Jose Mourinho was finally given something to smile about as a tempestuous trip to the US ended with Manchester United’s 2-1 win over former club Real Madrid thanks to first-half strikes from Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera.
Mourinho has cut a miserable figure during their two-week trip to the US, lashing out at a lack of transfer activity while reserving stinging criticism for a number of first-team players.
However, seeing his side establish a two-goal lead in the first half was encouraging, as was holding Real at bay after Karim Benezema’s goal just before the interval gave the Spanish side hope of mounting a comeback.
“I didn’t learn anything [from this tour],” Mourinho said. “I know what Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez are. I know my players gave everything. In the last 15 minutes, we are dead and they bring on Toni Kroos and Asensio and Isco — and I thought we wouldn’t resist, but we did.”
“That’s the spirit we need because our first two or three weeks in the Premier League are going to be really hard for us, because we didn’t prepare for that,” he added.
The United side have been without 12 key players for most of the tour with many enjoying an extended break following the FIFA World Cup.
In front of 64,141 spectators at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, United were finishing off their pre-season preparations against a Real Madrid side just starting theirs.
La Liga starts a week later than the Premier League, so new Real manager Julen Lopetegui was able to name the likes of Gareth Bale to start while Germany star Toni Kroos was on the bench.
Spanish international David de Gea was making his first start since returning from the extra time given to him following the World Cup and he was almost beaten in the eighth minute — Bale started a move that saw Benzema fire just wide from close range.
At 18 minutes, United were ahead. Herrera fed Matteo Darmian and he teed up Sanchez, who clinically swept the ball home.
It was United’s first real opportunity — and it was taken superbly.
“Alexis Sanchez is fresh. The way the man is running, I think he is in a fantastic condition,” Mourinho said.
The second goal, which arrived at 27 minutes, was equally impressive.
Darmian lifted the ball to Mata and once the Spaniard had regained his composure, he crossed for Sanchez. He was able to divert the ball into the path of Herrera, who did not miss.
Bale curled wide soon after, but just before the interval Benzema tapped in an excellent Theo Hernandez-cross to give the vast amounts of Madrid fans in Miami something to cheer about.
Bale, a one-time target for Mourinho, was withdrawn for the second half as Lopetegui shuffled his pack. One of the substitutes, Martin Odegaard, should have leveled at 56 minutes when he blazed over the bar from close range.
The Norwegian saw a free-kick saved by De Gea late on, but United held firm to lift Mourinho’s mood.
It was their first victory in regulation play this pre-season — AC Milan were defeated on penalties in Los Angeles last week.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
Taiwanese-American right fielder Corbin Carroll on Tuesday hit his third home run in two days to tie for the MLB lead with 14 homers. Carroll on Monday hit two homers for the Arizona Diamondbacks in their 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants to put him with in one of the hit leaders. Although the Giants got their revenge on Tuesday night, beating Arizona 10-6, Carroll hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to tie him with the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the most homers so far this year. In the previous night’s
RSS