Match Report: Rosenborg 1-0 Manchester United

Manchester United began the club’s pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg BK on Monday evening in a contest of very little action that was ultimately won with the very last kick of the game by Noah Holm.

A largely young, inexperienced squad had flown out to Norway given that many of Erik ten Hag’s senior players are currently having a break following the conclusion of both the Euros and the Copa América. With that said, established first team players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Casemiro, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford were there for the pre-season opener in the westernmost of the Scandinavian countries.

Though many fans have branded the match uninspiring based on the little attacking flair from the Red Devils, others seem content with the last-gasp defeat given it was the club’s first game since May’s 2-1 triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, and are simply appeased by the minutes offered to the younger players and the squad-wide clean bill of health that ensued.

Match Report

First Half

Starting XI: Radek Vitek (GK), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB), Will Fish (CB), Jonny Evans (CB), Sam Murray (LB), Casemiro (CDM) ©, Mason Mount (CM), Hannibal Mejbri (CAM), Ethan Williams (RW), Marcus Rashford (LW), Ethan Wheatley (ST).

Substitutes: Dermot Mee (GK). Elyh Harrison (GK), Habeeb Ogunneye, Louis Jackson, Sonny Aljofree, Harry Amass, Rhys Bennett, Sam Mather, Maxi Oyedele, James Scanlon, Ethan Ennis, Toby Collyer, Joe Hugill, Jack Fletcher.

Reds manager Ten Hag- accompanied on the sidelines by new assistants Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake amidst the extension of his own contract until 2026- arguably named the strongest starting eleven at his disposal.

The impact was relatively minimal from United, however, with Wheatley’s left-footed strike from the left-hand side the of the area the closest that his side came to scoring an opener in the first forty-five minutes, a shot unleashed towards the back end of the half.

Rosenborg head coach Alfred Johansson clearly identified Rashford as a threat to his players before the game, with Marius Broholm and Edvard Tagseth both making cynical fouls on the English forward around the half-hour mark in quick succession whenever he found any space.

Neither of these were the worst fouls of the game though, with Tomas Nemcik cautioned with a yellow card for a high, studs-up tackle on Casemiro which would have likely seen the former dismissed for in a competitive match.

The hosts poised the greater threat in the opening half, with Troillongan going close through Sverre Nypan’s left-footed effort, Ole Saeter’s central header and Broholm’s rising strike all testing goalkeeper Vitek not long before the interval. These all came shortly after Broholm struck the bar with a looping strike from the right-hand side of the eighteen-yard box that was unfortunate not to find the top corner.

Second Half

Starting XI: Radek Vitek (GK), Habeeb Ogunneye (RB), Sonny Aljofree (CB), Rhys Bennett (CB), Harry Amass (LB), Toby Collyer (CDM) ©, Maxi Oyedele (CM), James Scanlon (CAM), Jack Fletcher (RW), Ethan Ennis (LW), Joe Hugill (ST).

Substitutes: Dermot Mee (GK). Elyh Harrison (GK), Louis Jackson, Sam Mather.

The manager opted to make wholesale changes for the second half, with the exception of Vitek in goal following a strong showing in the first. Collyer, 20, captained the Reds in what can be viewed as a great show of faith from his boss following the recent extension of his contract until 2027 with the option of a further year.

Rosenborg rotated the vast majority of personnel on the hour mark, too, with the Trondheim-based team already fourteen games into the season in its domestic Eliteserien campaign.

In spite of the football continuing to be slow-paced, Tobias Borkeeiet was emphatically denied by Vitek in the 64^th minute after his rising strike was clawed out of the top right-hand corner. Emil Frederickson struck the post just five minutes later from inside the box as the home side began to grow some subtle momentum.

Ennis produced the visitors’ best moment of the half in the 70^th minute when he cut in onto his right foot around twenty-five yards out, with the subsequent effort unconventionally kept out by the glove of a diving Rasmus Sandberg in the middle of the net.

The game almost certainly looked set to end a goalless draw until Holm powered a close-ranged strike into the roof of the net in the very last kick of the game. The 23-year-old Danish forward could hardly have believed his luck as the ball fell perfectly at his feet beyond the last line of defence after he fortuitously blocked his own player’s effort; despite the scrappiness, it certainly gave the fans something to cheer following a largely subdued atmosphere across the match in the Lerkendal Stadion.

Final Score: Rosenborg BK 1-0 Manchester United (Holm 90+3)

Player Ratings

First Half: Radek Vitek (7), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (6), Will Fish (6), Jonny Evans (6), Sam Murray (6), Casemiro (6) ©, Mason Mount (6), Hannibal Mejbri (6), Ethan Williams (6), Marcus Rashford (6), Ethan Wheatley (6).

Second Half: Radek Vitek (7), Habeeb Ogunneye (6), Sonny Aljofree (6), Rhys Bennett (6), Harry Amass (6), Toby Collyer (7) ©, Maxi Oyedele (6), James Scanlon (6), Jack Fletcher (6), Ethan Ennis (7), Joe Hugill (6).

Man of the Match

Vitek’s showing across the ninety minutes has had many Reds fans raving following a game of few stand-out performances.

The 20-year-old, who spent the second half of last season out on loan at Accrington Stanley, showed a commanding presence amidst a range of efforts against him throughout the match, often managing to close the space down well between himself and the attacking players.

The Czech stopper- comfortably 6 ft 5 inches in stature- displayed great agility and movement to get down low and stop shots, but showed great ability to get up high as well, exemplified by a great save to deny Borkeeiet not long after an hour.

The most senior of the goalkeepers available for Ten Hag, Vitek might find himself getting some more minutes in the near future with Tom Heaton on vacation following his involvement with the England goalkeeping department at the Euros and with Andre Onana having skipped the trip to Norway to focus on his physical training at Carrington.

The Bigger Picture

Fans, players and managers alike all hate losing a game of football, whether that be competitively, in pre-season, or even behind closed doors; however, given the circumstances, it is difficult to be too disheartened following the defeat.

Pre-season is all about getting minutes into the legs of the squad, particularly in the opening couple of games, and Ten Hag will undoubtedly be relieved that everyone is seemingly boarding the flight back to Manchester in good health.

The opportunity to showcase Carrington’s finest on pre-season is always a welcome one. Benefitting the manager and fans who get to watch them play, the youth players have the chance to put themselves in the forefront of the coaching department’s plans ahead of the remainder of the tour and the start of the season.

Aside from Vitek’s man-of-the-match performance, Collyer looked composed and comfortable at holding midfield just in front of the back four, with Ennis displaying quick movement and tidy footwork off the wing. Wheatley looked sharp as a striker in the first half, too, despite a lack of service.

Following disappointing campaigns last season, Casemiro, Mount and Rashford failed to really stamp the authority on the game in the manner which many would expect. Although, given it was their first game back, perhaps it would be wrong to ctiricise too harshly.

Some fans were quick to notice that Casemiro captained the side from the get-go, despite ongoing links to a move to Saudi Arabia this summer.

All in all, fans got to see a very average start to pre-season, and will hope for improvement throughout the remainder of the fixtures.

What Comes Next?

Man United next face Rangers at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland on Saturday 20^th July at 16:00 (BST).

After that, the Reds head state-side for fixtures against Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday 28^th July at 01:00 (BST); Real Betis at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California on Thursday 1^st August at 03:00 (BST); and Liverpool at the Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on Sunday 4^th August at 00:30 (BST).

After that, Ten Hag and Pep Guardiola meet again when Man United contest Man City in the English Community Shield at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday 10^th August at 15:00 (BST).