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Man Utd 1 Real Madrid 1 (United win 2-1 on penalties): Anthony Martial produces dazzling skill and David de Gea proves his worth

Anthony Martial sets up Man Utd's opener - GETTY IMAGES
Anthony Martial sets up Man Utd's opener - GETTY IMAGES

Jose Mourinho revealed before this game that David de Gea would be staying at Manchester United after Real Madrid pulled the plug on a deal to sign the Spain goalkeeper.

But De Gea offered the European champions a timely reminder of what they are missing out on with a series of heroics in an otherwise lamentable penalty shoot-out. Only three of 10 penalties were converted, with De Gea saving from Mateo Kovacic and Oscar. Casemiro, whose spot-kick had cancelled out Jesse Lingard’s goal in regulation time, had to score Real’s fifth shoot-out penalty but rattled his shot against the crossbar and over.

Mourinho had been prepared to let De Gea leave after making it clear he will not hold players against their will in the belief that their performance level only dips. But with Real struggling to fund a move for the £125 million-rated Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe and a £60 million bid for De Gea, the Spanish giants opted to withdrawn from negotiations for the United goalkeeper who, for another season at least, will remain at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho - Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Jose Mourinho watches the action unfoldCredit: GETTY IMAGES

Real’s loss is United’s gain. No-one will read too much into a penalty shoot-out in a pre-season game but Mourinho is satisfied De Gea is more focused than ever, not least because of the level of competition being provided by Sergio Romero.

For all the pre-match talk about De Gea, though, the story looked like being about Anthony Martial, who teed up Lingard for United’s goal with a majestic piece of skill, or at least it was before the France forward ballooned his penalty in the shoot-out high over the crossbar. Mourinho will just hope Martial does not blow hot and cold next season.

"Obviously we want more consistency in his talent," Mourinho said. "I think today was positive for him, that's why I left him for 90 minutes on the pitch, he was enjoying and trying things, it's important to try things in these friendly matches so it's good for Anthony and his confidence.

"He is a young player, he still has time to learn, still time to improve, still time to develop, and it's also his personality. I can say he is training better than before, he's working harder than before, it's a question to bring his talent more in a consistent way."

It is hard to think of a player who disappointed more often last season for United than Martial. There were occasional flashes of the talent that had electrified Old Trafford during an impressive debut campaign but, for the most part, he flattered to deceive and Mourinho made no attempt to conceal his frustration. Martial, the manager said, could not keep blowing the chances afforded him. He had to start applying his undoubted talent on a consistent basis. There were off-field issues to take into consideration – an acrimonious split with the mother of his daughter – but he was a pale imitation of the player who made light of that head-spinning £61.6m fee United paid Monaco to sign him.

Mourinho, then, can only hope that the sheer wizardry from Martial that put a goal on a plate for Lingard here in United’s fourth game of their pre-season tour of the US serves as a taster of things to come from the 21 year-old, and not the subsequent penalty miss. Inter Milan are thought to harbour interest in taking Martial on loan, in the event Croatia winger Ivan Perisic leaves for Old Trafford, but it is hard to believe United would give any serious consideration to such a proposal. Aside from the fact that they are already light up front – Martial, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku are Mourinho’s only strike options – the Frenchman has the ability to be a serious player for United next term.

Anthony Martial - Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Anthony Martial bamboozles the Real Madrid defenceCredit: GETTY IMAGES

That will have been abundantly obvious to anyone who witnessed Martial’s wonderful piece of skill on the cusp of half-time that had the 65,109-strong crowd at the Levi’s Stadium jumping out of their seats after a fairly lacklustre game up to that point. There were three people around Martial when he picked up possession on the left side just outside the penalty area. First Lucas Vazquez attempted a challenge but Martial slipped away from him before slaloming in and out of Daniel Carvajal and Luka Modric – hardly two mugs – with the sort of fleet-footed-brilliance most commonly associated with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, the master of wriggling out of tight spaces.

It was the next bit that will have pleased Mourinho, though. The temptation must have been to shoot but as Raphael Varane closed in, Martial had the presence of mind and awareness to side-foot a pass into the path of Lingard to tap in.

He was not the only United youngster who equipped himself well. Lingard has been one of United’s brightest sparks in pre-season and was lively again, scoring but also forcing a good save from Keylor Navas and going close with another effort. And Andreas Pereira, who spent last season on loan at Granada, suggested he would be more than capable of doing a job for Mourinho in central midfield at a time when he is struggling to bring in the targets he wants.

