Manchester United secured a penalty shootout victory against Leeds United in a pre-season friendly held in Dublin. The match, which marked the first club football encounter at Croke Park, concluded with a 5-4 win for United in the shootout after the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The fixture served as a penultimate friendly for Manchester United and a key preparatory match for Leeds United as both teams ramp up for the upcoming 2026/27 season. Despite being a pre-season game, the atmosphere was notable, with a capacity crowd attending the event.
Match highlights and team changes
The scoring began with Joshua Zirkzee finding the net for Manchester United, following a pass from Bryan Mbeumo. Leeds United responded when Dan James dispossessed a midfielder and set up Brenden Aaronson, who scored past goalkeeper Senne Lammens to level the score.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke named his starting XI for the match, which included new recruit James Trafford making his first start for the club in goal. The defense featured Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Tarik Muharemovic, and Jayden Bogle. The midfield comprised Rhys Chadwick, Sean Longstaff, and Ao Tanaka, with Brenden Aaronson and Daniel James playing ahead of them, and Lukas Nmecha leading the attack.
During the game, both managers made extensive changes. Manchester United manager Michael Carrick introduced fringe players such as Toby Collyer, Daniel Armer, and Tynan Thompson at halftime. Later in the second half, Carrick made six more substitutions, bringing on key players like captain Bruno Fernandes, new midfielder Youri Tielemans, and Matheus Cunha.
Farke also made significant alterations, with 10 changes to his side, leaving only Bornauw on the field from the initial lineup. These changes saw players like Harry Wilson and Alfie Cresswell test Lammens.
Pre-season preparations and player updates
Prior to the match, Michael Carrick provided an update on several players not involved in the friendly. Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martínez, and Kobbie Mainoo were not deemed ready for the game, with their availability being preserved for an upcoming fixture against Milan in Wroclaw. Mason Mount was also absent as a precaution, while Tom Heaton‘s injury was under assessment. Harry Maguire, who had joined training on Wednesday, was also not part of the match squad.
The match concluded with a penalty shootout to decide the Boyle Sports Cup. Manchester United emerged victorious with a 5-4 score in the shootout, with Noussair Mazraoui converting the decisive kick.
Manchester United‘s pre-season results leading up to this match included a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain, a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, a 5-0 victory against Rosenborg, and a 1-0 loss to Wrexham on July 18. Leeds United‘s pre-season record before this defeat included a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig, a 4-2 win against Liverpool, a 1-0 victory over Sunderland, and a 3-2 defeat, also to Wrexham, on July 26.
Leeds United is scheduled to conclude their pre-season preparations by hosting Augsburg, while Manchester United will travel to Poland for their next fixture. Last season, Manchester United finished third in the league, 24 points ahead of Leeds United, who finished 14th.
The transfer activity for Manchester United has seen the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos as major signings. The pre-season results offer limited insight into how either team’s 2026-27 season will unfold, but for Leeds United, survival in the top-flight is expected to be a priority.
The match was available for viewing on LUTV for a fee of £5, with the broadcast accessible worldwide, excluding the Republic of Ireland, and action from Croke Park commenced at 7:30 pm.
Fan presence and security concerns
The enthusiastic PA announcer highlighted the historical significance of the event as the inaugural meeting between the two English clubs at the stadium. However, the match was briefly interrupted by security breaches when five fans, followed by a sixth, rushed onto the field for selfies with Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans before the final whistle.
The Leeds United bench for the match included Alex Cairns, Rory Mahady, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Joël Piroe, Harry Wilson, Anton Stach, Noah Okafor, James Justin, Wilfried Gnonto, Alfie Cresswell, and Callum Mills.
The pre-season schedule continues for both teams as they fine-tune their squads for the upcoming season, with Manchester United heading to Poland for their next match.
Source: theguardian.com
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