Manchester United vs Leeds United: Pre-Season Highlights
On a scorching Dublin evening that felt more like a long-haul tour stop than a short hop across the Irish Sea, Manchester United and Leeds United went through the familiar pre-season ritual: heavy legs, heavy rotations, flashes of sharpness – and just enough jeopardy to keep 50,000 people interested.
This was billed, somewhat breathlessly over the PA, as a “historical” first meeting between two English clubs at the cavernous arena. In truth, it was a tune‑up. But it had its moments.
Zirkzee sharp as United slice Leeds open
The early exchanges carried that phoney-war feel, players stretching their lungs and their touch rather than chasing lost causes. Even so, Joshua Zirkzee flicked the game into life.
First, he met a fizzed Diogo Dalot cross with an instant left-foot strike, forcing James Trafford into a smart low save. Neat, instinctive, exactly the sort of action Michael Carrick wants from his centre-forward at this stage of July.
The warning went unheeded. Soon after, Bryan Mbeumo scorched down the left, Leeds’ right flank ripped apart as Jayden Bogle and Sebastiaan Bornauw vanished from the scene. Mbeumo picked out Zirkzee again, and again the Dutchman hit it first time. This one curved beyond Trafford to his right. Clinical. Straight out of the Carrick–Steve Holland training-ground script.
Leeds’ 3-5-2, the shape Daniel Farke leaned on to drag them away from danger last season after that pivotal tweak at half-time in the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City, suddenly showed its downside. When the wing-backs retreated, the system sagged into a nervous back five. Bogle and Rhys Chadwick dropped deep, space opened up, and Mbeumo’s next effort after another United surge drove the point home.
Leeds pounce as United switch off
Just as United looked comfortable, Leeds found a different route. Two long, dipping throw-ins from Ao Tanaka caused rare panic in red shirts, the ball skidding and bouncing in awkward areas. United scrambled, and the mood shifted.
Then came the punishment. Tyler Fletcher, trying to shimmy out of trouble, was stripped of the ball by Dan James. The winger wasted no time, flipping a clever pass into the area where Brenden Aaronson arrived to slide his finish past Senne Lammens. The goalkeeper had no chance. United’s midfielder had given Leeds their opening.
The response was almost immediate at the other end. Mbeumo, buzzing on the left, unleashed a rocket that left Trafford rooted. The bar came to Leeds’ rescue, the ball crashing away as substitutes limbered up along the touchline and the first half bled into the usual pre-season churn.
Big names sit out, fringe players step in
Before kick-off, Carrick had already tempered expectations about his star power. Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martínez and Kobbie Mainoo, he said, were “not quite ready yet,” held back for the weekend meeting with Milan in Wroclaw. Mason Mount was missing as a precaution, Tom Heaton was being assessed, and Harry Maguire had only just rejoined training.
So when Carrick made three changes at the break, the crowd did not exactly get the marquee roll call they might have hoped for. Off came Patrick Dorgu, Andrey Santos and Mbeumo. On came Toby Collyer, Tynan Thompson – making his first appearance since joining – and 18-year-old debutant Daniel Armer. Valuable minutes for them, if not headline material.
Farke went far further. Ten changes, with only Bornauw surviving the cull. The friendly suddenly looked exactly that: two stitched-together XIs, both managers more interested in fitness data than flowing football. The risk was a messy, bitty second half.
Instead, Leeds briefly found some rhythm. Harry Wilson and Alfie Cresswell both drew saves from Lammens, testing United’s stand-in keeper and hinting at a late push. Zirkzee, still on and still sharp, danced through with slick footwork to carve out another opening, reminding everyone he was the cleanest finisher on show.
Fernandes arrives, chaos follows
Then Carrick tore it up again. Six more changes. On came his captain, Bruno Fernandes, the new £35m signing Youri Tielemans, and Matheus Cunha to spearhead a 4-2-3-1. With that, the game lost its shape.
The tempo sagged. Passes went astray. The crowd, desperate for something to cling to, roared at half-chances and near-misses. Eventually, a James Justin drive forced Lammens into a strong save. Fernandes briefly thought he had stolen it, only for an offside flag to cut short his celebration. Moments later he clipped the bar, United’s best late chance grazing away into the Dublin night.
The contest on the pitch was interrupted by a worrying sideshow. Before the final whistle, five fans sprinted on to grab selfies with Fernandes and Tielemans. They were youngsters, but the security breach was obvious. A sixth followed. For a pre-season friendly, it felt uncomfortably lax.
Mazraoui settles it from the spot
With no winner in normal time, the Boyle Sports Cup went to penalties. The shootout, at least, delivered a clean, decisive ending. United held their nerve to edge it 5-4, Noussair Mazraoui burying the decisive kick before both teams drifted away, the trophy secured but the questions about the season ahead untouched.
On paper, United’s pre-season now reads well enough: this victory added to a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain, a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, a 5-0 demolition of Rosenborg, and a lone 1-0 defeat to Wrexham on 18 July. Leeds’ ledger is more mixed: wins over RB Leipzig (2-0), Liverpool (4-2) and Sunderland (1-0), but now defeats to Wrexham (3-2) and United.
Leeds will close their preparations by hosting Augsburg. United head to Poland to face Milan. Last season, Carrick’s side finished third, 24 points clear of Farke’s team in 14th. With only Tielemans and Santos through the door as major signings so far, United would quietly accept the same outcome again. Leeds, staring at another survival scrap, surely would too.
The sun went down in Dublin with nothing settled and everything still to prove.
