Manchester United 0-1 Athletic Club LIVE! Williams goal – Friendly ...
Manchester United vs Athletic Club LIVE!
The final pre-season game of Manchester United’s extensive summer schedule takes place today with a clash against LaLiga side Athletic in Dublin. Bilbao will prove sturdy opposition for what is expected to be a largely second-string United team at the Aviva Stadium.
Erik ten Hag’s first-team secured a victory over Lens at Old Trafford yesterday to set themselves up for the Premier League kick-off against Wolves next week. Therefore, this is a final chance for the likes of Harry Maguire, Donny van de Beek and United’s youngsters to impress against a very decent opponent. Athletic face Real Madrid to start their campaign next season and will be taking this game very seriously.
New signing Rasmus Hojlund is not expected to feature despite being officially unveiled as a United player on Saturday. Follow Man Utd vs Athletic Club LIVE via Standard Sport’s matchday blog!
Man Utd vs Athletic Club updatesGOAL! Maguire error leads to opener
KICK OFF
How to watch: MUTV
MUFC team news: Maguire and Sancho start
17:08 , Dominic Booth
49 mins: Another opening for Pellistri, dashing down the right past his man, but his cross is towards nobody in particular.
17:07 , Dominic Booth
47 mins: Pellistri has began the second half the way he started the first. He’s a bundle of energy and tricks, with his cross setting up Sancho to cushion down for Eriksen, with Gore then shooting straight at Simon.
SECOND HALF17:05 , Dominic Booth
Back under way in Dublin!
Hannibal Mejbri is on for United, replacing Van de Beek.
16:56 , Dominic Booth
This is the goal and the moment that separates the two teams at the break.
HALF TIME16:48 , Dominic Booth
Manchester United 0-1 Athletic Club.
Not the greatest first half for United and Ten Hag doesn’t look massively impressed. Some thinking for him to do at the interval, and potentially some changes to come.
(AFP via Getty Images)
16:45 , Dominic Booth
44 mins: Lindelof wins the header from the resulting corner but it’s tamely up in the air for Simon to catch.
Eriksen then whips in a cross towards Van de Beek and it’s wide.
16:45 , Dominic Booth
43 mins: Nice play from Fernandez down the left. The youngster is making a decent case to be retained as one of the club’s left-back options for the coming season.
Good play from Pellistri and Gore but the chance just evades the Uruguayan, before Van de Beek wins a corner trying to tip-toe through.
16:43 , Dominic Booth
40 mins: The referee dishes out the game’s first yellow card, to Athletic’s de Galarreta.
Ten Hag is channelling his inner Darth Sidious on the sideline, black hood over his head and eyes. He does not seem overly impressed, neither with the weather or United’s performance.
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
16:40 , Dominic Booth
38 mins: A Dublin downpour is now saturating this stadium and its fans, especially in the open area behind one of the goals. Coats are urgently sought.
On the pitch, United are calming things down by enjoying a spell of uninterrupted possesion.
16:38 , Dominic Booth
36 mins: Forson just flagged offside as United seek an instant response. Sancho remains a livewire for Ten Hag’s side.
16:36 , Dominic Booth
34 mins: United have fallen behind in a number of these pre-season games, whatever the strength of their side and whoever the opponents.
Can they respond here?
Man United 0-1 Athletic: GOAL! Nico Williams ‘3016:32 , Dominic Booth
Nico Williams scores for the Spanish side!
That was an error from Maguire that allowed them to carve up the United defence, with Heaton well beaten in the end.
16:29 , Dominic Booth
26 mins: The referee gave a free-kick on the edge of the box instead – what a good call that is, judging from the replay.
Williams was tripped by Fernandez. The kick is worked short but Heaton saves comfortably in the end.
Penalty?16:27 , Dominic Booth
24 mins: Eriksen gets crowded out in the middle and then Gore is late with a resulting challenge.
The youngster has already been sent off in pre-season and that was a bit spic, too. Keep calm, lads , it’s still friendly season.
And now... Bilbao have a penalty, do they? Fernandez with the foul.
16:24 , Dominic Booth
22 mins: Is that a United penalty? Pellistri goes over in the box, trying to latch onto a nice Fernandez pass, but the referee says no.
16:22 , Dominic Booth
20 mins: The crowd thought Van de Beek was about to score, but he’s flagged rightly offside from Sancho’s pass.
It’s been fairly high-energy stuff this, for a pre-season friendly.
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
16:19 , Dominic Booth
17 mins: A wild old shot from de Galarreta flies over the bar. United are landing themselves in trouble with some sloppy play in possession.
16:17 , Dominic Booth
15 mins: Delightful stuff from Jadon Sancho, shimmying away from his marker with a canny nutmeg and then feeding the onrushing Forson, who cannot quite get in on goal, as Simon shuffles off his line to smother.
16:16 , Dominic Booth
14 mins: The referee isn’t happy with a forceful Aaron Wan-Bissaka challenge that came in on Muniain from behind. No booking, since this is a friendly.
United have been a bit sloppy in the last few minutes. Alvaro Fernandez heads them to safety after a dangerous cross came in. Then Heaton saves simply from Williams’ effort.
16:13 , Dominic Booth
11 mins: Williams (x2) and Muniain make a dangerous trio for Athletic up top. The Basque club are enjoying their best spell right now.
