After the upgraded performance between the old and new at Carrington, that joyful atmosphere continued to be felt at Old Trafford the next day. Manchester United fans warmly welcomed new signing Benjamin Sesko and sent their gratitude to David De Gea.
De Gea was withdrawn before the end of the 90 minutes and could not be caught in the penalty shootout. In his career at Man United, there was a period when the Spanish goalkeeper conceded 40 consecutive penalty goals, culminating with 11 defeats in the Europa League final 2021-2022. However, in his final cap for the "Red Devils" at Old Trafford, De Gea succeeded.
Ruben Amorim's side have completed their double summer 2025 friendly titles with the Premier League Summer Series and Snapdragon Cup. The "Red Devils" attack is considered completed in this transfer window, but the goalkeeper position is still open. Andre Onana has been absent for the entire pre-season and is hoping to return in time against Arsenal next week. Meanwhile, Altay Bayindir is only a temporary option for friendly matches.
One of the memorable moments was the image of 4 new Man United players introduced before the match, each of whom received a warm welcome. The biggest cheers belonged to Benjamin Sesko, less than 2 hours after the striker officially signed a contract with the new team.
Returning to the friendly match, it started at a slow pace in the context of Man United playing fast to pressure the opponent. The consequences of the lack of concentration came in the 7th minute when Simon Sohm volleyed from a corner kick, sending the hooked ball straight into the corner of the goal.
Amorim has not had a stable trio of defenders throughout the pre-season. Leny Yoro started 4/5 matches but this was only the second time Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven have started. Heaven was injured in the second half and could miss the Arsenal game, which created an opportunity for Luke Shaw to return.
After conceding the goal, Bruno Fernandes immediately urged his teammates to speed up and Man United had their first chances to threaten De Gea's goal. The most dangerous opportunities came from the defender, when Yoro and Maguire forced the Spanish goalkeeper to show his talent.
The only striker of the first team, Rasmus Hojlund, is not playing due to rumors of leaving the club. The Danish striker has been on the bench for 3/5 friendly matches, including 2 consecutive matches. Even Mason Mount, who is a central midfielder, is considered the highest player in the starting lineup.
By the end of the friendly series, Mount has played in 4 different positions. This further shows that Hojlund is no longer in demand even though the team does not have a center forward. Previously, Man United's "number 9" seemed comfortable when warming up, even standing up to raise the ball but in the end was not on the field. Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, is out injured.
Mount's striker role lasted only 45 minutes. In the second half, Bryan Mbeumo was adjusted to play at the highest level. However, Man United's equalizer came from an own goal by the opposing defender, reflecting the lack of sharpness in the "Red Devils" attack.
The most positive point is that Mbeumo is showing rapid integration. He had dangerous left-footed crosses and formed a good link with Amad on the right wing. Meanwhile, Cunha played quite poorly and continuously received close guidance from Ruben Amorim on the sidelines.