Pereira is a technically-gifted player with a strong range of passing and good awareness. He has traditionally been a more attacking midfielder but he spent much of last season in Spain playing in a deeper midfield role and he could prove a useful option if attempts to entice Nemanja Matic from Chelsea fail.

Jesse Lingard - Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Jesse Lingard opens the scoring for UnitedCredit: GETTY IMAGES

It was not all good news for Mourinho. Ander Herrera hobbled off only seven minutes after coming on at half-time with a suspected hip injury and joins Juan Mata on the treatment table, and new signing Victor Lindelof committed a hare-brained challenge on Hernandez to concede a penalty in the 69th minute that was comfortably dispatched by Casemiro past De Gea. Lindelof had also been at some fault for both of the goals United conceded in their 5-2 win over LA Galaxy in their opening tour game in Los Angeles.

Marouane Fellaini, whose clunky style contrasted starkly with some of the slick technicians on show in the Real ranks, also passed up a glorious opportunity to win it for United when he ballooned the ball horribly wide from six yards after a fine cross from Scott McTominay six minutes from time was crying out to be slotted home.

Marouane Fellaini - Credit: REUTERS
Marouane Fellaini challenges for the ballCredit: REUTERS

Real had changed their entire XI at the interval and the irony is that Zinedane Zidane’s youngsters fared better than the galaxy of first-team stars who had begun the game. Karim Benzema had been kept on a tight leash by Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah performed well against Gareth Bale and Modric and Toni Kroos never really got into their stride, although this was Real’s first game on their own tour of the US. But Dani Gomez and Luis Miguel Ouezada were lively for Real in the second half and only an impressive reaction save from De Gea kept out Quezada’s free-kick. He was also Real’s nemesis in the shoot-out.

Team details

Manchester United (4-1-4-1): Romero (De Gea h/t); Fosu-Mensah (Blind h/t), Bailly (Lindelof h/t), Jones (Smalling h/t), Darmian (Valencia 77); Carrick (Herrera h/t; McTominay 52); Lingard (Mkhitaryan h/t), Pereira (Pogba h/t), Fellaini, Martial; Rashford (Lukaku h/t).

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):Navas (Casilla h/t); Carvajal (Hakimi h/t), Varane (Manu h/t), Nacho (Mayoral), Marcelo (Hernandez h/t); Modric (Casemiro h/t), Kroos (Kovacic h/t); Vazquez (Franchu h/t), Isco (Oscar h/t), Bale (Quezada h/t); Benzema (Gomez h/t).

12:18AM

Full Time Man Utd 1 Real Madrid 1, United win 2-1 on penalties

A game that brought a world-class assist from Anthony Martial for Jesse Lingard's goal, a worrying injury to Ander Herrera, and a missed sitter to add to Marouane Fellaini's Man Utd scrapbook but in truth 90 minutes of our lives that we're never getting back and won't remember much beyond tomorrow lunch time.

A pedestrian exhibition match, played out in extreme heat, under a nonsense tournament format cooked up to give the illusion of competitiveness to the people who paid $60 and up to get in and see it.

Lingard, and second half substitute Scott McTominay, impressed for United as the game finished 1-1 but a farcical penalty shoot out in which just three of ten kicks were scored and a "bonus point" was awarded at the end rather summed it all up.

12:12AM

Casemiro misses, United win

You'll struggle to see a better penalty than the one he took in normal time, but this one rattles the bar. United win 2-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-1. Just three successful penalties from ten taken in the shoot out.

12:11AM

Blind scores

Blind scores with his left. If Madrid miss the next one it's finally all over.

12:11AM

Hernandez misses

Course he does. Missed the target by some considerable distance. 1-1 after four kicks each. A shoot out entirely in keeping with the abysmal quality of the 90 minutes that went before.

12:10AM

Lindelof misses fourth penalty

Lindelof, whose horror tackle in the game conceded the penalty Madrid equalised from, has now missed with his kick. Straight down the middle, keeper saves with his feet.

12:09AM

1-1 after three each

Quezada  responds in kind.

12:09AM

A goal

Mkhitaryan finally scores the first penalty of the shoot out, United's third kick.

12:08AM

Madrid miss again

Another De Gea save. this time from Óscar Rodríguez. It is 0-0 after four penalties. Send help.

12:07AM

McTominay misses

Saved as well.

12:06AM

Madrid miss as well

This is never going to end is it? De Gea saves from Kovacic.

12:06AM

Martial misses

Well his assist for the Lingard goal was outstanding, but Anthony Martial has missed with the first penalty in the shoot-out. Ball follows Fellaini's earlier shot into the stratosphere.

12:05AM

Pee kays

Here we go with the penalties. The winner will get a bonus point I'm told. Quite what that's for, where they're going to keep it, what it achieves, I can't help you with.

