Manchester United (5) 2-2 (4) AC Milan: 5 Men who impressed for the Red Devils
Manchester United travelled to Cardiff to face AC Milan in the final pre-season game, with the mood at the club particularly buoyant. After weeks of relentless pursuit, Harry Maguire is all set to join United, while there was also the possibility of the Lukaku-Dybala swap taking place. United had the chance to end the transfer window with a bang, and the club was looking to end their summer preparations on a high as well.
The Red Devils had won all of their pre-season games so far and apart from the Kristiansund game, had looked impressive on the field. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James had seamlessly slotted into the team and were already looking at home. They were up against a Milan side who had lost both games in pre-season but still had quite a fight in them. Solskjaer, as such, named a strong team to face the Serie A giants.
The Norwegian started with David de Gea in goal, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw in defence. With Pogba sidelined with injury, Solskjaer opted for Scott McTominay alongside Nemanja Matic in midfield, while Mata was selected for the No. 10 role. The front three in attack consisted of Andreas Pereira, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.
United started the game very well and went ahead when Marcus Rashford scored the opening goal in the 14th minute. However, AC Milan equalized through Suso in the 26th minute. In the second half, the Italian giants took the lead in the 60th minute, courtesy of a Victor Lindelof own goal. However, United rallied for the equalizer and finally drew level through Jesse Lingard. The game then went to penalties, which United won 5-4.
United ended their pre-season with a win, maintaining their victorious streak in the summer. It is a fact that will please Solskjaer, who will also be impressed by the performance of these 5 men against AC Milan.
#5 Axel Tuanzebe
Composed, strong and cool as a cucumber, Axel Tuanzebe already looks like a fantastic central defender right now. The Englishman started the game on the bench but was introduced in the 65th minute with United still chasing the game.
AC Milan was on the rise then, but Tuanzebe handled the pressure with absolute authority. He teamed up with Lindelof and shut the door at the back. He also made a fantastic tackle in the dying minutes to ensure that United stayed in the game. The 21-year old was tested on quite a few occasions on the night but came up on top every time.