Manchester United 2-1 Sampdoria, LIVE: Juan Mata wins it for Red Devils as he adds to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's strike to secure victory in Dublin

  • Henrikh Mkhitaryan headed Manchester United into the lead in Dublin
  • Nemanja Matic impressed in his first 45 minutes as a United player 
  • Belgian playmaker Dennis Praet equalised for Sampdoria just after the hour 
  • But United were ahead again thanks to a neat finish from Spaniard Juan Mata 
  • UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Darmian, Blind, Matic, A Pereira, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Lukaku 
  • SAMPDORIA STARTING XI: Puggioni; Sala, Silvestre, Regini, Pavlovic; Barreto, Torreira, Linetty; Praet; Caprari, Quagliarella 

  • Andy Warren

    Host commentator

21:40
That's a wrap

Thanks for joining us this evening, on a night where Manchester United ended their pre-season preparations with a victory in Dublin.

Next up for the Red Devils is the European Super Cup in Macedonia on August 8.

Thanks again for joining us, enjoy the rest of your evening.

21:38

Juan Mata came off the bench to score the winner as Manchester United beat Sampdoria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday evening.

The Red Devils continued their pre-season preparations against the Serie A side in Dublin and won as Mata side footed home a Marcus Rashford pass with nine minutes remaining.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan had put Jose Mourinho's side in front with his head in the first half before Dennis Praet's shot from distance levelled the scores in the second period.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

21:37
FT: Manchester United 2-1 Sampdoria
21:34
Three minutes added on
Mata celebrates his goal
21:33
Top Tozzo!

Despite my mocking, replacement keeper Andrea Tozzo has just made two stunning saves! The first was from Herrera, which he pushed out into play, before then tipping Rashford's shot over the top.

21:30
Keeper switch

More changes for Samp, who swap their goalkeeper for the final four minutes of the game, which seems rather pointless. He's wearing No 92 as well. 

21:27
United deserve the win tonight

Despite letting their standards drop in the second half.

21:26
GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Sampdoria (Mata 81)

Fellaini wins the ball back and feeds Martial, who scampers into the box, pulls back for Mata, who finds the back of the net with a neat finish. 

A techno remix of Seven Nation Army blares out across the Aviva Stadium.

21:20
More changes

Joel Pereira, Tuanzebe, Jones and Bailly the next to appear from the United bench, as Sampdoria also make a flurry of changes.

De Gea, Jones, Smalling and Darmian the players replaced by United.

 

The Mexican Wave is STILL going on.

21:17
We have a Mexican Wave

So you know where the intensity is in this second half.

21:15
Action shots
21:14
Rashford looking dangerous

70 minutes: Sampdoria are careless and give the ball away to Rashford, who charges at goal and ignores Martial to his left. He wins a free-kick, though, after he's bundled to the floor. Mata dribbles that straight at the goalkeeper.

21:08
GOAL 1-1! Manchester United 1-1 Sampdoria (Praet, 64)

Samp are straight up the other end and it's all level! It's Praet who scored it after Smalling's block fell to him on the edge of the box. 

The Italians flew up the other end after Herrera's effort was ruled out.

21:06
It's in the net... but it won't count

62 minutes: Herrera flagged offside after he poked the ball home after linking up with Fellaini, but he's a good yard or two offside.

21:03
A couple more changes

Martial replaces Blind, with Rashford on for Lukaku.

21:01
Offside...just

57 minutes: The offside flag goes up, and it's just about right.

Lukaku was the man pinged, but only after he latched on to an outstanding ball from Valencia, who played it through with the outside of his right boot.

Rashford and Martial about to come on.

20:56
Quiet start

A fairly quiet opening to the second half in Dublin, with the Italians enjoying plenty of possession. They can't do anything with it, though.

20:49
Back under way at the start of the second half

Carrick, Mata, Fellaini and Herrera on for Matic, Pereira, Pogba and Mkhitaryan.

I'm sure there will be more to come

20:47
A positive half

Mourinho will be pleased with what he's seen from his side so far.

Solid at the back, aside from that bizarre Blind back pass, Matic has made things look easy in midfield, Pogba has been freed up by the new signing's presence and Lukaku has been able to bully defenders.

Andreas Pereira has impressed, too, as he's been given a chance to impress. He's taken it.

Now for the changes...

20:33
HT: Manchester United 1-0 Sampdoria
20:32
One minute added on
20:29
Sublime skill

41 minutes: Caprari turns Blind inside out after the United Dutchman found himself far too tight on the Italian and dragged him down. Again, he would have been booked in a competitive game.

The following free-kick is extremely dangers, with Lindelof stretching to try and clear but only managed to knee it onto his shoulder. Fortunately, the ball drops wide.

20:25
MATIC WATCH

ADAM CRAFTON IN DUBLIN: This has been a smooth start to life in a Manchester United shirt by the new signing Nemanja Matic. He has occupied the same 25 yards or so of space in front of the back four and understands his role so clearly.

He breaks up play and moves it on. He has been helped by the game's sleepy tempo and Sampdoria have not pressed with the intensity of a Premier League side but Matic has been authoritative and composed - exactly what Mourinho craves in that position.

20:23
Another headed chance for Miki

It's Valencia's cross again but this time the header flies wide. Mkhitaryan could easily have a hat-trick.

