Manchester United continued their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought victory over heated rivals Leeds United at Croke Park. In their penultimate warm-up fixture, Michael Carrick’s side needed a dramatic penalty shootout to seal a 5-4 win following a lively 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Carrick opted to shake up his starting lineup following a draw against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, making six changes to the side. Belgian shot-stopper Senne Lammens took over in goal, donning United’s number 1 shirt, while Diogo Dalot stepped in for Mazraoui and was handed the captain's armband in the absence of Bruno Fernandes, who started on the bench.
Energetic Start And Early Dominance
Manchester United set an intense pace right from the opening whistle. Dalot tested Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford early on with a long-range effort in the seventh minute. The Portuguese defender turned provider shortly after, whipping in a dangerous low cross that Joshua Zirkzee volleyed straight at Trafford.
United’s early pressure quickly paid off. Following a rapid counter-attack down the left flank, Bryan Mbeumo delivered a precise pass to Zirkzee, who made no mistake with a clinical finish to open the scoring. United nearly doubled their advantage minutes later when Mbeumo launched a sharp strike toward the bottom corner, but Trafford produced a fine save to keep Leeds in the game.
Leeds Fight Back Before Half-Time
Despite United's bright start, Leeds gradually settled into the flow of the match and seized an opportunity just before the half-hour mark. Former United winger Dan James displayed sharp footwork inside his old club's penalty box before laying the ball off to Aaronson, who struck a low shot past Lammens to restore parity.
United came agonisingly close to taking the lead once more before the interval. Mbeumo unleashed another powerful strike that took a heavy deflection off a Leeds defender, only to watch the ball crash against the crossbar. The two sides went into the break on equal terms after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
Second-Half Rotations And Woodwork Misfortune
Carrick introduced Tynan Thompson, Toby Collyer, and Dan Armer at the break to replace Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, Andrey Santos, and Ayden Heaven. Leeds came out determined, testing Lammens early in the second half through close-range efforts from Harry Wilson and Alfie Cresswell, both of which were handled smoothly by the Belgian keeper.
Seeking a fresh burst of energy, Carrick made seven additional substitutions past the hour mark, introducing heavyweight options in Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans, and Matheus Cunha. Young goalkeeper Dermot Mee also replaced Lammens and was immediately called upon to make a brilliant save against James Justin.
Fernandes thought he had restored United's lead when he turned in a precise first-time finish, but the goal was ruled out for a tight offside call. Minutes later, the Portuguese playmaker was denied again by the woodwork, smashing a spectacular effort against the crossbar as United pushed hard for a winner before the referee blew the final whistle.
Shootout Drama Sees United Triumph
With the score tied at 1-1 after regulation time, the clash went straight to a penalty shootout to determine the winner of the exhibition trophy.
Mee provided United with an early edge by denying Harry Wilson from the spot. Although Fernandes surprisingly missed his penalty kick, United recovered during the sudden-death phase. James Justin's spot-kick rattled off the crossbar for Leeds, handing Mazraoui the chance to win it. The defender calmly converted his penalty to secure a 5-4 shootout victory.
The result marks Manchester United’s fourth win of the pre-season, building valuable momentum after prior victories over Atletico Madrid and Rosenborg, a draw against PSG, and an earlier setback against Wrexham.