Rangers vs Manchester United. Friendly Match.
Murrayfield StadiumAttendance56,574.
Man Utd beat Rangers 2-0 thanks to goals from Amad Diallo, a former loanee with the Ibrox side, and Joe Hugill; Leny Yoro, whose move from Lille could be worth £58.9m, played the first 45 minutes and helped Erik ten Hag's side keep their opponents at bay
Monday 22 July 2024 07:47, UK
Leny Yoro helped Manchester United keep a clean sheet in his first appearance for the club as Erik ten Hag's side secured a 2-0 win over Rangers in a pre-season friendly at Murrayfield.
The 18-year-old centre-back, fresh from his £58.9m arrival from Lille earlier this week, was paired with Jonny Evans in a starting line-up that also included winger Jadon Sancho, who has returned to the United fold after clear-the-air talks with Ten Hag.
Sancho, who fell out with Ten Hag following criticism last season before returning to former club Borussia Dortmund on loan, was making his first United appearance since a Premier League win over Nottingham Forest 11 months ago.
United, beaten 1-0 by Rosenborg in their first friendly of pre-season on Monday, took a 39th-minute lead when Amad Diallo cut inside from Mason Mount's pass and fired a clinical finish into the corner, before Joe Hugill added a well-taken second from fellow youngster Maxi Oyede's through-ball on 70 minutes.
Ten Hag, who also named Casemiro, Andre Onana and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as starters, changed all 10 of his outfield players at the interval but Yoro was one of their standout performers.
The teenager showed his speed and strength to keep pace with Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers and prevent a potential one-on-one chance and saw plenty of the ball over the course of the first half.
In fact, Yoro had more touches than any other United outfield player. He also made the most passes, with an overall tally of 48, including four successful long balls out of seven.
"For the first time, with only one training session, it was a very mature performance," Ten Hag said of Yoro's display.
"That's the way we saw him when we scouted him. It's great to have him and he's very young for a centre-back.
"There is a lot to come but you can see already that he has great potential. He is here and we think he can play but there are so many games to come and he will be in a group of four or five (centre-backs)."
Yoro told MUTV: "For me, it was incredible. It was a really good game from the team. I'm happy with my performance and I hope we continue like that.
"The team-mates helped me a lot. The staff, they made me comfortable. On the pitch, we are together so for me it's really good."
Ten Hag was delighted to see an improved performance from his side having admitted they fell below standards in Monday's defeat to Rosenborg.
"Pre-season is friendlies but I want to win every game, so I was very disappointed on Monday, especially with the performance," he said to MUTV. "That is even more important in pre-season - the performance.
"You want to grow and that is what we have seen today in comparison with Monday, which was a low standard. Today was much better, especially in the prospect of aggressiveness, which was much better.
"We were much more on the front foot and it was a team [effort] in both halves so, yeah, it was enjoyable to watch."
Ten Hag also hinted at a more prominent role for goalscorer Diallo in the season ahead following some eye-catching displays at the end of the last campaign.
"We have to see Amad in a different way," he said. "Of course, he is still young but he is not inexperienced any more.
"Last season he had bad times with bad injuries. Before that he was in the Championship and he had a great season. At the end of last season, he had a very good time in our first team and played some good games.
"Now for this season, this has to be the year. It's great that he starts like this. On Monday he couldn't play, he was not allowed to go into Norway, but today he could play and he played a very good game."
Ten Hag expressed his satisfaction at the club's summer business so far, with Yoro's arrival following the signing of Joshua Zirkzee, who is yet to feature for his new side following his involvement at the Euros.
"It is very good that we are also there on the front foot, we are very proactive so [the] leadership is doing a great job in this moment. That is, I think, how we want to act as United.
"We are highly ambitious and you have to be on the front foot and be ready for the season. The earlier you get your players in, then you can work on your team."
For Rangers, the defeat followed a 2-1 reverse to Dutch giants Ajax in their opening friendly of pre-season and much of the focus was on a player who did not feature in James Tavernier.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement said the club captain's absence was down to a fitness issue before kick-off. "He is close to training with the first team," he said. But his Ibrox future looks in doubt.
Rangers have rejected an initial offer for the 32-year-old from Trabzonspor but it is expected the Turkish side will return with an improved bid.
Tavernier, who has scored 125 goals and provided 129 assists during his nine-year spell at the club, is also said to have attracted interest from former bosses Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Al-Ettifaq and Besiktas respectively.
Todd Cantwell, another player linked with a Rangers exit this summer, was also absent from the squad. "Todd is training with the team but is not ready to play with the first team so he will play with the second team on Saturday," said Clement before kick-off.
Clement departed immediately after the match at Murrayfield for a family commitment, leaving media duties to assistant coach Alex Rae, who remained coy on Tavernier's future.
"There has been speculation throughout the course of Tavernier's time here," Rae said. "He has been linked many times, there have been lots of rumours. We just deal with it as it happens. There is nothing to report as such.
"Listen, Tav is an integral part of what we do here and hopefully that continues. For me, his being at this club is vital. He has been an integral part over recent years, I think 20-odd goals last year, so we will wait and see what happens."
July 15: Rosenborg 1-0 Man Utd
July 20: Rangers 0-2 Man Utd
July 27: Man Utd vs Arsenal - SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, kick-off 5pm local time (1am July 28 UK time)
July 31: Man Utd vs Real Betis - Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, kick-off 7pm local time (5am August 1 UK time)
August 3: Man Utd vs Liverpool - Brice Stadium, South Carolina, kick-off 7.30pm local time (12.30am August 4 UK time)
August 10 - Community Shield: Man City vs Man Utd - Wembley, kick-off 3pm
Manchester United will start their 2024/25 Premier League season with a home fixture against Fulham, live on Sky Sports, and face Liverpool in the opening month of the season.
The opening game of the new campaign will be played on Friday August 16, with kick-off at 8pm.
United then travel to Brighton before their first big derby of the season at home to Liverpool with the game currently scheduled for Saturday August 31.
The reverse fixture will be played at the start of 2025 with a trip to Anfield on January 4.
Fans will have to wait until December for the first Manchester derby of the season, away at Manchester City on December 14. The reverse fixture at Old Trafford will be played on April 5.
Boxing Day will see Man Utd travel to Wolves, and they will finish the 2024/25 campaign at home to Aston Villa on May 25.
Rangers start their 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season at Hearts on Saturday August 3, live on Sky Sports.
Philippe Clement's side are then due to be at home to Motherwell the following Saturday - but due to a delay in stadium works at Ibrox - that game will be played at Hampden Park.
The first Old Firm clash of the season takes place on September 1 live on Sky Sports as Rangers travel to Celtic, a fixture that could be key in the title race this season, and one Clement is yet to taste victory in.
The sides will clash again at Ibrox on January 2 - live on Sky Sports - with their final pre-split meeting at Parkhead on March 15.
