Manchester United drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in their final pre-season game of the summer.
All those who started in the 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid the day before weren’t involved at Old Trafford against Rayo, although several watched on from the stands as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to the team despite the transfer rumours which still surround him.
It was the visitors who started slightly better on the afternoon, with Tom Heaton forced into a save within seconds of kick-off after Alvaro Garcia blasted on target.
It proved to be a rare effort on goal in the opening 45 minutes, although United did improve as the half continued.
Cristiano Ronaldo fired wide on 11 minutes, a strike he will be disappointed with, while Christian Eriksen curled a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Tahith Chong did have two first-half strikes, one which was easily held by Stole Dimitrievski, while another flashed high and wide.
Ronaldo was withdrawn after the break, with Amad, who replaced the Portugal forward, netting within minutes of his introduction.
The youngster followed in and tapped home after Rayo goalkeeper Diego Lopez spilled Alex Telles’s swirling shot inside the six-yard box.
Minutes later and ex-United striker Radamel Falcao hit the crossbar with a dipping effort from the edge of the box.
But on 57 minutes Rayo pulled one back. The lively Izi Palazon drove inside on his left foot and shot towards the bottom corner, causing Heaton to stretch and palm the ball wide, only for the onrushing Garcia to nip in and pass the ball into the back of the net.
Ethan Laird then blocked shots from Garcia and Salvi Sanchez, both of which were on target, while Heaton held Oscar Valentin’s strike from distance.
United made several changes in the second period which affected the flow of the game, and there weren’t many chances in the latter stages, with Zidane Iqbal shooting wide and Alex Telles firing over.
Here’s how we rated the United players…
It was the visitors who started slightly better on the afternoon, with Tom Heaton forced into a save within seconds of kick-off after Alvaro Garcia blasted on target.
5. Alex Telles- 6
Some of his set-piece deliveries weren’t on the money, but Telles helped United keep possession down the left with his overlapping runs. The defender should have done better to tackle Palazon in the build-up to Rayo’s goal.
6. James Garner- 7 (off 73)
Kept possession well and offered a shield for the back four which allowed Eriksen and Donny van de Beek to move forward. The midfielder was booked in the first half for a strong tackle, but can be pleased with his afternoon’s work.
7. Donny van de Beek- 6
Moved the ball well and displayed some neat touches, while he also pressed well in the centre. However, it wasn’t a performance of the type needed to convince Erik ten Hag to start him next week.
8. Christian Eriksen- 8 (off 60)
A great first Old Trafford outing in a United jersey for the Dane, who operated alongside Van de Beek in the middle of the park. Eriksen demonstrated a great range of passing and showed an effortless elegance on the ball. Our Man of the Match, just beating Laird to the award.