Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United side are back in action for the first time in 24 days, in a friendly against La Liga side Cadiz CF in Spain.
United went two goals up early but Anthony Martial’s penalty and Kobbie Mainoo’s late penalty brought us level, the latter just two minutes into the second half which featured a different playing eleven to the one that started the game.
Here are eight highlights from Wednesday night’s action at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, where the home team lost 4-2 to the champions…
TEN Hag’s team
Although he has a large team to choose from, with 29 players traveling to Spain for training in Andalusia, Erik has chosen to start with experience such as Victor Lindelof, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek and Martial included. and the starting XI, which United’s kit revealed earlier than usual, at 4.30pm GMT. Perhaps the only surprise was Martin Dubravka conceding a point and a goal, although in a pre-match interview with MUTV Erik ten Hag noted the Slovak’s strong performance against Aston Villa in the recent Carabao Cup. and said it was good to challenge all his players. and see what they can do.
NEW INSTRUCTIONS CHECKED
It was the first meeting of the Reds and their team known as Los Piratas, hence our first trip to Nuevo Mirandilla. Unlike other La Liga stadiums we know, such as Bernabeu, Camp Nou and Wanda Metropolitano, it is a small parking lot in the center of Cadiz, a few blocks from the beautiful beach and the sea. . With little chance to make his mark, the blue and purple rose in the sky and around 600 United supporters – the total attendance was 14,648 – scattered around the stadium. body, and the faithful behind the goal make most of the noise. That went further ahead as Cadiz took the lead by two, thanks to efforts from Carlos Garcia and Anthony Lozano.
Martial Cool From The Spot
Panenka’s penalty kick was the trend this week, as Achraf Hakimi’s decided to send Morocco against Spain at the World Cup, and Martial’s header midway through the first half was also good. The Frenchman received the ball from 12 yards after Luis Hernandez brought down Zidane Iqbal after a tough game. Martial is eager to return to goal after the start of the first half of the season due to injury and if he continues to complete his chances as cold as this is not need to worry about when the season starts again.
Minutes in feet
Although Ten Hag spoke about the need to improve the health of his former players, it was also good to see many Reds back on the pitch after a long absence. Teden Mengi and Brandon Williams made their first United appearances in over a year, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka was selected for the first time since arriving as a substitute against Liverpool in August. Although it’s good to go out and work together as a team in training, you can’t beat the game experience and it’s very important, especially for these three who have been injured in recent months.
Give young people a chance
Much of the talk about United’s squad in Spain has focused on its youth side, with many of the FA Youth League champions having won in Andalucia in the past. Six of them had the chance to impress when he was brought on at half time, alongside many players who already have experience of the first team, such as Shola Shoretire and Charlie Savage. Dubravka took the arm for the second half, and McTominay’s debutant started at half-time.
Immediate effects of MAINOO
It took less than two minutes for the substitutes to get level, as midfielder Mainoo found the back of the net to equalise. His finish may have broken the Cadiz defender, but the way the 17-year-old put his shoulder back and positioned himself in space to create his chance was something to behold. With Savage in the engine room he has impressed with his strength and composure on the ball against experienced players and both will benefit from first-team experience.
“It’s a great opportunity for them [the boys],” Under-21 coach Mark Dempsey, who is with the kids in Spain, told us before the game. “They are tested physically, mentally more than anything. They have had a difficult session but, as I said before, they have done well and now the icing on the cake is being part of the first Manchester United team to go away and represent the academy. “
Race to the finish
Goals from Ruben Sobrino and Tomas Alarcon ended the game 4-2 in favor of the visitors but United’s young side can be happy with their performance as Noam Emeran and Mainoo missed a penalty. Shoretire also wobbled a couple of times with great skill and Tyler Fredericson stopped the attack with a fitting finger. Although Cadiz is struggling in La Liga, it should be remembered that they are the top side with many of their former players, so the friendly failure is not a shame for United.
DEPUTY, BETIS
You won’t have to wait long for our next live game, with another friendly in the sky this Saturday. The Reds will face Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in Sevilla, at 17:00 GMT. MUTV subscribers can watch the match via the United app, ManUtd.com and many other channels, so don’t miss out!
CODY GAKPO has agreed to rethink MANCHESTER UNITED’s bid for the 2022 World Cup in the Netherlands
Netherlands and PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo has denied he has held talks with Manchester United but admitted he is ready to consider a transfer.
The 23-year-old singer is one of the best performers in the 2022 World Cup after the summer he was linked with Manchester United, Leeds United and many others in Europe. Although he is best known for playing on the sidelines, he has become increasingly attractive in midfield under Louis van Gaal in the Middle East, with speculation of a £50million move in January and -just go down.
United are likely to be in the market in January after releasing Cristiano Ronaldo from his contract after the 37-year-old gave a provocative interview to Piers Morgan, following the summer he tried to leave Old Trafford.
But Erik ten Hag, who shares a job with Gakpo, is unlikely to be the only manager who likes the player after his impressive performance. With nine goals and 14 assists so far in the Dutch League this season, his form seems to be changing. He also has three goals in four games in Qatar.
Arsenal saw their Brazilian star Gabriel Jesus injured in Qatar and is expected to require surgery, and other clubs may be ready to move on after the Gakpo game.
The Premier League resumes on Boxing Day and on New Year’s Day the transfer market will reopen for deals to expire.
Ahead of the quarterfinals of the Netherlands against Argentina on December 9, Gakpo gave an interview to the Dutch newspaper NRC, where he admitted that the summer of speculation is tricky, but he is ready to change his ways next time.
“It’s a difficult time,” Gakpo said. “I learned from that. I’ll do something else. What comes, it comes.
“Suppose you want to go from RKC (Waalwijk) to PSV, but this club doesn’t come. Then you can panic.
“I thought about Manchester United, but when it didn’t happen, I can’t remember. I began to have doubts. Leeds United have arrived. Should I go there?
“Now I’m looking forward to everything. I have never heard of Manchester United. When they come, I will think about it. I also ask God to help me in these decisions.