12:00AM

Full Time Man Utd 1 Real Madrid 1

It's been emotional. And there's more to come, as this pre-season exhibition match now has to be decided on penalties.

11:58PM

90 mins

There will be three minutes of added time. United seem intent to spend the majority of that waiting to take a free kick on the half way line. When it does finally come in from Blind, Lukaku heads it out for a goal kick.

11:57PM

88 mins

Quezada shoots over. We are, and have been from the first minute, drifting towards a penalty shoot-out.

11:52PM

83 mins Fellaini sitter

Scott McTominay, who's looked really lively and impressive since he came on, puts the winning goal on an absolute plate for Fellaini. Somehow, from eight yards out, dead centre of the goal, with nobody around him, the Belgian has skied the ball out of the stadium. And it's a big stadium.

YUUURRRSSSS! pic.twitter.com/wV8YotVl2n


— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) July 23, 2017

 

11:50PM

82 mins

Madrid reasonably close to a winner with Dani Gómez just unable to reach out and get a finishing touch to a low cross through the six-yard box.

11:47PM

78 mins

Little sight of goal for Pogba as McTominay finds him in the area with an intelligent pass but it's quickly snuffed out.

11:43PM

74 mins Water break

Again. Darmian won't be coming back, he's United's latest substitution. Valencia replaces him.

11:40PM

71 mins Madrid go close

Chris Smalling's turn to concede a foul in a dangerous area. Casado attempts to deceive de Gea with a powerful shot to the near post from a narrow angle but the Spanish keeper produces an impressive save in the top corner.

Casado lines up free kick.
Casado lines up free kick.

 

11:37PM

68 mins GOAL!! Man Utd 1 REAL MADRID 1

Casemiro, slow run up disguises a shot that couldn't have been fired any harder if it had been shot out of a cannon. We're level again. There will be penalties if it finishes as a draw apparently.

Real Madrid draw level.
Real Madrid draw level.

 

11:36PM

67 mins Penalty to Real Madrid

Daft challenge from Lindelof, wild and late on Hernandez, concedes a penalty.

11:34PM

66 mins

More decent wing play from Martial down the left wins another corner. Blind's outswinger is headed away at the near post. McTominay returns it into the area but Fellaini is offside.

11:32PM

63 mins Still to come

United's run of seven games in two and a half weeks across nine time zones continues later this week with Barcelona in Maryland on Wednesday, then Valerenga in Oslo on July 30 and Sampdoria in Dublin on August 2.

Here's United manager Jose Mourinho on being asked to play nine times during four weeks in April.

"We lost players and we lost points, so yes today was a bad day. We did not look tired and exhausted, we are tired and exhausted. You cannot isolate the performance out of the context. This is the ninth match of April, it is not human."

11:29PM

61 mins Fellaini close

The big Belgian climbs highest and heads Mkhitaryan's corner over the bar.

11:28PM

58 mins Black out

Worth saying (as nothing else is happening) that United fans who paid to subscribe to MUTV to watch this game online this evening are being treated to either this...

Or this...

Which has gone down well on the Twitter. Little do they know just how lucky they are. Telegraph's feed remains stubbornly clear.

11:24PM

56 mins

United survive a sort of scare as a deep cross is cleared away at the back post.

11:18PM

51 mins Herrera back off again

Herrera has gone over on his knee and is now leaving. Big six minutes for the Spaniard. Scott McTominay is summoned.

11:16PM

46 mins Second half begins

Deep breath... De Gea, Herrera, Blind, Smalling, Mkhitaryan, Lindelof, Lukaku and Pogba on. Romero, Bailly, Jones, Pereira, Carrick, Lingard, Fosu-Mensah and Rashford off.

11:13PM

Pogba and Lukaku introduced

Basically we're getting two new teams for this second half which I shall try and do in depth as soon as I can. Romelu Lukaku is leading the United line for the second half and David De Gea is in goal against his future employers.

11:08PM

Wholesale changes

Showing scant regard for live bloggers everywhere, news from the "locker room" is that Real Madrid are about to make 11 substitutions.

10:57PM

Half Time Man Utd 1 Real Madrid 0

That is that for the first half. For 45 minutes it looked like the poor soul charged with putting together the highlights of this was only going to have the unedifying sight of two of the world's famous old football clubs being led onto the field by a clown from a fast food restaurant to go on.

Fortunately for him, United, and all of us charged with sitting through this, Anthony Martial changed all that in first half injury time with a breathtaking, beautiful piece of skill which carried him beyond three would-be-tacklers in one gloriously fluid motion and laid the only goal of the game on a plate for the impressive Jesse Lingard.

