Manchester United win poor penalty shootout over Real Madrid Slow game in Santa Clara, California, finishes 1-1 after 90 minutes Reserve teams from both sides outshine starters in each half
Final thoughts: Precious little to celebrate in this one, though Martial’s work on the United goal will make his highlight reel, and Lindelof’s “work” on Real Madrid’s equalizer will make his blooper reel (as will his own penalty attempt).
The politest thing you could say about both teams was that they were keeping their powder dry for the SuperCup. Certainly we saw two halves in which the respective first XI’s were up against the fringe players from their rivals, so it was hard to discern just where the teams are at this stage of their pre-seasons. By the same token there was no marked distinction in how the two teams performed when their stars were on the field versus when they weren’t.
It was, as both manager’s hoped for — if not the paying fans — a glorified training session, though Mourinho will hope Herrera’s precautionary withdrawal hasn’t done any lingering damage. United move on to face Barcelona. Real Madrid will face the newly Danilo-d Manchester City in midweek.
I’m off to join James Maslen in a medley of Spurs songs in the Guardian complaints office. Thanks for your tweets and emails. Sorry I couldn’t use them all. Good night.
Final Score: Manchester United 1-1 Real Madrid (United win 2-1 on penalties)
Well, that penalty shootout at least brought some comic relief to proceedings. Seven misses from ten taken just about sums up a damp squib of a match. Final thoughts in a minute.
In the latest episode of Peak Mourinho, Jose has decided he’s seen enough. Before the penalties can even start, the United manager has stalked off from the dugout.
Martial misses! Man Utd 0-0 Real Madrid
Martial blasts his first kick high over the bar
Kovacic misses! Man Utd 0-0 Real Madrid
A weak kick straight at De Gea
McTominay misses! Man Utd 0-0 Real Madrid
A low penalty comfortably saved to the right.
Oscar misses! Man Utd 0-0 Real Madrid
High to De Gea’s left, but the United keeper parries clear.
Mkhitariyan scores Man Utd 1-0 Real Madrid
Finally, low to the keeper’s right to open the scoring.
Quezada scores Man Utd 1-1 Real Madrid
De Gea got a hand to it, but that’s Madrid on the board.
Lindelof misses! Man Utd 1-1 Real Madrid
Terrible penalty trundled up middle off keeper’s legs! This is ridiculous
Hernandez misses! Man Utd 1-1 Real Madrid
Well wide of the post. Some kind of metaphor is unfolding here.
Blind scores! Man Utd 2-1 Real Madrid
Firm penalty made to look world class by the dross that surrounded it
Casemiro misses Man Utd 2-1 Real Madrid
Fittingly, Casemiro crashes the final penalty of a comically awful shootout off the bar, and we can all go home.
Before we get going with penalties, James Maslen writes again, as we continue the talking cure for his sadness at the Guardian’s apparent ignorance of the existence of Tottenham:
“Thank you for your kind words and understanding. For a July evening in Central Florida it was surprisingly mild last night. After bucketing rain most of the day it was in the 70’s F with an occasional delightful breeze. Wouldn’t have been too clammy.”
If it was me, it would have been clammy.
There. I think we handled that without it getting awkward.
90 mins +3: Blind lofts a free kick from wide left, intended for Lukaku. He gets to it, but he’s too far out and there’s no power on it. And it was wide. So there’s that.
90 mins +2: We’ll have a few minutes added for the hydration break of course. Can anyone do something decisive in that time. Hakimi tries as he runs to the byline on the right of the box, only to scoop his resulting cross behind for a goal kick.
88 mins: Corner for Real Madrid. Inswinger that’s headed off the line by Pogba, with de Gea having drifted back to his back post.
And now Hakimi finds himself in a little space arrowing in from the right channel headed for goal. He gets his head up but drives his shot well over from outside the box.
86 mins: Oscar brings down Mkhitariyan and picks ups a yellow card for the latest in a few fouls he’s committed today (it was his tackle that prompted Herrera to be withdrawn).
United trying to be a little more proactive in these dying moments, perhaps hoping to get back in the changing room before they have to endure a penalty shootout (under competition rules that will follow if the teams are level after 90 minutes).
84 mins: BIG MISS FROM FELLAINI! McTominay sweeps in a lovely ball from the right to the penalty spot, where Fellaini is waiting in acres of space. With the goal gaping, however, his first touch sees him knee the ball somewhere in the vicinity of Alcatraz.
82 mins: Zidane, by the way, is wearing a baseball cap whose scale teeters perilously close to “novelty”. Mourinho prefers to repel the sun by glowering at it.
Dangerous little move for Madrid there as Hakimi slides the ball across the six yard box looking for a touch from Gomez, but this time Lindelof does defensive things and gets his body in the way to stop the decisive tocuh from the Madrid man.
80 mins: Fellaini breaks up play in midfield and United come forward. Some strong hold up play from Lukaku sees McTominay pick up the ball and instantly lay it off to Pogba in space on the left of the box. He can’t get a clean shot off though, and neither can Mkhitaryan when the ball eventually breaks to him.
76 mins: We’re still hydrating, which gives us time to check in with James Maslen again:
“As an Ex Pat and long time Spurs fan and I finally made a game in person and there was no mention in the Guardian or other major media outlets. Now that United are playing everyone is following it. A wee bit frustrated!”
I feel like I know you now James, and I feel your frustration. I’d put my hand on your arm in a reassuring manner — but under the weather circumstances across much of America right now, that might be a bit...clammy.
