Manchester United traveled to Spain to train before club soccer returns after the World Cup.
The Red Devils faced Cádiz from LaLiga. Erik ten Hag fielded a combined team that consisted of a healthy mix of youngsters and seasoned professionals.
Martin Dubravka started in goal, with Victor Lindelof partnering Teden Mengi ahead of him. In the full-back positions, the Dutch coach started Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams. Scott McTominay, Zidane Iqbal and Donny van de Beek made up the midfield trio.
Anthony Martial led the United line, with Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Elanga on either side of him.
Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s defeat at the hands of their Spanish opposition.
slow first part
United were bad in the first 45 minutes, in which they conceded two goals.
The Reds weren’t quite as adventurous going forward, as has been the norm under Ten Hag. The team failed to create clear chances for much of the first half.
To put this in context, Cádiz had more shots and more shots on goal compared to United.
The Spanish team recorded three shots, two of them on goal. United, on the other hand, only had two shots, one of which hit the target.
In possession, several players were careless and gave away the ball in unforced circumstances. Defensively, the team lacked urgency, and as a result, Cádiz scored twice before United responded.
It wasn’t until Martial calmly scored his penalty after Iqbal was brought down hard inside the box that the players seemed to grow in the game.
However, Ten Hag would undoubtedly have been disappointed with that first-half performance.
Zidane Iqbal is set for regular first-team action
In the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, Iqbal showed both the fans and the coach why he deserves more contact with the senior team.
Along with Martial, Iqbal was the most outstanding player in the first part, where his qualities shone.
The academy graduate was impressive both on and off the ball and showed his comfort in tight quarters.
He appeared to receive the ball and always looked to give the defense an option in midfield.
So it was only fitting that Iqbal won the penalty which allowed United to pull one back. He deftly dodged the Cádiz defenders with his silky feet before being illegally impeded.
Based on tonight’s evidence, it’s clear the 18-year-old is ready for regular first-team minutes. He can definitely hold his own with the big ones!
the future is bright
Despite United’s defeat at the hands of Cádiz, there were plenty of promising signs from some of the youngsters.
In the second half, when Ten Hag switched all the outfield players to the youth players, the club’s young stars faced the experienced Cádiz players.
#mufc second half: Dubravka, Jurado, Fredricson, Bernard, Murray, Savage, Mainoo, Hansen-Aaroen, Emeran, Shoretire, McNeill
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 7, 2022
Kobbie Mainoo did well and even managed to score a goal early on after his introduction. He showed glimpses of his talent that will cheer fans up.
Shola Shoretire and Charlie Savage also did well, with consistent performances.
On a night of defeat, seeing the youngsters who gave it their all should give fans plenty to look forward to for years to come.
Hopefully they will learn from this disappointment and become better players.