Half time analysis from Julia Roberts to come.

 

10:53PM

45 mins GOAL!! MAN UTD 1 Real Madrid 0

Well it was almost worth sitting through the last 45 minutes of this utter rubbish just to see that from Anthony Martial. The French winger picks the ball up wide left and drives into the area, with beautiful close control at pace carrying him past three Real Madrid defenders, before a low cross puts the opening goal of the game on a plate for Jesse Lingard three yards out.

Jesse Lingard
Lingard can hardly miss after Martial's brilliance.

 

10:51PM

43 mins

Not the first time Bailly has got United out of a tight spot in their own six yard area - again clearing a low cross after Modric had skipped round Fellaini and beaten Romero at his near post.

10:48PM

41 mins A shot!

Goodness me, a serious effort on goal. Great movement off the ball by Rashford opens up enough space for United's best player so far Jesse Lingard to strike from the edge of the area. Keeper beaten? Doesn't really matter as the ball goes a couple of inches wide.

10:46PM

39 mins Bale cross

Cleared at the near post. Six minutes until half time. 51 minutes until full time. Marcelo is offside now.

10:43PM

36 mins Real Madrid free kick

When they do get a set piece, Kroos' cross is headed away by Darmian. We await out first shot on goal.

10:42PM

34 mins

Benzema goes down a little easily on the edge of the box. No free kick from Ronald who'll do you a deal on chicken nuggets and chips but won't stand for any of that play acting nonsense.

10:39PM

32 mins

Water broken, back underway. We're going to drift through another quarter of an hour or so until half time. Dwight Yorke is discussing the implications of this for the added time at the end of this pulsating first half.

10:37PM

30 mins Water break

Apparently. There's suddenly about three dozen people on the pitch with wet towels.

10:35PM

28 mins Half chance for United

Decent United move but Fellaini's cross from the left succeeds in cutting both Rashford and Martial, who'd gone on ahead of him to attack the six yard box, completely out of the game.

10:34PM

25 mins

As suspected, game settling down into pre-season pace. Kroos stopped by a stern Fosu-Mensah challenge on halfway as things get really scrappy. Anybody know any good jokes?

Gareth Bale.
Gareth Bale gets to grips with the task in hand.

 

10:27PM

20 mins

Marcelo now pops up in the left wing spot and crosses low to the near post where Bailly slides in and clears.

10:20PM

13 mins

Great piece of defending from Marcelo in his own box, carries the ball to safety pursued by Fellaini. Having left him untouched when he was going places, Fellaini decides to foul the Real Madrid player just as he's run out of space and options and is about to concede a United throw. Madrid free kick.

Marcelo v Fellaini
Marcelo v Fellaini

 

10:17PM

10 mins

Be interesting to know how long a lively starting pace and tempo to the game will last in this heat. Gareth Bale's slick turn in midfield brings the sort of crowd noise usually reserved for last minute winners in cup finals or unpopular Middle Eastern dictators being overthrown. Attack quickly peters out, but how about that turn.

10:14PM

7 mins

First corner cleared, Lingard at the centre of everything quickly wins another. This one goes short, Fosu-Mensah hangs it up to the far post, Fellaini makes a bit of a hash of things on the far side of the area.

10:13PM

6 mins

And now the first big chance for United as Lingard moves into space on the edge of the area and unloads a fierce shot that Navas beats away for a corner.

10:11PM

4 mins

First Madrid attack sees Benzema tempt Romero from his line to punch clear under heavy pressure from Gareth Bale and Phil Jones.

10:10PM

3 mins

Madrid trying to play things out from the back but the Hamburglar is flagging for a corner which United accept, take and waste.

10:08PM

2 mins

Lingard has started every game of the pre-season so far for United ahead of what feels like a big season for him personally, and amidst idle transfer speculation. He looks like he's been fouled on the edge of the box early on but Ronald waves appeals away.

10:06PM

22.05 Face off

Right, Ronald blows his whistle and we're underway. United in red, Madrid in white, pitch in green.

 

10:02PM

There's nothing quite like...

Ronald McDonald (other fast food outlets are available) is either leading the teams out, or refereeing the game. More on this as I get it. Wouldn't do any worse than Rob Styles.

 

10:00PM

Nearly there

Mercifully, they seem about ready to start. Teams in the tunnel.

9:51PM

Life-long United supporter Julia Roberts says...

It's going to be a long night isn't it? I need to speak to somebody about my remuneration for this.

Notting Hill star Julia Roberts, who's been watching United home and away since a Ralph Milne step over caught her eye back in 1988, offers us this insight into tonight's crucial friendly game.

