Manchester United have wrapped up their pre-season with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford following the visit of Spanish outfit Rayo Vallecano, who held their own at the Theatre of Dreams.
The two sides couldn’t be separated over 90 minutes as Erik ten Hag made wholesale changes from the side which lost to Atletico Madrid just over 24 hours earlier.
Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen both made their first appearances at Old Trafford and the pair impressed, potentially giving the manager a selection headache ahead of next week’s Premier League curtain-raiser.
In other areas, right-back Ethan Laird and winger Alejandro Garnacho were among those to have impressed supporters, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the site was underwhelming.
Tom Heaton – 7
Did well when called upon. Good initial save for Vallecano’s goal.
Ethan Laird – 8
It could be argued that he should have done better for the goal but overall, it feels like that could have left a lasting impression on the manager.
Raphael Varane – 7
Crucial for the Frenchman to play 90 minutes ahead of a huge season.
Lisandro Martinez – 8
Calm and collected with the ball at his feet and certainly didn’t shy away from any duels. An encouraging start to life in Manchester for the butcher.
Alex Telles – 6
It’s likely that this was one of the Brazilian’s final appearances for the club. He was alright.
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James Garner – 6
A decent performance considering he missed most of pre-season with injury. He’ll need to be eased into it but a loan seems likely.
Donny van de Beek – 6
It’s hard to imagine a future at the club for Van de Beek, unfortunately. The 90 minutes on Sunday did little to ease any fears United fans had over him.
Christian Eriksen – 7
Kept things ticking over nicely and came ever so close to opening his United account in the first half but his shot grazed the outside of the post. Interestingly, he featured alongside Van de Beek in an advanced position rather than in front of a midfield pairing.
Alejandro Garnacho – 9
Best player on the pitch. United fans will be wondering why he didn’t feature at all in their tour of Thailand and Australia.
Tahith Chong – 5
Frustrating afternoon for the Dutchman. Another player with a bleak future at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 4
He announced his return to the side on Instagram and his 45 minutes will have done little to convince potential suitors that he’s worth gambling on. Seems like United could be stuck with him.
Substitutes
Amad – 9
Probably his best performance in a United shirt. Pulled off outrageous skills on more than one occasion and scored the opener just three minutes after replacing Ronaldo.
Hannibal Mejbri – 7
A composed cameo from the midfielder.
Eric Bailly – 6
Now the fifth-choice centre-back. Was this the last of Bailly at United?
Shola Shoretire, Zidane Iqbal & Isak Hansen-Aaroen – N/A
Late introductions but they combined well together.
