Manchester United suffered a 4-2 defeat against AC Milan in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the new Premier League season. The match, played in Poland, saw United take an early lead but ultimately fall to a Milan side managed by former United boss Ruben Amorim.
United's Early Lead and Penalty Miss
United went ahead within two minutes when Harry Maguire headed home from a corner. However, they were pegged back when Samuel Chukwueze tapped into an empty net after sloppy defending from Michael Carrick’s side. Just before half-time, Bruno Fernandes saw a penalty saved by Lorenzo Torriani, leaving the score 1-1 at the break.
Second-Half Goals and Changes
Six minutes into the second half, Patrick Dorgu capitalised on a Milan error to put United back in front. But Milan levelled again when Alphadjo Cisse tapped home at the far post after a shot-cum-cross from Chukwueze. United then made a raft of changes, with Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez coming on for their first minutes of pre-season.
Those changes left Carrick’s side disjointed, and Milan swiftly punished them. Goals from Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 68th and 72nd minutes respectively secured Milan's first win of Amorim’s tenure. Ramos headed home a cross from Chukwueze, while Loftus-Cheek finished a quick one-two with a clipped shot past the United goalkeeper.
Impact and Next Steps
United's pre-season campaign ends with this defeat, and they will now turn their attention to their Premier League opener against Hull City next Saturday. Milan, meanwhile, will take confidence from this comeback win as they continue their preparations.
