Man Utd 1 Real Madrid 1 (United win 2-1 on penalties): Anthony Martial produces dazzling skill
Real’s loss is United’s gain. No-one will read too much into a penalty shoot-out in a pre-season game but Mourinho is satisfied De Gea is more focused than ever, not least because of the level of competition being provided by Sergio Romero.
For all the pre-match talk about De Gea, though, the story looked like being about Anthony Martial, who teed up Lingard for United’s goal with a majestic piece of skill, or at least it was before the France forward ballooned his penalty in the shoot-out high over the crossbar. Mourinho will just hope Martial does not blow hot and cold next season.
"Obviously we want more consistency in his talent," Mourinho said. "I think today was positive for him, that's why I left him for 90 minutes on the pitch, he was enjoying and trying things, it's important to try things in these friendly matches so it's good for Anthony and his confidence.
"He is a young player, he still has time to learn, still time to improve, still time to develop, and it's also his personality. I can say he is training better than before, he's working harder than before, it's a question to bring his talent more in a consistent way."
It is hard to think of a player who disappointed more often last season for United than Martial. There were occasional flashes of the talent that had electrified Old Trafford during an impressive debut campaign but, for the most part, he flattered to deceive and Mourinho made no attempt to conceal his frustration. Martial, the manager said, could not keep blowing the chances afforded him. He had to start applying his undoubted talent on a consistent basis. There were off-field issues to take into consideration – an acrimonious split with the mother of his daughter – but he was a pale imitation of the player who made light of that head-spinning £61.6m fee United paid Monaco to sign him.
That will have been abundantly obvious to anyone who witnessed Martial’s wonderful piece of skill on the cusp of half-time that had the 65,109-strong crowd at the Levi’s Stadium jumping out of their seats after a fairly lacklustre game up to that point. There were three people around Martial when he picked up possession on the left side just outside the penalty area. First Lucas Vazquez attempted a challenge but Martial slipped away from him before slaloming in and out of Daniel Carvajal and Luka Modric – hardly two mugs – with the sort of fleet-footed-brilliance most commonly associated with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, the master of wriggling out of tight spaces.
Amazing run from Anthony Martial to assist Jesse Lingard as Manchester United go a goal up against Real Madrid.
It was the next bit that will have pleased Mourinho, though. The temptation must have been to shoot but as Raphael Varane closed in, Martial had the presence of mind and awareness to side-foot a pass into the path of Lingard to tap in.
He was not the only United youngster who equipped himself well. Lingard has been one of United’s brightest sparks in pre-season and was lively again, scoring but also forcing a good save from Keylor Navas and going close with another effort. And Andreas Pereira, who spent last season on loan at Granada, suggested he would be more than capable of doing a job for Mourinho in central midfield at a time when he is struggling to bring in the targets he wants.
Pereira is a technically-gifted player with a strong range of passing and good awareness. He has traditionally been a more attacking midfielder but he spent much of last season in Spain playing in a deeper midfield role and he could prove a useful option if attempts to entice Nemanja Matic from Chelsea fail.
It was not all good news for Mourinho. Ander Herrera hobbled off only seven minutes after coming on at half-time with a suspected hip injury and joins Juan Mata on the treatment table, and new signing Victor Lindelof committed a hare-brained challenge on Hernandez to concede a penalty in the 69th minute that was comfortably dispatched by Casemiro past De Gea. Lindelof had also been at some fault for both of the goals United conceded in their 5-2 win over LA Galaxy in their opening tour game in Los Angeles.
Marouane Fellaini, whose clunky style contrasted starkly with some of the slick technicians on show in the Real ranks, also passed up a glorious opportunity to win it for United when he ballooned the ball horribly wide from six yards after a fine cross from Scott McTominay six minutes from time was crying out to be slotted home.
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