20:19
Brilliant from Pogba...

32 minutes: But his sublime in-swinging cross is just inches ahead of Lukaku, allowing the goalkeeper to fly out and meet it with his fist.

20:18
Let off for Darmian

In a real game, Darmian would surely have been in the book after raking his studs, lightly, up Praet's knee. 

20:17
So much power

29 minutes: Lukaku is showing United fans just why he's been signed so far this evening. He's been played into the channels on a couple of occasions in the last few minutes, which has allowed him to bully defenders and cut inside to great effect.

On this last occasion, he should really have squared for Mkhitaryan, but he opted to go alone and was crowded out.

20:11
So close!

24 minutes: So close from Lukaku as he moves inside and curls a shot towards goal which Puggioni just about tipped wide. Blind's corner is poor and doesn't beat the first man.

20:09
Saved!

21 minutes: It's almost two for United and two for Mkhitaryan, as Valencia charges past his man and delivers a cross which the Armenian is able to power towards goal with his head. Puggioni is equal to it, though.

20:07
Call it off, the Beard of the Night competition has been won
20:06
Mkhitaryan's goal
20:02
Samp go close!

15 minutes: Quagliarella looks to be offside but was actually played on by Blind, as he stretched to reach a long ball over the top but could only guide the ball a foot wide. Great effort.

20:01
De Gea shown a yellow

The Spanish goalkeeper was booked for that bizarre backpass incident, by the way.

19:57
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Sampdoria

Nine minutes: But United break and blistering pace, the ball is spread wide to Darmian who charges into the box, crosses, and finds a flying Mkhitaryan who crashes his header into the net from close range.

Lightning counter from United. The crowd loved it.

19:56
It comes to nothing...

And it comes to nothing as the free-kick is fired into the wall. United shirts packed all around. Inevitable. 

19:55
Wow...

Eight minutes: Blind plays a ridiculously strong back pass straight at goal with De Gea well out of position. The Spanish goalkeeper managed to scramble back and push the ball away off the line but the referee gives a back pass.

Free kick on the edge of the six yard box.

19:53

Six minutes: The first exciting moment comes as Valencia charges the ball down as Samp play the ball across the back, but it thunders off the United skipper's shin and flies out for a goal kick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get a run at goal.

19:50
Positive start

Four minutes: United on the front foot early on but no chances just yet.

They do indeed look to be playing with three in the back, with Valencia and Darmian flanking them on either side as they look to get forward.

A few neat touches from Matic so far in his usual deep midfield role.

19:48
United in red shirts, black shorts.

I like it when United wear black shorts.

19:47
Here we go!

We're off and running in Dublin.

19:46
How will United line up?

This is what MUTV are going for. We will soon find out

19:43
Teams are in the tunnel...

... and now they're on their way out onto the pitch.

19:41
Mourinho's final words

The United boss has been speaking to the club's in-house television channel - MUTV.

'Italian teams are very competitive and are pro result. They look at pre-season matches in that way so for the last match of pre-season I think that's what we need, we need real opponents to give us a hard time.

'He (Matic) is a very good player and he has great knowledge of the game and my ideas. As a person he's the type we want to have in the dressing room. He has been training alone so we want to give him 45 minutes to accelerate his position.'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho
19:37
United's warm-up
19:33
Sampdoria tweet the teams
19:30

United face an Italian side this evening which has a great history with British football.

From Platt to Walker and from Souness to Dichio, Samp have featured more British players than any other club.

With Jack Wilshere linked with a move there from Arsenal earlier this month, I took a look at the links.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

19:26
United full of focus as they arrive
19:22
Capturing the moment
19:20
A familiar face

Sergio Romero is a former Sampdoria player and, though he's not involved tonight, he has rembered his time there.

He told MUTV: 'I played for Sampdoria for three years and it was great. I still have a lot of friends in Genoa including the manager who handles everything well. I also have team-mates who played with me there who are still great friends.

'In total my wife and children had a great three years. They are a club with a lot of history, the stadium is an incredible and I have amazing memories of games there.'

19:16
Team news

The teams are in and new £40m signing Nemanja Matic will make his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt. 

All four of Jose Mourinho's summer buys start, so could this be something close to the side we see on opening day?

UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Darmian, Blind, Matic, A Pereira, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Lukaku

United subs: J Pereira, Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Jones, Tuanzebe, Ander Herrera, Carrick, Fellaini, McTominay, Mata, Martial, Rashford

SAMPDORIA STARTING XI: Puggioni; Sala, Silvestre, Regini, Pavlovic; Barreto, Torreira, Linetty; Praet; Caprari, Quagliarella 

 

 

19:12
Good evening everyone

Good evening one and all and welcome to Sportsmail's live coverage of Manchester United's pre-season clash with Sampdoria.

The Red Devils are back from the United States but are not on home soil just yet, as they take on the Italian side in Dublin.

We've got all the action right here so stick with us for this pre-season finale.

Juan Mata came off the bench to score the winner as Manchester United beat Sampdoria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday evening.

The Red Devils continued their pre-season preparations against the Serie A side in Dublin and won as Mata side footed home a Marcus Rashford pass with nine minutes remaining.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan had put Jose Mourinho's side in front with his head in the first half before Dennis Praet's shot from distance levelled the scores in the second period. 


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