Manchester United played another friendly in Spain ahead of the resumption of club football, this time against Real Betis.
Erik ten ag fielded the same starting XI as in the loss to Cádiz, with the exception of Isak Hansen-Aarøen, who came on as a late addition in place of Donny van de Beek.
Late switch to #mufc XI: Hansen-Aaroen starts instead of Van de Beek.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 10, 2022
The United manager would no doubt have been keen for his team to shoot and win A again late after he expressed disappointment at some aspects of the team’s play in a 4-2 loss against Cádiz.
We learned three things from Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Real Betis.
stable first half
Compared to the first half against Cádiz, United were much better against Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
The team was better defensively and was more capable of stopping the advances of the Spanish team. Real Betis players were confined to the edge of the United box, and in the few cases they did break into the box, they were dealt with appropriately by the back line.
There was greater control in the midfield area, where Zidane Iqbal pulled the strings and dictated the pace of the game.
In terms of attacking forays, the Red Devils seemed more composed and capable despite heading to the goalless break.
However, Betis had more than twice as many shots as Ten Hag’s team. The LaLiga club fired nine shots compared to United’s four.
They also recorded a shot on goal, a feat the 20-time English champions failed to achieve once.
United had a more significant part of the ball in the first 45 minutes. 56% possession for a Betis senior who achieved 44% ball retention.
While Ten Hag will have been disappointed by his players’ lack of imagination and creativity, he will be heartened by the fact that they defended well and looked much better than they did a few days ago.
Alejandro Garnacho and Zidane Iqbal are the most prominent
Alejandro Garnacho was United’s dangerous man, and if the Reds had broken the tie, it would likely have been through him.
Restored to his favored left flank after a season on the right against Cádiz, Garnacho looked more of a threat.
He was able to run at players, engage them, and be devastating. He also linked up well with Anthony Martial. It is not surprising that the fans in the stands chanted “Viva Garnacho”.
‘Viva Garnacho’ sung by #mufc fans, with an Argentine flag visible in the visitor section. The garnacho has been the brightest in a monotonous environment.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 10, 2022
Like Garnacho, Iqbal was also impressive in the middle of the park, where he formed a pivot with Scott McTominay. The 19-year-old once again showed his class on his technical ability.
After a strong performance against Cádiz, Iqbal was comfortable in tight spaces, was excellent with his passes and looked forward when an opportunity presented itself.
Another flawless aspect of his game is how he made himself available to defenders and seemed to be the main link between defense and attack.
Hopefully, when club football returns, Iqbal has the chance to make a significant leap forward and become a first-team regular, similar to what happened with Garnacho.
Lack of depth/quality options is still an issue
Even in an essentially meaningless friendly game, the lack of options for the coach was an obvious problem.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka showed why his departure from United is coming.
When Martial was taken off during the break, it fell to Shola Shoretire to play the role of striker. This gamble never paid off as the academy graduate failed to make a significant impact from the position.
Clearly, most of the youngsters who played a part are far from ready and still require careful nurturing. They cannot be reliably depended on as sufficient backups.
The club must only allow the January window to bypass them by bolstering the ranks and adding more. United’s season result may depend on it.