65,109 the attendance by the way. And Valencia has used the drinks break as an opportunity to sneak onto the field to replace Darmian.
72 mins: Now Real Madrid have a free kick just to the left of their box near the touchline. Smalling’s tackle wold have been called clumsy in another era where Lindelof hadn’t just made his paradigm-shifting redefinition of clumsy with that foul on the penalty.
Quezado goes direct on the free kick and the ball was moving as de Gea was forced to push it clear.
Out of nowhere Madrid have a chance to get back in it, after Lindelof, who’s not had the best arrival in a United shirt, clears out Hernandez in the box. Kevin Stott points to the spot in somewhat restrained fashion for him — maybe because there wasn’t exactly much suspense about the clearest penalty you’ll ever see.
68 mins: Martial earns a corner after darting forward to receive a return pass from Blind. Blind takes the corner but doesn’t clear the first man. Still, McTominay retrieves to keep the sequence moving for United, only for Fellaini to be offside in the box when he picks him out with his pass forward.
64 mins: James Maslen emails to enthuse, with the subject line “So glad you discovered this tournament”
“There was a great game last night featured 6 goals and a plethora of top English talent as Spurs beat PSG. Just letting you know as there is no mention of the game or even the score in The Guardian. Sounds like this one is very exciting.”
It’s a sad side effect of long exposure to the Guardian cultural milieu that I can’t tell if James is being sweetly enthusiastic or playing deadpan chess in 3D with me. Either way, I wouldn’t have necessarily said this game was “exciting”.
62 mins: Half an hour more for this game to come to life. No sign of it as yet. United have a free kick midway inside the Madrid half though, and they work it wide for Blind who whips a no-nonsense cross into the box, that Lukaku was looking to get to. He didn’t, but United have a corner. It’s floated to the familiar target of Fellaini, but his header is over the bar.
60 mins: Oscar and Gomez try to combine on the edge of the box, but the latter’s touch was poor. They get another chance though and now there’s a real opportunity with a free kick just outside the D, following McTominay’s clumsy tackle to try and retrieve the situation.
The wall retreats a comically short distance, with predictable results as the ball bounces off it. Physics.
58 mins: A little worry for United as a half-cleared ball falls to the edge of the box where Casemiro is winding up for a shot. Unfortunately for him he barely touches the ball with his swiped kick, let alone gets any power on it.
56 mins: Hakimi shows a little hustle to charge after a deflected ball and harry the United backline as they try to work it clear. More willing than effective though.
54 mins: Kevin Stott by the way, has a nice sideline in emphatic penalty choreography. He. Really. Points. To. That. Spot. Will we see him in action today.
Not with the ball ricocheting around midfield we won’t. United try to knock the ball forward now, but Casilla is out quickly to snaffle the ball over the top as Lukaku tries to run ont o it.
52 mins: Virtually an all-new cast on the field, but no significant increase in tempo.
Herrera picks up a little knock now and rather than take any chances, Mourinho hauls him straight off the field — taking the opportunity to make a few points about refereeing to referee Kevin Stott. McTominay will replace him.
50 mins: Martial and Lukaku try to get something going off the latter’s cushioned header in the box, but Martial can’t find the final ball.
At the other end Oscar decides to seize the day during some rare moments on the field by going for a shot from distance which flies past an unimpressed de Gea’s post.
48 mins: Most of these Madrid players are reserves, while United have brought on several starters, including Pogba, who I just spotted. He’s in for Lingard, and Lindelof has come on for Bailly. Blind replaces Darmian.
Mkhitaryan has looked good for United in their games so far, but he’s crowded out in his first moment on the ball in midfield here.
Plenty of subs to catch up on, but for now just know this: Casemiro is in for Kroos. Tejero, Manu and Casillas are in as well, and Marcelo, Nacho and Navas are out. Quezado in for Varane; Franchu in for Bale; Hakimi for Carvajal; Oscar for Isco
Romelu Lukaku replaces Marcus Rashford. Ander Herrera replaces Andreas Pereira. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Michael Carrick. Chris Smalling replaces Phil Jones.
It’s not exactly been scintillating stuff — neither team has looked capable of a great deal of joined up thinking (which in fairness — pre-season friendlies...).
It’s been down to individuals to produce little moments to impress the crowd — Modric has looked his usual clever self, if not his usual sharp self, Benzema has tried to get into decent positions, and Marcelo has at least been providing an approximation of what he does best.
Meanwhile United have not offered consistent threat going forward, but they have the lead thanks to the great work by Martial down the left to create the opening. Martial has famously lost his way since his initial scintillating arrival in a United shirt, but that was a reminder of his virtues on the ball allied, for once, with a decisive touch at the end of it.
Lingard scored in this stadium two years ago, against Barcelona, and now he has another one against their great rivals. He didn’t have a lot to do to finish it, but then again, having players in position to finish was a basic trait Madrid didn’t demonstrate in the first half, so credit to him.
Anyway, expect multiple changes after the half, and hopefully a very different game full of free-flowing end-to-end genius. And not more wilted ambling.
45 mins+3: Mareclo has the ball in the net at the other end, after Kroos had retrieved Bale’s weak header and scooped the ball over Romero for Marcelo to head home on the goal line. But the flag was up early and it won’t count. And that will be that for the half...
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 REAL MADRID (LINGARD!)
Jinking Martial (remember him), does some jinking from the left, taking three defenders out of the game with some great close control before stabbing the ball across goal to give Lingard the simplest of point blank finishes. United lead!