16:10 , Dominic Booth
8 mins: The jet-heeled Pellistri has been electric so far. Forson has been lively on the other wing, too, and he knocks a long ball down nicely for Sancho and United get a corner in the end as Van de Beek has it taken off his toes in the box.
Van de Beek eventually gets on the end of the corner but steers tamely at Simon.
16:07 , Dominic Booth
5 mins: Dan Gore is occupying the deep midfield role alongside Eriksen for United at the moment, with Van de Beek stationed higher up in the No.10 role. Lots of possession for the Red Devils so far, with the blue shirted Bilbao players looking to press high.
16:05 , Dominic Booth
3 mins: An even bigger chance follows, as Sancho finds himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Unai Simon, opts to take it on his left foot but cannot guide it into the corner.
A decent save, but Sancho should have scored. There might be a fair few chances for United today based on this start!
16:04 , Dominic Booth
2 mins: Nearly a rapid start for United, as Pellistri picks up a loose Bilbao pass and drives straight at the defence, laying off to Sancho, but the defenders get back just in time.
KICK OFF!16:02 , Dominic Booth
Here we go.
One odd thing to note is that Tom Heaton is wearing the captain’s armband for United today, despite the fact Harry Maguire is in the team. His demotion from being the club skipper is real.
15:54 , Dominic Booth
The warm-ups are done and the teams will shortly be out in front of a bumper Dublin crowd at the Aviva Stadium.
The last knockings of Manchester United’s pre-season.
15:35 , Dominic Booth
Less than half an hour until kick-off now in Dublin.
Just a reminder that you can catch Standard Sport’s coverage of the Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City here. Tottenham are also in pre-season action against Shakhtar Donetsk, which you can also follow.
15:19 , Dominic Booth
A familar face in the opposition ranks today for United.
15:09 , Dominic Booth
Andre Onana was quick to take responsibility for the slightly embarrassing goal Manchester United conceded in their friendly win over Lens yesterday.
The new keeper was lobbed in the first half after a stray Diogo Dalot pass. This is what Onana told MUTV about it after the match:
Like I always say, I am responsible for everything, especially when we concede goals
I’m the big man at the back so I take all the criticism, all the responsibility is on me.
Andre Onana
Read more from him here.
Team news analysis15:00 , Dominic Booth
It’s a completed changed Man United XI that Ten Hag has picked in Dublin, but a fairly strong one nontheless – as strong as he feasibly could have fielded.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof both have points to prove now they’re no longer first choice centre-backs (with Maguire strongly linked with a move away). There’s no sign of another player close to an exit in the shape of Fred; he’s potentially off to Galatasary.
Jadon Sancho may well be starting in the No.9 role today, flanked by youngsters Dan Gore and Omari Forson – he’s another player who needs to lay down a marker this afternoon, as does Aaron Wan-Bissaka if he’s to start the season as first pick right-back.
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
14:46 , Dominic Booth
Heaton; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Fernandez; Van de Beek, Eriksen; Pellistri, Gore, Forson; Sancho
Subs: Kovar, Wooster, Evans, Jurado, Collyer, Hannibal, Emeran, Hugill
14:44 , Dominic Booth
We’re expecting to get the official team news very soon from Dublin, so stay tuned.
14:29 , Dominic Booth
The United players are in the Republic of Ireland ahead of today’s game.
Yesterday’s game14:08 , Dominic Booth
Manchester United’s 3-1 friendly win over RC Lens at Old Trafford on Saturday had a bit of everything.
A nightmare moment for Andre Onana, a goal and an assist for Antony and Marcus Rashford back to something approaching his best. Alejandro Garnacho was also in very sharp form.
Many of those players won’t feature today, but here’s our report on a promising day in pre-season.
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
Prediction13:49 , Dominic Booth
It’s always hard to predict pre-season games, given teams will be at different stages in their preparations for the season proper. And it’s especially tricky today, given that United played a game on Saturday, with the team to be completely contrasting – you never know what they’ll serve up.
But we’re going for a 2-1 United win; Ten Hag should still field a strong enough lineup to win the game.
Man United team news today13:43 , Dominic Booth
Nine Manchester United players got full 90 minute outings under their belt in their 3-1 win over Lens on Saturday.
So that means the likes of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen – who didn’t feature at all – are primed to come into the side for this trip. Amad, Kobbie Mainoo, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial are injured and all unlikely to be available, while the game also comes too soon for new signing Rasmus Hojlund.
Predicted Man Utd XI: Heaton; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams; Hannibal, Eriksen; Pellistri, Van de Beek, Forson; Sancho
More on the team news can be found here
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
How to watch13:36 , Dominic Booth
A reminder that today’s game is being screened on United’s in-house TV channel, MUTV. If you haven’t got a subscription to that, you can simply follow this very live blog instead.
Kick off and venue13:35 , Dominic Booth
Hello and welcome to today’s live blog of Manchester United’s final pre-season game of summer 2023.
It’s off to Ireland and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium for this one, and it’s a 4pm kick-off (UK and Irish time), as Erik ten Hag takes charge of a changed United side against Athletic Club of Bilbao.
Stick with us for all the pre-match information, team news, match build-up and live updates.
