Manchester United finished their pre-season training with a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao in a competitive match that saw the Spanish team relegated to ten men.
In the first half, Harry Maguire’s errant ball was intercepted, and Nico Williams was sent racing away before finishing beyond Tom Heaton.
Athletic Bilbao’s Aitor Paredes was sent off in the second half for tripping Hannibal Mejbri, one of Manchester United’s promising young players.
Maguire redeemed himself in stoppage time when his knock-down found Facundo Pellistri, who equalized with a low effort into the bottom corner.
Mail Sport looks at some of the takeaways from Sunday’s pre-season friendly.
Sancho finishes his double shift as the ‘false nine’
On the same weekend that Manchester United introduced their big-money summer signing in Rasmus Hojlund for £72 million, it’s worth recalling that Jadon Sancho was that man two years ago.
Sancho appears to be a likely replacement for Hojlund as the Dane regains match fitness after sitting out Atalanta’s preseason matches to avoid jeopardizing the contract.
The 23-year-old was United’s only senior player to appear in both of the club’s friendly this weekend.
Sancho came on as a substitute for the final 22 minutes against Lens, implying that he is currently positioned behind Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, and Marcus Rashford in Erik ten Hag’s forward line.
His versatility will likely come in handy, with Ten Hag trusting him to play both flanks as well as No. 10.
Sancho, on the other hand, played in the false nine role for United in Dublin and was prominently involved throughout the first half.
A squandered one-on-one opportunity with Unai Simon may have highlighted why Ten Hag needed a striker this summer, with Sancho turning to his left before firing a feeble attempt at the Spain goalkeeper.
Sancho was involved in some of United’s more promising first-half moves and worked well with Pellistri throughout.
Sancho finished slightly over an hour in Dublin and nearly ninety minutes across the weekend’s friendly. It remains to be seen whether he has done enough to earn a starting spot against Wolves.
Van de Beek’s farewell?
Was that Donny van de Beek’s last appearance in a Manchester United shirt?
Despite some nice touches, the Dutchman was a bit of a peripheral character in the first half against Athletic Bilbao.
Van van Beek’s absence at halftime will definitely raise doubts about if this was his final game in a United shirt, with both the player and the club potentially unwilling to risk a move.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao’s rival in the Basque country.
It’s possible that his next match against the club may be more terrifying than the one in Dublin.
Hannibal Mejbri took over for Van van Beek, who seemed significantly more eager to impress.
The midfielder, who was on loan at Birmingham last season, regained control and was fouled, resulting in Paredes’ dismissal. Hannibal also missed a good chance from inside the box.
Pellistri impresses for Manchester United
Pellistri’s equalizer in stoppage time felt like a reward for the youngster’s attacking effort throughout the game.
With a charging move up the field, the Uruguayan put Ten Hag’s team on the front foot right away.
During the first half, Pellistri was undoubtedly United’s brightest spark, with his link-up with Sancho particularly outstanding.
If he is kept around the first-team set-up after loan spells at Alaves, the 21-year-old may look to Alejandro Garnacho for inspiration.
Pellistri certainly has places to improve, notably his decision-making in the last third.
His speed and cunning were on display tonight, and he might be a handy impact substitute throughout the season.
He was the victim of multiple fouls that resulted in yellow cards, but he futilely waved an imagined yellow in the direction of the referee to demand that an Athletic Bilbao defender be booked.
Boos for Maguire following his role in a’stupid goal’
Despite being deprived of the club captaincy, Harry Maguire appears to be under increasing scrutiny and pressure with each error.
Maguire was at blame for Athletic Bilbao’s goal in Dublin, as he gave the ball away under duress.
The 30-year-old attempted to pass through a tight gap to Dan Gore, but instead passed to Inigo Lekue.
Oihan Sancet quickly slipped the ball through the United defense, allowing Williams to sprint through and clip past Heaton.
It was another difficult moment for Maguire, who must feel as if he is being punished practically every time he makes a mistake.
Erik ten Hag labeled it a’stupid goal’ after the match, exactly a week after the United manager called his team’s sloppiness on the ball as ‘unforgiveable’ in their defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Maguire was harshly slammed by Andre Onana for giving up possession in that game.
Following his error against Athletic Bilbao, pockets of the Dublin fans were heard booing Maguire, however other sections of the stadium cheered him on.
His future at the club appears to be bleak, especially given that if he stays, his likely role will be as a back-up on the right side of central defense. A sympathetic interpretation would be that his newest gaffe simply emphasized his discomfort in the role, rather than lining up in his favorite position on the left.
West Ham are still interested in Maguire, who might provide an opportunity to rebuild under less pressure.
Maguire, who was far from the only United defender bothered by the speed of the Williams brothers, did conclude the game on a positive note by assisting Pellistri’s equalizer.
Ander Herrera is in love
Maguire’s reception was diametrically opposed to that of Ander Herrera.
Herrera was introduced with 15 minutes remaining in Dublin, and the crowd greeted him with a standing ovation.
The now-33-year-old returned to Athletic Bilbao last summer after leaving for Manchester United in 2014 for a fee of £29 million.
Herrera is certainly remembered warmly after his five years at Old Trafford, where he made 189 appearances.
The Spaniard was a member of the United teams that won the Europa League and EFL Cup in 2017, as well as the FA Cup in 2016.
‘It’s always amazing to play in front of these people,’ Herrera said after the game to MUTV. ‘It’s today in Dublin. It was incredible.’
‘They’ve showed me their love and support, and they know I feel the same way about the club, about all of them.’So I’m hoping that both teams have a successful season. Thank you to everyone for their love and support. And they are aware that I will never forget them.’
After departing United in 2019, Herrera went on to win two Ligue 1 titles, two French Cups, and the French League Cup with PSG.
