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Manchester United and Leeds Set to Clash in Historic Dublin Friendly

Manchester United and Leeds United will face off in a pre-season friendly at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. This match brings back one of English football's longstanding rivalries, which dates back to 1923 and remains one of the fixtures fans eagerly anticipate each season.

Background and Previous Encounters

Leeds recently triumphed over United with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in April, a result that boosted their chances of staying in the Premier League. Despite that, Manchester United holds the upper hand historically, winning 50 of the 115 meetings between the two sides. Although this upcoming game is a friendly and won’t be recorded officially, it promises to be intense, especially with the new Premier League season starting shortly afterward.

Viewing Information

  • Date: Wednesday, August 12
  • Kick-off: 7:30pm UK time
  • UK Broadcast: Free on ITV1, STV, or Premier Sports 2
  • MUTV Subscription: £29.99 per year for Manchester United supporters
  • LUTV Match Pass: £5 for Leeds fans (not available in the Republic of Ireland)

Croke Park, the largest stadium in Ireland with an 82,300 capacity, hosts its first football match since 2009. The venue is nearly sold out as excitement builds around this event.

Team News

  • Manchester United: Manager Michael Carrick may rest Mason Mount after he sustained a minor injury against Paris Saint-Germain. Mount was able to leave the field unaided but precaution is being taken. Key players Manuel Ugarte (post-ACL surgery), Matthijs de Ligt, Benjamin Sesko, and Kobbie Mainoo remain sidelined.
  • Leeds United: Gabriel Gudmundsson is unavailable due to injury, while Lucas Perri and Ilia Gruev are recovering from knocks. James Trafford could make his debut following a record £40 million transfer from Manchester City earlier this month, though he missed Leeds’ recent 2-0 win over RB Leipzig.

Pre-Season Form

  • Manchester United: Started pre-season with a 1-0 loss to Wrexham but bounced back with a 5-0 win over Rosenborg, followed by a 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw with PSG.
  • Leeds United: Also lost to Wrexham (3-2), then secured wins against Sunderland (1-0), Liverpool (4-2), and most recently RB Leipzig (2-0).

After facing each other, Leeds will play FC Augsburg in their final pre-season match, while United prepare to meet AC Milan. Both clubs begin their Premier League campaigns on the first Saturday of the season, with United visiting Hull City (broadcast live on talkSPORT) and Leeds traveling to Nottingham Forest.

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