his teammates, something that was missing from last season. His partnership with Mata has been exquisite, to say the least, and he has been drawing the wingbacks and the midfielders into the game too.

Against Real Madrid, he displayed his positional awareness to received Darmian’s ball and then showcased his striking abilities by scoring with a lovely finish. For the second goal, he showed that he is not just a selfish striker, but a team player, taking a responsible decision and ultimately enabling United to win the game. Sanchez ended the game with a goal and an assist and has been getting better with each game. He has used this pre-season to understand his teammates and their playing style and it does seem like he has learnt a lot about his team. United fans must be expecting a lot from him in the 2018/19 season and by the looks of things, they might have their fireworks.

Edited by Amar Anand