Manchester United 2-4 AC Milan: Five key takeaways from pre-season friendly

Rúben Amorim’s men outclass the Red Devils!

For their final club friendly ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, Manchester United battled it out against the Italian giants AC Milan at the Municipal Stadium.

Both of these top-tier clubs got to learn a lot from the result of this pre-season outing. This marks the first win for the Ruben Amorim-led side during their current pre-season run. Their attack finally clicked and everything was in place for the Portuguese manager, that too against his former club, Manchester United.

The English Premier League giants gave a strong fight to the Rossoneri in the first half, but things fell apart for them in the second half. There were multiple defensive issues and Milan came up with well-organised tactics to outplay one of the top sides of English football.

Important things we learned from this match:

1. Things coming together for AC Milan’s attack

The Rossoneri might have given away the advantage twice to the Red Devils, but their attack finally showed signs of life today. Goncalo Ramos, Samuel Chukwueze, Alphadjo Cissè and Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored a goal each for AC Milan. This helped the Italian giants to secure a 4-2 win against Michael Carrick’s men. In today’s match, they scored more goals than in the rest of their games combined in their ongoing pre-season run.

2. Manchester United’s fragile defence

The Michael Carrick-led side only conceded one goal in the first half, but went on to concede three more in the second. The arrival of Lisandro Martinez made things worse for the Red Devils. Ayden Heaven did a decent job in the first half, but was replaced by Martinez and that’s where things took a wrong turn for Man United. Milan’s attack was too good for them.

Also Read: Why Marcus Rashford wearing No. 9 kit for Manchester United vs AC Milan in pre-season friendly?

3. Set-pieces can be a weapon for Man United

The opening goal of the game came after Bruno Fernandes delivered a sensational ball from the corner and Harry Maguire made no mistake in firing the ball into the back of the net. Manchester United have previously converted such goals from set-pieces and this can be one of their strengths during the 2026-27 campaign.

4. Patrick Dorgu continues to impress on the wing

The Denmark international scored the second goal for Manchester United in their 2-4 loss against AC Milan. He also was the stand out performer for his side. Patrick Dorgu continues to put up impressive performances on the left flank and this can play a crucial role for the Red Devils heading into the new season.

5. Ruben Amorim earns a statement victory

Facing your former club as a player and even as a coach is not an easy task, but Ruben Amorim managed it very well for his new club, AC Milan. The Italian giants delivered their strongest performance yet ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. This 4-2 victory is a big confidence booster for both Ruben Amorim and the Rossoneri ahead of the new season.

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