"We don't want to get too excited too early and exhaust ourselves. It was one of the more magical experiences of my life to take my kids to training and meet Jose. It was great for my kids who play soccer and train a lot to see how fast they run. He (Pogba) just warms my heart honestly, I think he's a superb human being. 

"The feeling of family, that's what we all gravitate towards. Closeness, warmth, and a general sense of everybody on and off the field having a real connection. To be a tiny part of it is just thrilling."

Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba, a superb human being, heads out to warm up.

 

9:41PM

Nine changes for United

Madrid lining up with Kross and Modric in midfield provides something of a test (putting it mildly) for Andreas Pereira who starts in the middle as one of nine changes for United who have already won three games from three on this tour.

Luke Shaw, Ashley Young and Juan Mata on the injury list.

9:27PM

Open wide for some soccer

Hello, good evening, and welcome. Welcome to Manchester United v Real Madrid. Welcome to a live demonstration of FIFA 18. Welcome, indeed, to the future of football.

It's July, that time of year when the steady, bitter, monotonous whinging about being forced to play three matches a week for your £160,000 salary during April and May is replaced by the enthusiastic embrace of three matches a week for your £160,000 salary on the other side of the world.

Ostensibly this is preparation for the competitive action, as Jose Mourinho refines his team for 2017/18 ahead. But, really, it's the competitive action that's getting in the way.

This is the real stuff, this is where the money is, it's just a shame that there are so many obligations to play bore-fests with Burnley, Stoke and other clubs they've never heard of in China obstructing it. Tonight we get a little dribble from the withered teet of Richard Scudamore of just how wonderful life could be without the pesky distractions of the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

One day, when they've been done away with, and the Premier League has been reduced to a much more reasonable 16 franchises, there'll be much more time for crucial exhibition matches between the 12 richest clubs in Europe on temporarily converted baseball diamonds in front of 100,000 people who, when pushed, would admit they thought George Best was a brand of oven cleaner.

Man Utd will be able to use their official northern hemisphere airline partner to fly to their officially affiliated North American airport and drive to their official East Coast hotelier using their official tri-state area coach travel partner for a vital 90 minutes in the StubHub Intergallactic Super Cup against Bayern/Barcelona/Chelsea B to their shareholders' content.

And you know what, even those of us who've grown up loving football but come to loathe its engorged, shameless, money-obsessed present form will rejoice. Because if Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are out there playing some alien-form of the sport we once loved, at least they're not back at the ranch feeding click farms with intensely irritating Instagram videos.

9:16PM

What's on Jose's mind?

9:16PM

TEAM NEWS

9:14PM

Man Utd v Real Madrid - match preview

What is it?

It's the International Champions Cup clash between two of the world's biggest football clubs in Manchester United and Real Madrid.

When is it?

It takes place today, so Sunday, July 23.

What time is kick-off?

Well, it's being played at the Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It will start at 10pm BST.

What TV channel is it on?

It will be streamed exclusively on Man United's own TV channel MUTV and Cuatro in Spain. Alternatively, you can follow our rolling blog of the match. Bookmark this page and follow build-up and latest score updates.

United beat Man City to get their International Champions Cup challenge off to a winning start
United beat Man City to get their International Champions Cup challenge off to a winning start

What is the International Champions Cup?

The International Champions Cup is an annual pre-season competition which started four years ago. PSG won the trophy for a second time last year.

For the last two years, the ICC has been split into three different regions in America, China and Australia. This year, Singapore has replaced Australia. There will be seven games in all played in China and Singapore while America will stage 12 matches.

All three are unrelated competitions with a champion emerging from each group. Not all teams will play each other and scores level after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shoot-out.

The competition will run until July 30.

Lukaku celebrates his goal against Man City
Lukaku celebrates his goal against Man City

United got their campaign off to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in Houston with strikers Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford on the scoresheet.

Lukaku struck first in Houston in the 37th minute with his second goal for his new club after moving to Old Trafford.

Two minutes later, Rashford took Henrikh Mkhitaryan's pass all alone to the right of the City penalty area and placed the ball beyond Ederson.

United will also face Barcelona on July 26 at the FedEx Field, Landover

What are they saying?

Jose Mourinho on how Lukaku has settled in:

"I couldn't be happier with what he's doing, and I could not be happier we managed to sign him before the pre-season.

"(He's a) team player, who holds the ball, who waits for support, who allows the team to leave pressure zones. People look to goals and chances, I have a different perspective."

What are latest odds?

Manchester United: 23/10

Real Madrid: 1/10

Draw: 5/2