Manchester United opened their pre-season tour with a one-nil defeat against Rosenborg in Trondheim.
A capacity crowd filled Lerkendal Stadion with Erik ten Hag’s men commencing a busy summer schedule.
It was their fourth meeting since 1977, with the Norwegians offering a much-needed test for the young Reds.
A 25-man squad with 19 academy talents faced a Troillongan side 14 fixtures deep into their domestic campaign.
With a notable difference in the fitness levels of both groups, the home side was expectedly sharper from the off.
Ten Hag, while frustrated with the manner of performance, will be pleased with the runout for his young group – particularly that of the hugely impressive Radek Vítek.
All eyes on Vitek
The first-half lineup consisted of all six senior players, with Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Jonny Evans, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hannibal present.
It is important to remember – the lads returned to Carrington less than a week ago, following a deserved summer break.
Despite an early onslaught from the hosts, 20-year-old Czech shot-stopper Vitek was in imperious form.
Having returned from a loan spell at Accrington Stanley, he was called into action several times during the opening exchanges, producing acrobatic efforts to deny the Norwegians.
United spent much of the half in their own third, repelling a wave of attacks from Alfred Johansson’s side.
Ethan Wheatley supplied the visitor’s only opportunity, forcing a save from Sander Tangvik, following some fine work from the impressive Mount.
It remained scoreless until the break, with some valuable minutes in the tank for the side.
Second Half
Ten changes came before the restart, with the talented Toby Collyer receiving the captain’s armband.
It is not a secret Ten Hag thinks highly of the youngster, with ample suggestions of increased involvement to come this campaign.
He was composed in possession and had a good understanding of his responsibilities throughout the half.
Keep an eye on the midfielder throughout the remainder of the summer.
The second 45 was much like the first, with a far sharper home side carving out opportunities and Vitek equal to all.
The pick of his involvement saw a fine stop from a Tobias Borkeeiet effort redirected onto the woodwork.
Inevitably, Rosenborg profited from a bounce in the box in the fourth minute of injury time, with Noah Holm smashing the ball home for the win.
It was a cruel ending for the goalkeeper, but a valuable 45 minutes for both United lineups and a memorable day for the young Czech.
Speaking to MUTV following the final whistle, Ten Hag outlined his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance.
“The result is not secondary,” he said. “We play pre-season, but it’s the standard at Manchester United to win games – definitely don’t lose them. The performance is important but it was below our standards.”
It is easy for mainstream media to run away with a defeat, but this is a pre-season fixture with a group of teenagers.
It is about minutes under the belt and spending time with supporters who can enjoy their team without the hassle of planes and hotels.
Next is a trip to Murrayfield on Saturday, July 20, to face Scottish giants Rangers in a 4 PM BST fixture.
Are you making the trip up north?
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