Manchester United finished their pre-season duties with a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, before a penalty shootout success sealed the Snapdragon Cup.
An emotionally charged crowd paid their respects to David de Gea before kickoff, with the legendary goalkeeper honoured on his return to Old Trafford.
Those in attendance then turned attention to the new summer arrivals, with significant recognition for Benjamin Sesko following his unveiling earlier this morning.
Disregarding the feel-good factor on the ground, the visitors opened the scoring after eight minutes through Simon Sohm after some lacklustre defending from a routine corner kick.
United restored parity from the opposite corner flag midway through the half after a frantic melee in the six-yard box resulted in an aggrieved Robin Gosens guiding the ball past De Gea.
The scoreline remained unchanged, with the sides playing out a second half of near-misses and misplaced passes, with a 5-4 penalty shootout confirming another pre-season success for Ruben Amorim.
Focus shifts to Premier League redemption for Manchester United
Amorim made five changes to his starting XI that faced Everton in the final Premier League Summer Series, with the Portuguese again opting to begin without Rasmus Hojlund – a telling feature of the day.
Much has been made about the calibre of the attacking threat acquired, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Sesko tasked with leading a new-look final third.
However, with Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven standing alongside Harry Maguire in the backline, those in attendance were left shaking their heads following a familiarly poor defensive structure for the Italians’ opener.
To their credit, United were unfazed by the early setback and began dictating play with some attractive interplay and lightning-quick transitions, deservedly levelling through a dangerous set-piece routine.
With the side’s level at the break, Amorim refrained from using his bench and had the woodwork to thank within minutes after some slick work by the impressive Sohm.
United continued to move through the phases with much breaking down in the final passages. Although some may question personnel, much of the perceived sloppiness is the byproduct of new players attempting to gel.
The need for a focal point in attack is evident, and given Amorim’s decision to start and end without Hojlund, the arrival of Sesko will be a welcome sight in Manchester.
De Gea was replaced to deserved standing applause with minutes to play, as everybody in attendance recognised the man for the legend he is. Although I can’t help but feel he would have relished the opportunity to partake in the shootout.
After a perfect eight spotkicks, Altay Bayindir guessed correctly to his left before Kobbie Mainoo expertly guided his effort past the helpless hand of Tommaso Martinelli.
With a new Carrington ready and waiting for an elite level of Premier League preparation, Amorim, Sesko and a new-look United squad will get to work on a plan to open their domestic account against Arsenal next weekend.
Five fixtures played and two pre-season trophies collected for the 20-time champions of England. How far can this side climb in 2025-26?
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image via manutd.com
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