Manchester United 2-2 (5-4 on pens) AC Milan
An Anglo-Italian clash in Wales.
In many ways, this summed up the cosmopolitan nature of the International Champions Cup and the crowds in the Principality Stadium were certainly treated to an entertaining contest.
Ultimately, Manchester United triumphed 5-4 on spot-kicks after a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes to end the tournament and pre-season undefeated.
Although, that wasn’t enough to win the overall competition – that honour went to Benfica.
However, as many of SBOBET’s intelligent followers will tell you, this wasn’t about the result or some summer silverware; this was about generating match fitness and confidence before the real action begins, which in United’s case, is next weekend.
Highlights of the game
United knew they would have to win by three goals to win the tournament overall and the International Champions Cup 2019 betting odds always predicted this would be a close encounter.
It proved that way as both sides had spells on top without dominating.
The first real chance arrived in the 11th minute as one young talent denied another young talent.
Marcus Rashford was about 25 yards away when he fired a swerving shot towards goal, only for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to be aware.
The Italian goalkeeper had no chance two minutes later, however, when Nemanja Matic found Rashford on the left wing. He darted towards goal and avoided two weak challenges before firing a shot which deflected off Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli to leave Donnarumma a spectator.
Their lead only lasted a little more than 10 minutes, though.
Matic made an uncharacteristic error and Suso, who had gone close moments earlier, curled a superb effort from outside the area into the top corner beyond David de Gea – favourite to be the next United captain.
Suso, who’d been linked with a move to France this week, looked the danger man for the Rossoneri. de Gea showed quick reflexes to deny the Spaniard again and then Krzysztof Piatek before the break.
But on the hour, Suso showed his worth once more.
This time his cross flicked off the head of Samu Castillejo and rebounded off the head of the luckless Victor Lindelof and into the net.
Yet again, though, the lead was short-lived.
Shortly after both teams made numerous changes, one of them delivered an equaliser.
Anthony Martial played in Jesse Lingard, whose touch was expert and the finish beyond another substitute, goalkeeper Pepe Reina, emphatic.
With no further goals arriving, the competition rules meant the match had to be decided by a penalty shoot-out. And fittingly, Welshman Daniel James netted the winner from the spot in Cardiff.
He celebrated by looking skywards, presumably in memory of his father who recently passed away.
The two sides, who are desperate to restore former glories under new and relatively new managers in Marco Giampaolo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, had their share of International Champions Cup 2019 highlights.
Yet as an indicator of what is to come during the next nine months, it was hard to gauge too much, so expect that both sides may be on the fringes again.
We wait and see.
Now the real work begins.
Key statistics
This is the second successive summer these sides have drawn in pre-season, with United emerging triumphant in both penalty shoot-outs that followed.
The last time Milan scored (four v Bayern Munich) or conceded (three v Borussia Dortmund) more than one goal in a single International Champions Cup game was in 2017.
United end pre-season with a winning record of six wins from their six games, having defeated Perth Glory, Leeds United, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Kristiansund in a schedule that saw them play in Australia, Singapore, China and Norway.
What’s next?
United begin their Premier League campaign a week from tomorrow (Aug. 11) in the game of the weekend – a home match against Chelsea. They then travel to Wolves on August 19.
Players may come and go from Old Trafford in the week ahead with one man training, tweeting and seemingly not a first choice for Solskjaer.
Milan do not begin their Serie A campaign until August 25 as they go away to Udinese before a home clash with Brescia at the end of the month.
Surprisingly, they have no other friendly fixtures planned before their league opener in three weeks.
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