Manchester United suffered a 0-2 defeat against Real Madrid in a game played out at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas as part of the club’s pre-season campaign.
Goals from Jude Bellingham and Joselu in either half were enough to guarantee Los Blancos’victory against United.
Erik ten Hag’s men had 57% possession to Real Madrid’s 43%.
Both sides managed an equal 15 shots at goal and five shots on target.
The Red Devils amassed 575 passes with a pass accuracy of 89%. Madrid made 15 fewer passes with a success rate of 87%.
Going into the match, most eyes were on Andre Onana.
Old Trafford’s newest star was in contention to make his debut against Arsenal but he was not deemed quite ready yet.
Ten Hag finally handed him a start against Madrid and the shot-stopper did not disappoint.
Onana managed three saves during the 90 minutes of the pitch. Two, in particular, were especially crucial and helped to keep United in the game.
One such save came in the first half when he got a strong left hand on a powerful shot from Vinicius Jr. The other came when he used his feet to keep out an effort from an unmarked Joselu.
It’s important to note that all three saves were made from inside the box.
The former Inter Milan player made one sweeping action and was successful.
He also made one high claim – coming out to collect crosses and commanding the box is something United have been sorely lacking over the years and it’s refreshing that Onana showed he excels in those aspects of the game.
The 27-year-old had an amazing 51 touches of the ball and finished with an impressive 95 per cent pass accuracy.
Onana tried to go long to find his teammates on five occasions and was successful four times – a remarkable display of his ability with the ball at his feet (Stats obtained fromSofascore).
If his performance against Madrid is anything to go by, Onana’s signing can potentially be a game-changer for United and how they play going forward.
