Manchester United’s final pre-season outing ended in disappointment as AC Milan came from behind to beat them 4-2, giving Ruben Amorim plenty to think about before the competitive season begins.
United actually started the game brightly and looked comfortable in the opening stages. Their attacking play had energy, and for a while it seemed like they might finish pre-season on a positive note. However, Milan gradually found their rhythm and turned the match completely around.
The Italian side showed real character after falling behind. Instead of allowing United to control the game, Milan became more aggressive and began finding spaces between the lines. Their pressure eventually paid off, and once they gained momentum, United struggled to regain control.
Rafael Leão was among the players who caused problems for United, while AC Milan’s attack became increasingly difficult for the English side to contain. The Italian club eventually produced the kind of second-half performance that made the scoreline look even more damaging from United’s perspective.
For Amorim, the result is not necessarily a disaster because this was still a friendly, but there are obvious lessons to take from it. United showed flashes of the football their manager wants, yet they also struggled when Milan increased the intensity.
The result means United head into the new season with plenty of questions still surrounding the squad. The players will now have to put the friendly defeat behind them and focus on the Premier League.
For Milan, however, it was a confidence-boosting victory. Beating Manchester United 4-2 in their final major preparation game will give their players belief heading into the new campaign.
