Manchester United are set to face its former manager, Ruben Amorim, in its final pre-season fixture against AC Milan, which sets the stage for a more competitive match with a little more tension than is usual for a friendly.
There is no doubt that Michael Carrick has transformed the team he inherited from Ruben Amorim, and the results speak for themselves.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese manager’s problems continue at his new club, as his AC Milan side are still without a win since his appointment, and, to be honest, they haven’t come particularly close in any of their matches, even though two out of three ended in draws.
The Rossoneri last played Chelsea a week ago, suffering a heavy 3–0 defeat without managing a single shot on target against Sanchez.
Despite the friendly nature of the match, both managers will certainly want to prove they are the better side, so I expect a bit more action of all kinds. Whether it’s goals or a surprising number of cards, this friendly looks like a must-watch this weekend
How the bookies view it: The Red Devils to beat their former boss
The bookmakers are unanimous in their view that the Red Devils are clear favourites in this final pre-season fixture for both sides.
At the moment, Manchester United are priced at 4/5, whilst AC Milan are rated at 23/10. If you’re expecting a more competitive match and are drawn to the draw, you can back it at 3/1.
Recent head-to-head: United are unbeaten in the last six
Manchester United and AC Milan have provided football with many great European nights in UEFA competitions, most recently meeting in the Europa League in 2021.
They have faced each other 11 times over the last 20 years, and, interestingly, the Red Devils have not lost in six consecutive matches.
Players to watch: Rashford with a dream return?
Most of the players from both sides have now returned, and the managers are expected to field stronger starting line-ups than usual in their final preparations.
There’s been a lot of talk about Marcus Rashford, who has returned to United and been training with the squad this week, so it’s quite possible he’ll get some playing time in the second half. It will be interesting to watch, given that Ruben Amorim was the man who dropped him from United’s squad some time ago.
In other words, the Englishman will have extra motivation to shine, apart from the obvious fact that he needs to win back his place in the starting line-up.
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Probable line-ups
Manchester United: Lammens, Dalot, Shaw, Heaven, Maguire, Santos, Tielemans, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo
AC Milan: Torriani, Pavlovic, De Winter, Terracciano, Estupinan, Comotto, Modric, Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Ramos, Leao
Anything else catch the eye?
If we were to compare the two teams’ pre-season performances, the Red Devils certainly have much more to boast about. Of course, friendlies are a far cry from competitive fixtures, but the Rossoneri really did look dreadful against Chelsea.
By contrast, United beat Atletico Madrid and then held their own against the reigning Champions League holders, PSG.
The line-up I expect from United will be very similar to the one we’ll see in most matches this season, so I’m expecting a strong performance and one final victory before the start of the campaign. Not to mention that they know exactly what to expect from Amorim.
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