Manchester United 1-1 Athletic Club – as it happened.
The final pre-season game of Manchester United’s extensive summer schedule took place on Sunday with a clash against La Liga side Athletic in Dublin. Bilbao proved sturdy opposition for what, as expected, was a largely second-string United team at the Aviva Stadium.
Erik ten Hag’s first-team secured a victory over Lens at Old Trafford yesterday to set themselves up for the Premier League kick-off against Wolves next week and will take something from this draw, secured in the last minute by Facundo Pellistri’s goal, too. The game saw Harry Maguire, Donny van de Beek and plenty of United youngsters get valuable game-time, as they staked their claim for more involvement in the season to come.
New signing Rasmus Hojlund did not feature despite being officially unveiled as a United player on Saturday, due to injury. See how the game unfolded on the Standard Sport match blog below.
Ten Hag reaction
The manager has been speaking to MUTV about today’s draw, the pre-season campaign as a whole and the youngsters who have impressed him:
“They deserve it, otherwise we don’t line them up. In pre-season, we have to give them opportunities, but they have to take it. Be brave and show yourself if you want to stay in the first team.
“In one week, two times, we were losing, but this team showed character. We have to show resilience, and you have to at times show the determination.
“They don’t give up, they fight until the end. I’m happy we got the equaliser, and we had to fight for it. Today I saw good spells, at the start we were very good, and we should’ve scored.”
FULL TIME
And that late goal means it ends 1-1 here in Dublin and United avoid the ignominy of a pre-season defeat in their final friendly before the start of the Premier League season proper. Pellistri’s stoppage time goal was deserved, in truth, a draw probably fair.
